The fact is that the suburban housing model is the farthest thing from the result of a free market. The regulations that apply to the vast majority of the practically developeable land in this country mandate suburban sprawl and nothing _but_. The planners of type referenced above spend about 99% of their time these days making baby steps to allowing _more_ _types_ of development, not fewer. IE, you still have the right to build low-density if you want; now we’re going to allow you to build higher-density _too_.

The painting of this kind of stuff as central-planning choice-destroying is nothing more than bullshit. New urbanism is about _restoring_ _choice_ which was eliminated by post-WWII zoning in most metropolitan areas.

Paternalism is not party related. All elected and unelected government want to control their constituencies. Look at the way political protesters on all sides are held in interment day-camps and are denied their right to protest. Homeowner and condo dictatorships/associations rule with a much heaver, conservative hand than any local elected government. Corporations are even worse with employee surveillance, psychological tricks to ensure compliance of employees, buying legislation to support defunct business models and suing/discrediting those that oppose their plans.

green space control is particularly a hot button right now. About a half-hour ago we were notified that in our town meeting tonight, there is a movement to change all conservation/greenspace land to recreation land, i.e. put in playing fields for soccer kids to use two hours per day, four months a year. Damn dictatorial jocks. Hated them in high school, fight them every step of the way now.

Yeah, right.