The Politics of Smart Growth Strengths &

WeaknessesEd Braddy

January 23, 2009

About Us American Dream Coalition promotes

market-oriented alternatives to urban issues such as transportation, land-use, and property rights

We defend freedom, mobility, and affordable homeownership

We believe markets, not mandates, are the best approaches consistent with free people living in a free society

About Us Executive Director of the ADC

Annual Conference & Strategic Partnerships City Commissioner from 2002-2008

Gainesville, Florida – mid-size city (120,000)

About Us Exceptionally Effective!

Qualifications Not an economist Not a planner Not an engineer Not a developer Basically, I got here with nothing … … and I still have most of it left! Perspective is that of elected official who

had to communicate with voters

Smart Growth Why is Smart Growth politically popular? Why is it appealing? Strengths

Emotional Rhetorical

Weaknesses Emotional Rhetorical

On its own terms …

“In general, smart growth invests time, attention, and resources in restoring community and vitality to city centers and older suburbs.” (Why Smart Growth: A Primer)

Downtown centered Transit & pedestrian oriented Mixed uses – commercial, housing, retail Open space & environmental protection

On its own terms …

Create a range of housing & transportation choices

Foster distinctive communities with an unique sense of place

Make development decisions cost-effective Direct development towards existing

communities Take advantage of compact building design

Smartgrowth.org & the Sustainable Communities Network

On its own terms …

Smart Growth’s Appeal

It’s the Sizzle,Not the Steak

We know the effects (substance) of Smart Growth

But Smart Growth is politically popular because of its intent

Smart Growthers sell the sizzle to a hungry population

Hungry for what?

Smart Growth’s Appeal

People desire order and predictability People believe in planning because they

do it in their private lives People do not draw the distinction

between public v. private planning See Randal O’Toole’s Best Laid Plans

Smart Growth’s Sizzle

Smart Growth is a political promise that your community will grow in an orderly and predictable manner

Smart Growth promises a dynamic economy, vibrant society, and healthy environment

The growth of Smart Growth, despite its opposite outcomes, is proof of its sizzle (emotional and rhetorical appeal)

By way of analogy …

By way of analogy …

Sexy Smart Growth

Sexy Smart Growth

Words Work Like any effective political movement, it

utilizes rhetorical and emotional strategies Title Trump

Smart Growth – Who’s for Dumb Growth? Alternatives = Opposites

Clever Slogans “You can’t build your way out of congestion” “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”

Campaign Messaging

The Politics ofSmart Growth

Smart Growth’s stated goal is to stop sprawl The term “sprawl” has become a substitute

for “suburbanization” Creates a negative image whereas, historically,

“suburbs” do not By stigmatizing suburbs and exploiting our

fears, Smart Growthers have legitimized excessive land use regulations

Smart Growth is really about control in order to re-order society

Political Indoctrination

Not everyone is a control freak Sincere people get suckered “Real Estate Principles” – college textbook

Chapter 5, Learning Objective 1: “Cite three reasons why the market system may not operate to maximize the net social benefits of land use”

#4: “Identify three possible adverse effects of traditional zoning”

#6: “Identify four tools of land use control widely adopted since 1970 and contrast new urbanism with traditional land use”

Smart Growth Weaknesses

We need the sizzle! Rhetorical & Emotional

The numbers are on our side

We’ve got the big guns pounding the beachhead

Smart Growth Weaknesses

Put faces on the numbers Mom & Pop Shops Minority Businesses Entrepreneurs

Slogans“You can’t regulate

your way into prosperity”

Smart Growth Weaknesses

We need the sizzle! Rhetorical & Emotional

It’s not just jobs! There’s a transaction at the end of every

car trip Economic, social, cultural, religious,

recreational, familial, educational, etc.

The Cost of Smart Growth

In 2007, the median price of a home was $219,000

Smart Growth Cities: Boulder, CO - $615,000 Denver, CO - $400,000 Minneapolis, MN - $415,767 Portland, OR - $317,500 San Jose, CA - $1,145,000 Seattle, WA - $555,839

Source: National Association of Realtors

The Cost of Smart Growth

Smart Growth Cities Boulder, CO - $615,000 Denver, CO - $400,000 Minneapolis, MN -

$415,767 Portland, OR - $317,500 San Jose, CA - $1,145,000 Seattle, WA - $555,839

Planning Penalty Boulder, CO - $117,440 Denver, CO - $57,831 Minneapolis, MN - $32,133 Portland, OR - $60,460 San Jose, CA - $513,002 Seattle, WA - $132,965

Sources: Randal O’Toole, The Planning Penalty, ADC Publication

More faces, fewer numbers

“… women and minorities hardest hit”

Americans love the underdog!

(Home of Edith Macefield who refused to sell her home to developers, even for a million dollars. She passed away at age 86.)

Economics 101 “The affordability of housing is

overwhelmingly a function of just one thing: the extent to which governments place artificial restrictions on the supply of residential land.” Donald Brash, Governor of the Reserve Bank of

New Zealand. Source: 4th Annual Demographia International

Housing Affordability Survey (2008)

Naming Names Planners are bureaucrats Most Americans have distrustful/disdainful

feeling for “bureaucrat” but not for “city planner”

“Well, the city’s bureaucratic planners are pushing light rail again.”

Sell the Sizzle Suburbia is good! Robert Bruegmann: “the preferred settlement

pattern everywhere in the world where there is a certain measure of affluence and where citizens have some choice in how they live”

“As cities have become economically prosperous, they have spread outward at decreasing densities.”

•Elitist know-it-alls love Smart Growth

•And Americans don’t like elites!

… even eco-elites

Play Emotional Hardball

Smart Growth Is All About Groupthink Irving Janis, Groupthink: Psychological

Studies of Policy Decisions & Fiascoes (1982): “members striving for unanimity overriding their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.”

Characteristics: holding defective beliefs; concurrence seeking; self-validation; exclude challenges to core beliefs; create “in-group”

Play Emotional Hardball

Planners find their validation in belonging to the planning profession

They share a vision among themselves that is at odds with the people they occasionally interact with

They believe regular people cannot understand their complex vision but will benefit from it

Symptoms of Groupthink

Illusion of invulnerability Belief in their inherent morality Collective rationalizations Stereotypes of out-groups Pressure on Dissenters Incomplete survey of alternatives Failure to reappraise

In other words, this ain’t rocket surgery!

Play Emotional Hardball

Ridicule is a legitimate political strategy

Hit ‘em where they ain’t

We’re Unique … Just Like Everyone

Else

Why Not Call It “McUrbanism”?

Franchising New Urbanism

Think I’m Kidding? McUrbanism

Smart Growth Reality

1. Urban Growth Boundary2. Mixed Use Development3. Common Areas4. Preservation of Open

Space5. Walkable Neighborhoods6. Sustainable Energy Supply7. Wetland Restoration8. Unique Sense of Place

What affordable McUrbanism looks like

Ed Braddy7th Annual Preserving the American

Dream Conference – Bellevue, WashingtonApril 19, 2009