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The Antiplanner discusses how well-intentioned agencies become wasteful government-planning bureaucracies. The mal-investment in our socialist highway system and the resulting congestion, pollution, disrepair, and sprawl come to mind. Using smart growth, modern day planners are trying to correct the lack of foresight of the planners and politicians of past generations who brought us the sprawl and congestion in the first place. However, with the lack of signals the market give us, it took several generations to recognize we had been going the wrong direction. We won’t know for another generation or two which wrong road modern planners are sending us down. Even if it’s unlikely we can privatize everything overnight, by introducing market solutions to our highway/transit systems, we can begin to make better decisions for the long run. Politicians need to welcome the ideas of tolling and privatization and stop pandering to the automobile-reliant voters.
Not directly speaking about urbanism, but the same ideas can be applied to green developers, and even developers in general. ‘“You serve people by making things people want.” And if people want pollution-free power, the free-market can deliver it.’ Watch here.
Nearby residents want to stall Columbus Village from being their Upper West Side neighbor. The myth that dense development is bad for the environment continues… Maybe high-priced attorneys help propagate these myths at the expense of the environment and supply of housing for the sake of their clients’ Legal Plunder. GlobeSt: Resident Files Suit Seeking Environmental Review
Socialized transportation and government land planning of the past generations have put an unintended burden on future generations. Trendczar, Jonathan Miller explains how the lifestyle of sprawl is becoming less economical for individuals and government: Ending the Free Ride
Wall Street Journal Blog: Are McMansions Making Some Americans Unhappy?
Phasing out rent-regulation may hurt a bit, but in the long-run regulation has done more damage than good. Along with loosening zoning restrictions, freeing up apartments to market rents will help lessen the housing shortage citywide. New York Daily News: Tenants say rent-regulated apartments threatened by investment firms Curbed: Predatory Investors
Collectivists planned to join “Hands Across Harlem” to stop developers from further exercising their property rights. However, they only managed to gather a small crowd. New York Observer: 125th Street Rezoning Rally: 1968 Tries Again City Council Could Approve 125th Street Rezoning Tomorrow The Real Deal: Harlem rezoning critics want changes Latest: The Real Deal: City Council subcommittee approves Harlem rezoning NY Times
All these different players trying to “plan” economic growth could end up smothering it. Instead of letting the developer take the risk, politicians want to play hero. NY Times: West Side Redevelopment Plans in Disarray Curbed: West Side Doom & Gloom: Moynihan the Key for Megaprojects
NIMBYism and exclusionary zoning has helped “preserve the character” of desirable urban areas by driving out the economically unfortunate. Green Disparate Impact
Drew Carey discusses private alternatives to socialized highways that promote sprawl.