Slow Growth Forces Defeated by Unlikely Coalition

11 November 2005 - 6:00am

An editorial showing how diverse coalitions can defeat grassroots activists that seek, through political initiatives, to unreasonably restrict infill growth in "built-out" cities.

"The measure's sponsors say that while their campaign was grass-roots, the well-financed opposition was all from outside Cupertino. But surely Cupertino has residents who belong to the Sierra Club, the League of Women Voters, the Greenbelt Alliance or the League of Conservation Voters. Surely some residents are members of the Chamber of Commerce or a labor union, or work for Apple or HP."

"The entire Cupertino city council opposed A, B and C. Now members need to reach out to the substantial minority that voted for the measures. They need to answer legitimate concerns about growth and help residents see how more urban development, rather than strip malls, along major corridors like Stevens Creek and De Anza boulevards can actually improve the city."

Source: San Jose Mercury News, November 10, 2005
Bookmark and Share
All of that only scratches the surface of what's wrong with this study. The idea that complex urban development patterns and human behavior can be meaningfully studied according to one primary criteria — density — is wrong from the start.