All Smart Growth Isn't

"In the Washington development game, there is no hotter idea these days than transit-oriented development -- so hot, in fact, that when the Greater Washington Board of Trade held a conference on the subject last week, 300 architects, planners, environmentalists and politicians showed up to show their support. And why not? With traffic congestion a major problem and $9 billion already invested in a world-class Metro system, surely everyone can agree that the next wave of growth should be concentrated in high-density projects around Metro stops. As is often the case, however, there is good transit-oriented development and there is bad...If there is a lesson here, it is that development can't be left just to the developers. Markets on their own do not create vibrant urban places in suburban locations. That requires the active involvement of public officials willing to be patient and tough."

Thanks to Richard Layman