Yeah we don't want downtown to be an upper class enclave like downtown Austin, Denver, or even OKC to an extent where most of the new housing is priced too high for the people they are targeting. There needs to be a mix of housing options.
I remember when the rail folks from Austin came to Tulsa to give their input on our future, possible, lines. They said one of the mistakes they made early on was to not require that developers put in some affordable living, esp as pertaining to TOD (Transit Oriented Developments). They said we are in the enviable position of being able to learn from their mistakes and regrets.... Right? lol The city will often have control of some good chunks of property at or near TOD sites, areas where the stations will be. Sometimes those are city owned parking lots that once development gets rolling the city parsels off into parking garages and or mixed use developments. Those types of desirable areas, are one example of where the city can say to developers,,, "If you want to build in this great location, we the taxpayers created, then add a few lower income living options to the mix (so that taxpayers, both wealthy and not, may partake of their investment)."
