American Dream

A Wisconsin joint legislative committee has passed a bill repealing that state's smart-growth law. The law requires cities and counties to do smart-growth planning aimed at curbing urban sprawl. The governor favors the law and is likely to veto any repeal of it. But committee members argued that one-size-fits-all legislation has no place in a state where communities range from Rusk County (population 15,000 with virtually no growth) to Milwaukee County (population 950,000 with negative growth) to Dane county (population 440,000 with fairly rapid growth).

Smart-growth advocates responded predictably, accusing the committee of favoring dumb growth. Various pro-planning organizations have called upon the committee to reverse its decision. Still, the fact that a prominent committee has dared to say "the planning emperor has no clothes" is an important first step.