Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Urban sprawl: politics of land use.

[Rob Sandelin (Exchange) (Robsan]

King, at greenmac wrote:
>Yes, in the near run of say 3-5 years the old
>development games will continue, but it seems to me that at some time >in 
the not-too-distant future there will be a significant change of attitude
>on the part of a significant number of people. 

I would be interested to know why you think this.  Is there some evidence I 
have missed? I would interested to know how a significant change of attitude 
on the part of a significant number of people will change urban sprawl.  Is 
there evidence that  people will no longer buy homes in those developments 
which promote urban sprawl?  Will development become unprofitable some how? 
 Will there be a mass uprising against development, such as the 
environmental movement accomplished after earth day in 1970?  If so I would 
very much be interested in such a movement so send me details

Or do you beleive that the "will of the people" is represented in zoning and 
land use hearings?  I attend some of the more important of those type of 
hearings in my area and I have yet to see much "will of the people" sway 
decisions about land use in my area.  Mostly these hearings end up as the 
developers want them to, with the zoning changes being made in accordance to 
what will make the developers a tidy profit.

The corporate suits get paid to do this stuff, they are very well 
represented, and of course contribute to the campaign coffers of the elected 
people who put the pressure on to change the rules to allow the suits to do 
what is best for them.  Most of the time, at least in my direct experience 
with these things, what most people who are not development profiteers would 
consider "good" land use goes out the window. 

This doesn't mean it can't change, but I don't see much interest by the 
general public in this sort of thing.  Most rezone hearings and land use 
special permit hearings are only advertised locally by small signs on the 
property being developed and few people, other than immediate neighbors know 
about, or care about how land gets used other than in a NIMBY sort of 
reaction.

So even if "the people" pass sweeping land use legislation at a state level, 
it gets gutted in these special use hearings.  At least that is how it works 
in WA and OR.  Other places your mileage may vary.

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood