Building America: Who should Control Urban Growth?

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Political_Theory_Project/

Speakers: James Howard Kunstler and Randal O'Toole

How should our cities grow? Who should control development: planners or markets?

If there is any one distinguishing physical feature of the North American metropolis it is the sprawl of the suburbs over the countryside. This sprawl is accentuated by the fact that control over zoning decisions is left in the hands of individual suburban municipalities. The multi-centered metropolis hinders any efforts to control metropolitan growth, to channel the growth into areas designed for it, and to preserve other areas for permanent productive and recreational green spaces. Urban sprawl is associated with total dependence on the automobile for transportation, segregation between the impoverished and the affluent, redundant infrastructure, and excessive negative environmental impacts. The urban sprawl debate engenders fundamental concerns about local government and 'the race to the bottom', the freedom of markets in land use and development, how to protect the environment, the government's role in promoting exclusion versus access, and the role of place-making in civic engagement.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• urban
• growth
• janus
• forum
• america
• united
• states
• brown
• university
• development

[Potlickerdotorg]

O'Toole's theory relies heavily on the creamy nougat center of oil.

[Cyrus992]

@Scottit

Honestly, I am not taking in the side of both Kunstler and O'Toole. I understand that Kunstler is over exaggerating over the oil issue.

What is upsetting and hypocritical about O'Toole is that he tends go against government-involved planning but fails to realize that in these car-dependent cities that even he supports, has tons of regulations, codes, and subsidies. He loves to hide things and distract facts.

CATO, Reason, and Heritage are bunch of thugs funded by Koch Oil.

[AynManRand]

@Cyrus992 Not Classical Liberal. But people who call themselves liberal have identifiable tendencies.  Corporate control is the inevitable result of the activities and ideas that modern liberals (progressives) have invented and championed.

[Cyrus992]

@AynManRand

We do not really have a "liberal" government.

We have a corporate controlled governmental system.

[AynManRand]

@Cyrus992 Well the left wing has no interest in forgoing pages of code, any agencies, or reduction of fines. So any interesting idea which could advance mankind must come begging to perpetual fiefdoms run by dour tyrants. This type of government is the liberals favorite kind of lever for their bad ideas.

[Cyrus992]

@AynManRand

Well I am neither right-wing or left-wing.

I have disagreements with both O'Toole and Kunstler.

[AynManRand]

@Cyrus992 I have been with the "right wing" now since 2008, We opposed the bailouts, we lambasted McCain for -among other things- the ethanol subsidy, we've even pushed Ron Paul into contention for high office. You want a "hand made world" come over here and help cut the government apron strings and see which lifestyle can make it on its own.

[Cyrus992]

@AynManRand

What do you mean?

[muhammadzahmad]

i guess markets should control development...

[katheryncruz24]

Ako lang ata nakakindit sa sarili ko dito.