"In the United States, the phrase 'urban planning' is an indefensible euphemism. Despite the existence of a large profession which bears this name, urban planners do not plan. They follow along behind the parade of those who do -- the land developers. The role of professional planners is to sweep up and organize the dung."
From The Elephant in the Bedroom: Automobile Dependence & Denial: Impacts on the Economy and Environment, by Stanley I. Hart and Alvin L. Spivak
A provocative statement, to say the least, and one I'm going to present to the various planners and developers that I'm interviewing in the days ahead. I'll post some of their reactions as they come in. (There is also an ongoing discussion of this topic at cyburbia.org.)
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