If Sprawl Is A Defense, It's Fighting The Last War

"Op-ed columnists have tried to defend cities from the argument that sprawl saves lives by calling for courage to face down the enemy and for a commitment to the 1990's downtown revival. But the best argument for cities is not that we should stand our ground and dare the terrorists to kill us. No thanks. The best argument for cities is that they're safer. Emergency response time, public health systems, and defensible utilities are better reasons for preserving urban density than sprawl-fighting ever was."