Summary Of 'Preserving The American Dream' Conference

"The real highlight of the conference came with three presentations Saturday morning. First, South Carolina Representative Joe Neal updated the conference on how smart-growth advocates are regulating rural black landowners and taking away much of the value of their land.Second, Kansas City Councilwoman Saundra McFadden-Weaver told the audience that light rail was "ice cream and cake," and that cities should concentrate on providing meat and potatoes before worrying about dessert. Neal is a Baptist minister and McFadden-Weaver is a pastor in her church, so both were excellent speakers.Third, Steven Town, a policeman and architectural liaison in the West Yorkshire Police Department, showed how New Urban design contributes to crime. New Urbanist demands for mixed uses, maximizing common areas and minimizing private space, and grid street patterns (as opposed to cul de sacs) led to burglary and other crime rates that were three to seven times the national average in Britain."

Thanks to Chris Steins