I read Andrew Keatts’ “North Park Presents a Big Test for the City’s Climate Action Plan” story and wanted to write to say I’m excited about the increased density that the North Park Community Plan update provides.

I do own a UPS Store in the neighborhood, but I also live in North Park and my enthusiasm isn’t financially driven.

In denser communities, we’ll have a greater variety of small businesses so that we don’t have to go very far to get the things we want and need. Instead of driving to downtown, Mission Valley or Kearny Mesa, more of the things we want could be purchased in North Park. And given the size of North Park and how flat it is, these businesses would be just a bike ride or walk away.

Increased density also means that we can have more frequent and varied public transportation options, so that when we need to go downtown or other places, it’s more likely that there will be a bus or trolley that can quickly take us there. It’s hard to justify increasing the frequency of a bus in a low-density neighborhood where there are fewer potential users.

The increased density will also change the feel of the neighborhood, and in my opinion, for the better. I love the energy of dense communities like Little Italy and East Village and I’m excited that many people see North Park as an ideal candidate for this kind of growth.

Dennis Stein is a business owner and resident of North Park. Stein’s commentary has been edited for style and clarity. See anything in there we should fact check? Tell us what to check out here