Randal O'Toole on Urban Planning (Cato University) (1 of 4)

Urban planners want to shape our cities. And they want our cities to shape you. That's the conclusion of Cato Institute Senior Fellow Randal O'Toole. He argues that the rationales for most urban planning collapses upon examination.

O'Toole — author of the forthcoming Cato book Gridlock — spoke at Cato University at Rancho Bernardo, California.

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• cato
• institute
• university
• randal
• toole
• urban
• planning
• suburbs
• suburbia

[jmfan22692]

"The truth is that there is no evidence that people living at higher densities produce less greenhouse gases than people living at lower densities."

That's absolute crap.

A study in the Journal of Urban Planning and Development, quantified the emissions in both urban suburban neighborhoods in the Toronto metro area. And they found that downtown residents use radically less energy, and consequently emit about two-thirds less climate-warming CO2 than their suburban counterparts.

[Cyrus992]

I barely see the liberty that is received from auto-dominated sprawl

Dont listen and STOP Randal O Toole! He seems like a fraud. He and Wendell

Cox are part of the lobbyist groups that created this WWII type growth in the first place to CONTROL us.

They falsely act as libertarians to support the oil, cement, big box, asphalt, etc.. companies because walkable ideas destroy their revenues!

Notice how O Toole does not support a "free market" New Urbanism like I do

[RomanV101]

Doesn't he know that U.S. cities and suburbs are tightly regulated by their local governments? Private property rights are an illusion- zoning codes, minimum lot size requirements, setbacks, all created by the local government to maintain an agreed upon form for whatever metro or neighborhood you live in. Something as simple as a supermarket next to homes, or homes above shops is not allowed in some places- in the end, Americans elect their city councils- the Federal Government has no place.

[nickitheninja5]

God for bid there's trees and fields don't get torn down

[Cyrus992]

In those cities, you’re forced to live in isolated subdivisions and drive in meaningless collector roads

You’re forced to deal with HOA, Mello Ross, and high property tax payments to maintain the masterplan

You’re forced to deal with land-use segregation and codes by public planners who DICTATE on where we should live.

You don’t have the option of living above the store if you work there

You’re limited in the street dimensions by the public planners

A lot of it’s subsidized.

[Cyrus992]

Exactly, what is about auto-dominated sprawl that benefits O'Toole?

His special interest group that benefits from auto-dominated sprawl. He poses himself as a libertarian to get some attention when he support a development that controlled by building codes and land use segregation.

His Houston example is a joke, but mixed-use and diverse planning is profitable and marketable to developers, and residents.

Same can be mentioned about Wendell Cox

[Cyrus992]

How in the world you are getting freedom in auto-dominated sprawl?

The house you choose is limited by codes and restrictions where is isolated from the daily needs of the household.

Business cannot choose to be in a marketable mixed of retail and office

People limited transportation choices and are forced to pay car payments, registration, DMV, maintenance, gas, insurance, land to store the cars, and traffic tickets.

There very little options for social needs.

[pawpawnorth]

This guy is stupid, heeats paint chips and look like Cololnel Sanders