To many, “density” is a dirty word. It conjures up images of traffic, small yards, crowded sidewalks, and towering concrete blocks. But if you look at a city’s budget, density means something entirely different.

Density is the only thing keeping most cities in America from going broke.

Most people think our local governments run like a household budget. We see a city growing outward, adding new suburban subdivisions and sprawling strip malls, and think it’s getting richer. But the opposite is true. Low-density sprawl is a massive financial drain, while our dense, historic downtown is quietly subsidizing the rest of the city.

For nearly three decades, the contract of the internet was simple. You write great content, search engines index it, users search for a keyword, and they click your link to read the answer.

Yeah well, that shit is over.