Sprawl, Smart Growth, And The Free Market

The free market tends to produce density and growth patterns similar to smart growth argues Jay Bookman.

1 minute read

December 5, 2005, 10:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


First of all, the free market, left to its own devices, produces dense development, not sprawl. Developers want to put as many units as possible on their property, because that's how they make the most profit...Sprawl is possible only through intense government regulation. It is an artificial growth pattern achieved by laws that frustrate the free market's tendency toward density...The free market, left to its own devices, would produce growth patterns more like "smart-growth" policies...one of the hallmarks of sprawl is economic segregation...Sprawl is not a rejection of elitism; it is the expression of elitism..."

Sunday, December 4, 2005 in Atlanta Journal Constitution

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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