2003
Abstract:
Smart Growth advocates in the U.S. and elsewhere worry about urban sprawl and
typically advocate new controls on urban growth, including tougher land use planning
and regulation. Yet, is auto-oriented development the market's way of meeting widely
held lifestyle preferences? Or, is it (as some critics claim) attributable to policies that
favor such development? For the case of the U.S., critics suggest that policies are the
problem and Smart Growth is the solution. Yet, if U.S.-type development
(suburbanization and widespread auto use) can be observed in non-U.S. policy settings,
the critics may really be objecting to people's preferences. Comparing recent U.S. and
Canadian settlement and travel trends suggests a test. Cultural differences are minor but
urban policy differences are significant. How do settlement patterns and urban
transportation choices compare? Our analysis of recent data shows substantial
similarities. Preferences appear to trump policies. The Smart Growth platform may
have to be reconsidered.
