While the University Towers apartment building, built in 1965, may tower over South University Avenue, upward growth in the area has been limited in recent years by zoning laws that prohibit the construction of buildings over two stories tall. However, city officials have recently floated a plan to raise that limit to six stories in an effort to encourage urban density and revive the South University business district. The Ann Arbor City Council must move quickly to enact this plan, not only because it will provide housing close to campus, but also because it fits within the larger framework of curbing urban sprawl.

For businesses in the area — many of which sponsored a similar rezoning proposal last year — this plan would be a boon. Currently, according to The Ann Arbor News, many of the businesses on South University face a difficult climate; Councilmember Chris Easthope (D-5th Ward) has called the climate “fragile.” By increasing housing density in the area, these businesses would receive more customers and a significant boost. Furthermore, because buildings could be bigger under this plan, the Downtown Development Authority predicts that many landowners in the area will reinvest and redevelop their buildings. For customers and tenants who shop and live in the South University area, this effort to reinvigorate facilities will translate into a better overall experience.

More importantly, however, vertical growth would increase housing density. Each year, Ann Arbor students are caught in a fierce housing market, faced with expensive, low-quality living options. By relaxing the cap on building height around South University (which lies between East University and Washtenaw Avenues), developers will be able to build taller housing units in close proximity to University facilities. These developments would not only give students more options, but also force competing landlords to upgrade facilities and lower prices.

Also, by encouraging downtown housing development, this plan would help advance the DDA’s goal of curbing urban sprawl and establishing downtown Ann Arbor as the economic and residential hub of the region. The greatest force spurring outward development has been a lack of adequate housing downtown. By tripling the maximum height of buildings in a busy area that cuts through the center of the city, this plan would help to directly alleviate that problem.

It would also enhance the impact of another signature Ann Arbor project, the Greenbelt. While buying up land outside Ann Arbor can help limit sprawl in neighboring townships, tall buildings are necessary to house businesses and residents within the city itself. Buying land in adjacent municipalities will only delay sprawl; unless prospective residents are given viable alternatives located in the city, they will simply move further out, beyond the range of the Greenbelt.

This plan has few drawbacks. While some residents may be worried about the aesthetic impact of taller buildings, these concerns are trumped by the benefits of cheaper, better housing, decreased sprawl and economic prosperity.