I suspect local economics dominates the issue. Even the ticky tacky hundreds-of-townhouses-all-the-same sprawl into the garlic fields (are there still garlic fields?) south of San Jose will not feel any pinch from... what? San Francisco is full and Silicon Valley spews wealth. San Jose should benefit from higher density and more urban cultural life, but it's not going to make a dent in demand. If the money is there, the sprawl will remain. Conversely, if it isn't, there won't be any urban revitalization.