Why The Smart Growth Movement Will Fail

As long as the sprawl industry can make money it is not likely to restructure itself. Ultimately, consumer demand will determine the degree of success for smart growth, not conferences nor books. The smart growth movement needs to focus more on markets, housing consumers, and the supply-demand equation, and less on noble big-picture benefits. When smart growth serves selfish interests it will succeed on a large scale. And it can do this. It is not about saving the environment or the planet. It must be about giving people some very tangible benefits, not the least of which is better personal health.