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Urban policies that don't work the way they're supposed to
From "Sam Smith's Great American Political Repair Manual" (WW Norton, 1997)
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Policy

What really happens
FREEWAYS Although sold as transportation, these are primarily land development schemes making it easy for suburbanites to get into city jobs and for developers to get into new projects. Small businesses and neighborhoods are inevitably disrupted or damaged.
CONVENTION CENTERS, ARENAS, STADIUMS, AQUARIUMS If properly planned these can be of mild benefit to a city, but usually they are grossly overrated. Smith College economics professor Andrew Zimbalist estimates the benefits of a new sports franchise to be roughly the same as opening a branch of Macy's. Potential benefits are often dissipated by wrong location, excessive city subsidy, cost overruns, faulty projections and just plain corruption.
ENTERPRISE ZONES & OTHER CORPORATE INDUCEMENTS These have generally been ineffective (except for corporate beneficiaries), all the more so because cities rarely write in enough protections for themselves. Programs are heavily weighted to help corporations rather than citizens.
REZONING The modern equivalent of the king's grant of land to the nobility. Basically a gift of money by the city in the form of marketable air.
SPECIAL TAXES & TAX DISTRICTS As more traditional schemes become unfeasible or too expensive, special taxes and tax districts begin cropping up. These tend to either give special protected status to a pet political project or to force some taxpayers into subsidizing others.
COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING When all else fails, announce that there'll be a new plan. It's a nifty way to help major commercial interests. The process is so complex and huge that citizens have a hard time getting a handle on what's really happening until it is too late.
SWEETHEART DEALS The meat and potatoes of urban politics. Typically, major developers and commercial interests are wired closely to city hall. They not only know what to expect but where to expect it. A little advance knowledge can be worth millions, yet often only costs a few thousand in campaign contributions.
SPOT ZONING Although city planners express deep respect for zoning, they have come up with a variety of ways -- such as the planned unit development -- to get around it. The result is called spot zoning. A PUD is essentially a rezoning of a specific site granted to a developer or group of developers. No ordinary homeowner has ever been granted a PUD
PRIVATIZATION Corrupt politicians used to sell city hall, now they give it away -- and call it privatization.

 

Changing how
urban planning is done
From "Sam Smith's Great American Political Repair Manual" (WW Norton, 1997)
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How planning has traditionally been done

How it could
be done
Plan emphasizes major new building and destruction of old landscape. Plan assumes significant physical changes. Plan emphasizes renovation and restoration of existing buildings and landscape. Plan assumes preservation of physical and social character that brought people to the community in the first place.
Planner's vision takes precedence over the community's values and desires. Plan reinforces community values, desires and social organization.
Citizens are seen as a problem: dysfunctional, "at risk," "permanent underclass." Citizens seen as asset, sources of talent and ideas.
Plans and buildings dictate civic life. Existing civic life determines nature of plans and use of buildings.
Plan implicitly presumes importing a "better class" of people." Code phrases include "improved tax base" and "return of the middle class." Plan is designed for people already living in the area
Plan aimed at meeting goals of largest businesses. Small businesses often evicted to make way for new projects. Plan emphasizes central role of small businesses.
Community remains primarily an importer of goods and services, economically dependent. Community develops goods and services to export or use itself. Emphasis on economic self-sufficiency.
Money coming into the community flows out again quickly. . Money coming into the community is recirculated using community-based commercial and financial institutions such as credit unions and cooperatives.
Outward physical order conceals inner social disintegration and alienation. Anarchistic, jumbled or even decaying facade conceals a well-functioning and complex social system.
Plan fights or exploits nature, adding to ecological disequilibrium Plan works with nature, seeking to mitigate past damage, create green solutions and restore ecological equilibrium
Plan emphasizes mobility -- moving people considerable distances for work, services, shopping entertainment, and recreation. Plan emphasizes access -- keeping things people want and need as close as possible.
Plan relies on numbers, dollars, and aggregated phenomena. Plan relies on individual experiences, stories, mutual hopes, and dreams.
Plan is skewed heavily towards presumed economic results. Social and cultural consequences are downplayed or ignored. Plan has a holistic design including everything from the economy to the environment and from cutting crime to embellishing culture.
Experts are outsiders selected by the city government. Experts come from, or are selected by, the community itself.
To the average citizen, the plan is boring and difficult to understand. To the average citizen, the plan is exciting and easy to understand.

 

The Walrus and the Carpenter
Do Some City Planning

The walrus and the carpenter were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see such quantities of land.
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it surely would be grand."

"If seven pols with seven plans reviewed for half a year,
"Do you suppose," the walrus said, "that they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the carpenter, and shed a bitter tear.

"0h citizens, come walk with us" the walrus did implore,
"A pleasant talk, a pleasant balk outside the inner door;
"We'll listen to just five of you to make your thoughts mean more."

The eldest voter looked at him but no word from that source;
The citizen just winked his eye and coughed a cough quite hoarse.
Meaning to say he did not choose to join one more task force.

But four young voters hurried up, all eager for the show.
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes in pairs aglow,
Which wasn't odd, because, you know,
They were so soon to go.

Four more citizens there came next and yet another four
And thick and fast they came at last
And more, and more and more
All hopping through the corridor and scrambling to the door.

The walrus and the carpenter planned six more blocks or so
And then they rested on a rock conveniently low:
And all the little citizens stood waiting in a row.

"The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things,
"Of PUDs and densities and inner traffic rings
"And why the waterfront's so dead
"And how to give it wings."

"But wait a bit," the voters cried, "before we plan anew,
"For some of us the rent's been raised - for some the tax is due.
"No hurry," said the carpenter.
They said to him, "Thank you."

"A better mix," the walrus said, "is what we chiefly need,
"And tax base growth besides is very good indeed,
"Now if you're ready, voters dear, we can begin to feed."

"But not on us," the voters cried, turning a little blue,
"After such kindness, that would be a dismal thing to do."
"The plan is fine," the walrus said, "Don't you like the view?"

"It seems a shame," the Walrus said, "to play them such a trick.
"After we've brought them out so far, and made them trot so quick."
The carpenter said nothing but "the parking's spread too thick."

"I weep for you," the walrus said,
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out those of the smallest size,
Holding his pocket long-range plan before his streaming eyes.

"0h citizens," said the carpenter, "your input has been fun.
"Shall we be trotting home again?"
But answer there came none
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd evicted everyone.

-- Josiah Swampoodle, DC Gazette, 1975

 

 
SAM SMITH'S
GREAT AMERICAN
POLITICAL REPAIR MANUAL

Published by W.W. Norton, New York & London. At your booksellers now or
ORDER DIRECT FROM AMAZON.COM

"Smith's book is a toolbox for hacking a corrupt system. It is also funny as hell . . . There are butts that need kicking in this country. . . Sam Smith is handing out the boots." -- Alex Steffen, The Stranger, Seattle weekly "Must read. . . combines laughter and trenchant critique to a degree seldom seen" -- John Rensenbrink, Green Horizons "The Tom Paine of the Nineties" -- Chuck Stone "Truly independent journalist" -- Patrick Mazza, Cascadia Times "Phenomenally interesting. . . I recommend it highly" -- Michelle Laxalt, co-host of Newsmakers "You'll be enlightened, challenged, even entertained" -- Chuck Harder on the Talk America Network. "Lucid . . . Keep going, Sam" -- Mario Cuomo "Desperately needed" -- Roger Morris, author of Partners in Power Featured in Utne Reader and on Weekend All Things Considered.