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Greenbelt Alliance In the News
December 14, 2006
Bay Area's 'smart' growth
Subheading
Letter to the Editor
Editor -- Wendell Cox's bizarre attack on "smart growth" (Open Forum, "Smart growth not so smart?," Dec. 11) falls flat when it stumbles
over the facts.
If it were true, it would make sense for places with
better urban planning to have higher home prices: they are more desirable places to live.
Portland, San Francisco and San Diego are all attractive, vibrant
cities surrounded by open space that residents can get out and enjoy.
But in fact, none of several studies on the subject has found that
growth management drives up home prices. A Cal State Sacramento study
last year found that areas with growth-management policies have
slightly lower home prices.
We do need homes people can afford and we need to build them in a way
that doesn't worsen traffic and lengthen commutes. This region will be
home to an additional million people by 2020.
We need to accommodate that growth while protecting the Bay Area's
quality of life. Cities are starting to do that by directing
development away from open space, revitalizing downtowns and creating
affordable homes near transit.
Planning well for growth will make the Bay Area an even better place
to live. Now that's smart.
ELIZABETH STAMPE
Communications Director
Greenbelt Alliance
San Francisco
