American Dream

ABC (that's the Australian Broadcasting Company) featured a debate between smart-growth planner Peter Newman and anti-planner Patrick Troy. Newman claims that people want to live in high densities and that is why we have to pass rules forcing them to do so. In fact, "80 percent of the population who live in houses want to stay in houses, and 85% of the population who live in flats want to live in houses," says Troy. "So the argument that there's a big demand there for people who want to live crushed up on top of one another is nonsense."

Newman argues that urban design will make people less "auto dependent" (he may have invented the term "auto dependency"). Troy responds that this is the "kind of basic physical determinism which went out with button boots."

Peter Newman is reputedly coming to the U.S. this spring to preach his anti-auto, anti-suburb message. This debate is a valuable introduction to his ideas and responses to them. The above link allows you to either listen to the debate or read a transcript.