Is Growth Management Realistic

Responses

Stephen

I agree that urban sprawl can have negative impacts on public health and the ecosystem. But is it really clear what Chinitz or the others are arguing? Chinitz is “literate and balanced” as Fischel (1991) points out, but still, their statements range widely and even Chinitz seems to back off making any kind of claim that he could be nailed to. They all seem to want to cover their backs in case they are called out on something that they might later have to explain. For that reason, I would suggest that none of them are really that clear in terms of whether smart growth is feasible, practical, idealistic, or impossible. Nonetheless, I think the Bible gives us the clearest direction on this matter, as usual. The Bible emphasizes the importance of caring for the environment and being good stewards of God's creation. In Genesis 2:15, God commands Adam to take care of the Garden of Eden. We are also called to care for the earth in Revelation 11:18, where it says that God will "destroy those who destroy the earth."

In terms of smart growth, while the Bible does not specifically address urban planning, it does encourage us to live in community and support one another. As mentioned in Hebrews 10:25, we are called to gather together and encourage one another. Smart growth policies that promote walkable city centers and parks can create more opportunities for people to gather and build community.

However, it is also important to recognize that implementing smart growth policies can be challenging due to conflicting interests and political motivations. In these situations, we can look to the Bible for guidance on how to navigate difficult decisions and treat others with love and respect. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves in Matthew 22:39, and to seek peace and pursue it in 1 Peter 3:11. By keeping these principles in mind, we can work towards sustainable urban development that benefits both people and the environment.

References

Fischel, W. A. (1991). Growth management reconsidered: good for the town, bad for the nation? A comment. Journal of the American Planning Association, 57(3), 341-344.

Heather

To me it seems that Chinitz (1990) wants to have his cake and eat it too when it comes to discussing the merits and drawbacks of growth management. He starts off talking about applying the fallacy of composition to the issue of smart growth, but then he veers off and never really circles back until the end, whereupon he makes a rather opaque reference to it and does not come across as quite clear at all in his convictions or claims. The other two authors I found to be equally elusive as though they did not want to be nailed down to anything. Why that is the case, I am not sure—but it seems that they all had some uncertainty regarding issues like sprawl, what it is, what causes it, and whether it is good or bad. Aesthetically, yes—maybe it is bad; practically, is it bad? Not necessarily, so long as everything works: that is, so long as traffic is flowing, and people are getting what they need to get.