Out of Control

This story from the Planning Report presents the City of Ventura City Manager Rick Cole's vision for the city. It's more of the same Smart Growth/New Urbansim mumbo jumbo. Cole states that:

Opponents particularly seize on the claim: “New Urbanism is all about higher density!” “It’s all about one way of doing things!” It’s not. Smart growth is about choices. It’s about appropriate choices.

How come one day it is about density and the next day it's not? New urbanism and smart growth infill projects are mostly nicer looking versions of suburbia. A lot of them lack the density required for transit to work effectively and the induced walking, if any, probably won't replace many trips. Take this example from Cole:

The idea that instead of walking a block to get a loaf of bread, you should have to drive three miles to get a loaf of bread is a fundamentally alien idea.

OK, great. For the record, I have never driven three miles for a loaf of bread, but in any case, the logic appears flawed. People shop in larger quantities per shopping trip than suggested. You go for more than just bread, except for rare instances. And, what about those trips to the big box store? Will you walk back your groceries or carts full of whatever you are buying? Not in the real world - doesn't happen that way. So, even if you live in a pedestrian-friendly, new urbanist community or traditional neighborhood development, the chances of having every possible retail destination within waking distance of your front door is slim and none.

Smart growth to the supporter is all about choices, but they seem to hate the low density choice and apparently, the high density choice. So, I guess every man, woman, and child must be for the medium density, three-story apartment complex with ground floor retail adjacent to detached homes (small lot) and no big box stores.