First, a disclaimer,
You may not be able to read the full article due to subscriber limitations. If that's the case, get thee to LPL!
Yesterday's (7/7/08) WSJ featured a front page story about Sacramento, highlighting it's long-range regional planning (to 2050). Focusing on compact development, walkable communities, pointed economic development and light rail/mass transit systems, their "Blueprint" is being watched nationwide.
Hmm, I wonder what other area has so much already and could do something similar?
Here is the link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121538754733231043.html
And if the entire article doesn't come up, I apologize. Go to the library!
Another Look at Regionalism
Moderator: Jim O'Bryan
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Christina McCallum
- Posts: 102
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Bill Call
- Posts: 3319
- Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:10 pm
g
The link worked fine.
All cities plan development in one way or another. Plans for roads, bridges, sewer and water lines, etc. Planning for growth is a good idea.
The problem with centrally planned economic growth is that the planners end up controlling what is built and where it is built. The planners like to pretend that they just punch a bunch numbers into a computer program and the program spits out the happy outcome. The truth is that the big money developers and politicians and those with political connnections will get what ever they want. The guy who wants to open up a garage will be told "no garage for you". The guy who wants to build a house will be told "too many houses there already, get an apartment".
If we had central planning in Northeast Ohio do you think they would stop the construction of a new downtown in Avon on Route 83? Do you think they would stop the construction of the new Lakewood Hospital on the Jacobs Group 89 acres?
Smart growth is code for rationing economic growth. Who will be the rationer and who will be rationee?
The central planners are everywhere and they think the key to prosperity is more central planning, at least for someone else. See this:
Slightly Smaller Link
If the central planners have their way they and their pals will be eating 8 course meals while the rest of us, for the sake of the environment of course, will live on the scraps from the table.
Embrace freedom and forget the chimera of central planning and rationed economic growth.
All cities plan development in one way or another. Plans for roads, bridges, sewer and water lines, etc. Planning for growth is a good idea.
The problem with centrally planned economic growth is that the planners end up controlling what is built and where it is built. The planners like to pretend that they just punch a bunch numbers into a computer program and the program spits out the happy outcome. The truth is that the big money developers and politicians and those with political connnections will get what ever they want. The guy who wants to open up a garage will be told "no garage for you". The guy who wants to build a house will be told "too many houses there already, get an apartment".
If we had central planning in Northeast Ohio do you think they would stop the construction of a new downtown in Avon on Route 83? Do you think they would stop the construction of the new Lakewood Hospital on the Jacobs Group 89 acres?
Smart growth is code for rationing economic growth. Who will be the rationer and who will be rationee?
The central planners are everywhere and they think the key to prosperity is more central planning, at least for someone else. See this:
Slightly Smaller Link
If the central planners have their way they and their pals will be eating 8 course meals while the rest of us, for the sake of the environment of course, will live on the scraps from the table.
Embrace freedom and forget the chimera of central planning and rationed economic growth.
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Tim Liston
- Posts: 752
- Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 3:10 pm
This is rather like someone on their deathbed finding God....
Sacramento is the capital of California, and of course like all governmental entities has created more and more jobs, and then of course more and more need for housing.
Especially in recent years, anyone wanting to work in Sacramento and who needed housing, was told to “drive 'til you qualify.†Which is to say the farther away from Sacramento, the cheaper the McMansion became, and eventually if you drove far enough away from where you work you would find something that a lender would finance for you. So many folks ended up in places like Vallejo, a city now in bankruptcy, and Stockton, which is probably now the “walk away†capital of the U.S. “Walking away†means that the value of your home has fallen so dramatically that you simply put your keys in the mail and move out, even though perhaps you could continue to afford the payments.
It will be interesting to see if the Blueprint can work against this backdrop. I would presume that there is also a desire in many quarters to try to salvage the status quo. But Sacramento residents may not care about the fortunes (or lack thereof) of cities like Stockton and Vallejo.
Sacramento is the capital of California, and of course like all governmental entities has created more and more jobs, and then of course more and more need for housing.
Especially in recent years, anyone wanting to work in Sacramento and who needed housing, was told to “drive 'til you qualify.†Which is to say the farther away from Sacramento, the cheaper the McMansion became, and eventually if you drove far enough away from where you work you would find something that a lender would finance for you. So many folks ended up in places like Vallejo, a city now in bankruptcy, and Stockton, which is probably now the “walk away†capital of the U.S. “Walking away†means that the value of your home has fallen so dramatically that you simply put your keys in the mail and move out, even though perhaps you could continue to afford the payments.
It will be interesting to see if the Blueprint can work against this backdrop. I would presume that there is also a desire in many quarters to try to salvage the status quo. But Sacramento residents may not care about the fortunes (or lack thereof) of cities like Stockton and Vallejo.