Speculation by Landlords with Rainmaker and Yieldstar – A Key Ingredient of Smart Growth and New Urbanism (October 12, 2016)
THIS IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION This investigation into these immoral property management companies, and their rent maximizing software programs, and their consequences on the American people, will split this post into … Continue reading
Arizona Revised Statutes Encourage Smart Growth, Light Rail, and Discourage Sprawl – Vote No on 104
(Tom Lane, August 22, 2015) UNDER CONSTRUCTION In the last 10 years, Arizona has passed a number of laws that encourage smart growth and light rail, that increase density in … Continue reading
Ventura County versus Maricopa County – Why Vote No on Prop 104
(UNDER CONSTRUCION) Please refer to the main page on Smart Growth Infill in Maricopa County and Reasons to vote no on prop 104 at – https://smartgrowthusa.wordpress.com/category/vote-no-on-104/ This post will ultimately … Continue reading
Vote No on 104 (MovePHX 104) – Vote No on Phoenix Light Rail
(Tom Lane Under Construction First draft July 7 2015, Last Updated August 22, 2015) Also read my other post on Scottsdale light rail – https://smartgrowthusa.wordpress.com/2015/05/24/north-scottsdale-and-north-phoenix-dark-money-or-open-space/ And, for additional posts on Smart … Continue reading
Breaking News: June 2: Thousand Oaks (Correction)
(June 2, 2015) CORRECTION August 11, 2015 Apparently, Dan Roundtree ran the election. I don’t know his positions on smart growth. Will have to correct post !!!! California urban planners … Continue reading
Scottsdale and North Phoenix – Dark Money? Light Rail? Or, Open Space?
Vote No On Phoenix Light Rail Proposition 104! Click Here for my Other Post Explaining the Reasons to Vote No. Attention, Scottsdale! Do You Want your City Council to take … Continue reading
May 2015 Revision
This web site is being revised to allow for new Arizona content. Many links and pages are broken or do not work. All posts (About 70) should appear on page … Continue reading
What Do Soccer Moms Want from Urban Planners? The Profession is in Crisis – Focusing on Millenials and Baby Boomers.
(May 6, 2015, June 7, 2015)Tom Lane, Under Construction) WARNING: There is confusion in the literature, cited below, between “households per square mile,” and, “persons per square mile.” This post … Continue reading
More Scottsdale and North Phoenix Smart Growth Towers? Or, Extend the McDowell Sonoran Preserve West to Desert Ridge?
UNDER CONSTRUCTION (May 25, 2015, Tom Lane) Recently, I observed kids in a Phoenix park near North 40th Street and Bell Road riding a dirt bike over green grass in … Continue reading
Scottsdale Test Post Photos of Native Plants
Apparently the wordpress limit of 3GB has been exceeded. If this post includes no photos then it is time to upgrade wordpress to one of their professional editions. … Continue reading
Smart Growth Fails to Save Native Plants: The Evidence – Seattle and Boulder compared with Scottsdale
(April 16, 2015) UNDER CONSTRUCTION Despite all of their environmental goals, smart growth planners fail to save native plants. In the previous post which is still under construction (as is … Continue reading
Low Density Scottsdale Saves Native Plants by Ordinance – Citizens Oppose Arizona HB 2570 (April 9, 2015)
Under Construction. The 2015 Arizona Legislative session just ended, and citizens of Scottsdale were relieved that Arizona House Bill 2570 (HB-2570) did not pass. This bill would have made it … Continue reading
Why Los Angeles is So Expensive – Growth Management and Housing Bubbles in Southern California (November 22, 2014)
Post under construction. New Suggested Title for Part One – How Skiers in Mammoth Lakes Increased Housing Prices for All of their Fellow Californians Growth Management and Housing … Continue reading
For Reno … Cut Impact Fees … Just Like Reno’s “Twin City” of Rio Rancho, New Mexico
(October 15, 2012 – UNDER CONSTRUCTION) Reno, Nevada and Rio Rancho, New Mexico are twin cities in the high desert of the American Southwest, 900 miles apart, at 5000′ elevation. … Continue reading
Bike Friendly? Not with Dark Skies and No Overnight Parking!
(October 3, 2012) “Smart growth” emphasizes bike friendly communities, with bike lanes and mountain bike trails. As a cyclist, I am always, 100% in support of all efforts to increase … Continue reading
Smart Growth USA Revision in Progress (October 3, 2012)
This web site is under revision, and contains many temporary formatting errors. I have not yet tested this new format on different browsers and different operating systems. I produce this … Continue reading
(December 14, 2011) Flagstaff, Arizona; Bend, Eugene, Ashland, and Medford, Oregon – Struggling College-Retirement Towns Expected To Recover
(December 14, 2011 Tom Lane) Bend, Oregon shown above, looking west from Pilot Butte towards the Cascade Mountains. In the Western USA, unlike New England, many small “college-retirement-outdoors” towns, particularly … Continue reading
(December 8, 2011) Why Seattle’s Anti-Toll, Anti-Transit Initiative 1125 Didn’t Pass
(December 8, 2011, Tom Lane) The photo above shows the Interstate 90 bridge over Lake Washington, where light rail is planned, between Seattle skyscrapers on the left, and Bellevue skyscrapers … Continue reading
(November 29, 2011) Election 2011 – Seattle Smart Growth – Winners and Losers
(November 29, 2011, Tom Lane) Smart growth was on the ballot in the Seattle area in November, 2011. Depending on your perspective, you either won or lost. For example, statewide … Continue reading
(September 29, 2011) Stop Eminent Domain in Black Diamond … and Save Maple Valley and Enumclaw …
(September 29, 2011) THIS BLACK DIAMOND POST IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND NEEDS EDITING visit http://saveblackdiamond.net to SAVE BLACK DIAMOND Official Save Black Diamond dot Net Web Site – Please visit … Continue reading
(revised Dec. 24, 2011) Smart Growth is Not Green. Low Density Housing Better for the Environment.
(revised December 24, 2011, Tom Lane) Look at the photo above, and think about the neighborhood that you grew up in. Large shade trees, a nice backyard for baseball, and … Continue reading
(November 30, 2011) Durango and Southwest Colorado Smart Growth – La Plata County Comprehensive Plan Cancelled
(Tom Lane, November 30, 2011, revised February 8, 2012) In November, 2011, La Plata County, in Southwest Colorado, cancelled The La Plata County Comprehensive Plan, intended for the next 20 … Continue reading
(October 1, 2011) Mirrormont on South Tiger Mountain – The Best and Greenest Large Lot Community in Seattle
(October 1, 2011; Mirrormont, Washington State, USA) Under Construction; More Photos of Mirrormont Forthcoming. ____________________________________________ With 1+ acre lots in tall old growth trees against Tiger Mountain, Mirrormont is a … Continue reading
(October 19, 2011) Be Green! Vote YES on I-1125: Stop Illegal Light Rail on I-90, attle to Bellevue
“If You Drive, Vote Yes on Initiative I-1125” (Tom Lane, updated December 8, 2011) Election Day was November 8, 2011. Sadly, I-1125 was defeated in Washington State. Tom Lane’s Other … Continue reading
(August 15, 2011) Bus Rapid Transit on I-90 – Better than East Link Light Rail to Bellevue
Bus Rapid Transit: Introduction (August 15, 2011, Tom Lane) While some view urban sprawl as a major problem, it’s only in the eyes of the beholder. Most people when surveyed … Continue reading
(May 9, 2012) Dr. Bill Eager – Kemper Freeman’s Engineer – Calculates that More Freeway Lanes Superior to Light Rail for Seattle
Dr. Bill Eager, Kemper Freeman’s Engineer, and his plan “End Gridlock Now” (under revision as of May 9, 2012) Dr. Bill Eager is an internationally famous traffic engineer with degrees … Continue reading
Salt Lake City – Legacy Parkway – A Green Solution for Seattle Gridlock
(Tom Lane, May 22, 2012) Is light rail (mass transit) the best solution for Seattle’s gridlock, when it will only reduce only 3% of all trips? Or, are more freeway … Continue reading
(June 29, 2011) Bellevue, Washington – The Best Mid-Century, Low Density, “Green Suburb” of “Smart Growth Seattle” – Kemper Freeman Installs Electric Car Charging Stations
Before Proceeding … Tom Lane’s Other Posts on Bellevue, I-1125, Light Rail, and Kemper Freeman – Click the following link for a list of all of my posts on these … Continue reading
(June 26, 2011) Seattle Smart Growth, Puget Sound Regional Council – Do You Want 5 Acres, or 5 Feet?
Featured Image Above: 5 Acre Estate at an undisclosed exclusive neighborhood of very similar properties in Eastern King County, beyond the Urban Growth Boundary. Do you want 5 acres, or … Continue reading
Rio Rancho, New Mexico – Affordable Housing from No Urban Growth Boundary
(May 24, 2012, Tom Lane) Rio Rancho, New Mexico, “The City of Vision,” is a large suburb just northwest of Albuquerque in Sandoval County. Neither Rio Rancho nor Albuquerque have … Continue reading
(February 12, 2012) New Mexico – Albuquerque, Santa Fe Cancel Impact Fees. CFED Issues New Mexico “A” Grade for Affordable Housing. Caution – Albuquerque Smart Growth Imminent.
(Tom Lane, February 12, 2012) 2011 Year in Review -In 2011, impact fees were reduced in Arizona and New Mexico, and smart growth redevelopment was cancelled in California. I discuss … Continue reading
(February 10, 2012) Smart Growth Principles Canceled in Arizona and California
SIGN – Impact FEE HEARINGS – Cave Creek, Arizona (February , 2012, Tom Lane) 2011 Year in Review – Many smart growth principles of smart growth were canceled in several … Continue reading
(2010-2011) Thesis and How Opponents and Proponents Define Smart Growth and Urban Sprawl Differently
Above: Creekside is a crowded, overpriced smart growth community of townhomes and homes, with virtually no yards in Kent, Wa. south of the Southcenter Mall and West of downtown Kent. … Continue reading
(October 15, 2011) Corvallis, Oregon – Number One Nationwide For Bicycling, Walking, and Patents
Introduction to Corvallis, Oregon – The Great City of Innovation and Non-Auto Commuters (Tom Lane) The U.S. Census 2009 American Community Survey found that Corvallis, Oregon had the highest combination … Continue reading
(Updated Jan. 24, 2010) My Case for Large Lots and Wide Streets: Photo Essay
Updating in progress, Dec. 23, 2010, with mistakes. Above: The High Valley neighborhood a few miles east of Renton, Washington (Seattle metro) features wide streets with properties of several acres. … Continue reading
(Dec. 4, 2010) Google Sattelite Views of Boulder Style Smart Growth vs. Large Lot Suburbs
(Dec. 4, 2010, Dec. 26, 2011, Tom Lane) Above: How can you call “smart” growth green, when 90% of the neighborhood is paved over, either with foundations, streets, driveways, and … Continue reading
(Dec. 3, 2010) Low Demand for Cheap Foreclosures and Costly Smart Growth: Excess Inventory Doesn’t Sell
(Revised Dec. 3, 2010) Areas of the US with high unemployment and high foreclosure rates must sell their inventory before recovery. While many people are anxious to buy foreclosures, new … Continue reading
Smart Growth and Urban Growth Boundaries – Inadequate Reactions to the Externalities of Urban Sprawl – New Approaches Needed
Above: So called “sprawl” in north Reno on barren sagebrush, adjacent to US-395. (Nov. 29, 2010) (Under Construction.) This web site highlights the aesthetic ugliness of smart growth architecture and … Continue reading
(Nov. 18, 2010) Oregon Growth Slows To a Crawl with Urban Growth Boundaries, Foreclosures, and Unemployment
Above: Eugene, looking south from Skinner Butte. Eugene’s haze, due to crowded smart growth conditions and air pollution, accumulating from traffic and local industry. Due to growth restrictions and declining … Continue reading
(Nov. 11, 2010) Why Bend Should Expand its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), Despite the DLCD Order.
Bend UGB and DLCD
(Nov. 2, 2010) BEND UGB (Urban Growth Boundary) – John VanLandingham and Richard Whitman (DLCD) Issue Final Order Against City of Bend UGB Proposal
Above: City of Bend’s Northwest Crossing Low Density mixed use area. DLCD officials John VanLandingham and Richard Whitman want High Density Smart Growth; Bend citizens, city officials, and Realtors want … Continue reading
*Vote NO on 104 MovePHX Phoenix Light Rail*
Click Here – https://smartgrowthusa.wordpress.com/category/vote-no-on-104/
Thank you Subscribers; Please Don’t Read just Yet – Under Construction
Thank you to those who subscribe. As always, I greatly appreciate your interest. Please do not read the greater L.A. post just yet. It’s under construction and my statements require … Continue reading
(Feb. 14, 2011) Part 2: Building Communities in Seattle: Large Lot Properties in Neighborhood Associations? Or, Smart Growth?
Under construction. More Neighborhoods Forthcoming. http://hilltopcommunity.com/introduction.html Also see PART 1 of this series: https://smartgrowthusa.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/jan-23-2011-building-community-in-seattle-large-lot-properties-or-smart-growth/ IGNORE this html SCROLL down below to Newcastle … HTML Burgundy Header HTML 3X High Valley … Continue reading
(Feb. 23, 2011) PART 1 – Low Density with Private Yards, or, “Smart Growth Seattle?”
Above: The Hilltop Community in Bellevue, Wa. features large lots with mid-century architecture with a private trail system through a greenbelt. Under revision with more neighborhoods and photos forthcoming, both … Continue reading
(Jan. 17, 2011) Seattle Smart Growth: Mountains to Sound Greenway (I-90) – Successful Example of Rich Philanthropists and Volunteers Building Trails (Part 3)
Under revision, Jan. 16, 2011 Above: The sun comes out at sunset as a fall storm passes in Oct. 2010, lighting up the high desert in Bend, Oregon, where over … Continue reading
(Jan. 4, 2011) Seattle Smart Growth: Mountains to Sound Greenway (I-90) – Photos of Smart Growth Developments incl. Snoqualmie Ridge (Part 2)
Under construction: This is Part 2 of a 3 Part Series: Part 1 – Part 1 – Click this blue text for entry. (Jan. 3, 2011) Seattle Smart Growth: Mountains … Continue reading
(Jan. 3, 2011) Seattle Smart Growth: Mountains to Sound Greenway (I-90) includes Smart Growth Within Existing Urban Growth Boundaries (UGB’s) – (Part 1)
Under construction Above: Smart Growth Townhomes under construction at Snoqualmie Ridge, within the isolated North Bend-Snoqualmie urban growth, 30 minutes east of Bellevue on I-90. Parts 1 and 2 of … Continue reading
(Nov. 20, 2010) Farmland Preservation: A Paradigm Shift
Farmland Preservation: A Paradigm Shift (Nov. 20, 2010) Under Construction, without photos and references. An admirable goal of smart growth proponents is “farmland preservation.” This has been a tough one … Continue reading
(UPDATED May 12, 2012) Kemper Freeman Sues Three Times To Stop Illegal Light Rail on I-90 – Photos of Bellevue Suburbs
Above: F. Kemper Freeman Jr. and his 3-D architectural model of Bellevue. (May 12, 2012 Tom Lane) – Sound Transit has refused to back down from its arrogant and illegal … Continue reading
UPDATED: Bend, Oregon NW Crossing Neighborhood: Native Pines Preserved During Construction, Even in Mixed Use Area: Photo Essay
(Updated Oct. 9, 2010) Finally – a smart growth neighborhood that values and respects native trees. Northwest Crossing in Bend, Oregon preserves its native Ponderosa Pine canopy (and, also sagebrush). … Continue reading
Bend, Oregon Exceeds Expectations: Definitely Number One and As Advertised: Photo Essay
Above: Looking west towards the western half of Bend from Pilot Butte, and the three sisters mountain peaks in the distance. ______________________________________________________ (Under Construction as I organize photos.) After reading … Continue reading
(May 7, 2011) Smart Growth Fails to Deliver Affordable Housing: Look at Seattle and Portland
Above: Issaquah Highlands, a Master Planned Smart Growth Development near Seattle, where only the Rich can afford to walk on their Community Trails. Smart growth and urban growth boundaries have … Continue reading
(UPDATED) ASHLAND, BOULDER, FLAGSTAFF FIRES: Wake Up Call to Thin Brush on Urban Grown Boundaries: Boulder, Bend, Flagstaff, Ashland: Photo Essay
Above: Young Ponderosa Pine monoculture in need of thinning in Flagstaff, Arizona. Summer 2010 has taught us a lot about wildfires starting on, and beyond, urban growth boundaries, a smart … Continue reading
UPDATED: Upzoning and Infilling Within Urban Growth Boundaries
Post is under construction,last updated 11/2/2010 Above: Smart Growth High Density Townhomes in Sammamish, Washington, 30 miles east of Seattle ________________________________________________________ UPDATED Oct. 8, 2010: BEND BULLETIN MEDIA BIAS: The … Continue reading
Seattle Urban Planners Lose Jobs as Impact Fee Revenues Decline, as Building Permits Drop by 75%
Above: Mt. Rainier from the Port of Tacoma, looking Southeast. From where I’m standing, urban sprawl extends intermittently 80 miles north to Everett, and 30 miles southwest to Olympia. Instead … Continue reading
(Updated Dec. 25, 2010) Baby Boomers, Young Singles, and Entrepreneurs Move to Bend and other High Desert College Towns
Above: Durango, Colorado at 6500′ (between the high desert and forests in the San Juan Islands), home to Fort Lewis College, attracts baby boomer retirees, young singles, and young entrepreneurs … Continue reading
Eugene: Paul Nicholson Tells The Truth About Eugene Smart Growth, and Why Social Services are More Important
Updated Oct 6, 2010 Eugene bicycle shop owner and former Eugene city councilman Paul Nicholson tells the truth about why Eugene Smart Growth hasn’t worked in the past, and why … Continue reading
Oregon Timber Harvest Worst Since Great Depression: Smart Growth To Blame; Eugene Mills In Trouble
The Oregon timber harvest reached its lowest level in 2009, at 2.75 billion board feet, the lowest since the Great Depression, according to the Eugene newspaper article below. Demand for … Continue reading
No ‘Live and Let Live’ under Smart Growth, Urban Growth Boundaries, Free Trade, and the BLM/USFS
Above: Ranch at South Lake Tahoe, California, near the Airport south of town. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, it was “live and let live” in many “hippie” areas around the … Continue reading
Boeing’s Very Own Smart Growth Condos in Seattle
In recent years, several Smart Growth towers were constructed along the shore of Lake Washington (in Renton, near Seattle), near the Boeing offices and manufacturing facilities. This area is adjacent … Continue reading
Bend Oregon: Gruesome Photo of Crashed Bicycle: Safety of Smart Growth Biking Improvements: A Real Dilemma
(Updated October 17, 2010) Just about every intervention to increase cycling and pedestrian safety has created controversy. Bike lanes, bike boxes, roundabouts, traffic calming, and multi-modal corridors all have two … Continue reading
(Feb. 28, 2011, Dec. 23, 2011) Clearcutting for Smart Growth in Seattle; vs. Green Neighborhoods in Arizona and Oregon
Above: Port Blakely Construction’s Issaquah Highlands Master Planned Smart Growth Development still under construction in Summer, 2010. Not many native trees left; towering massive walls; see photos below as well. … Continue reading
Census Maps Show Population Exodus to Rural and Exurban Counnties
(Updated Oct. 23, 2010) Map Credit Above: Classifications of Counties as Urban, Exurban, or Rural. In: The Daily Yonder, http://tiny.cc/v4asw, 3/17/2009, Accessed August 10, 2010. *For a High Resolution Image … Continue reading
(Jan. 17, 2011) Boulder Smart Growth: What Went Wrong? Can It Be Fixed?
The reality of Smart Growth in Boulder, exposed by Frosty Woolridge here. http://www.rense.com/general90/overpop.htm Mr. Woolridge quotes Dr. Albert Bartlett of the University of Colorado-Boulder, who discusses the deterioration in Boulder’s … Continue reading
(Updated Feb. 1, 2012) Issaquah Highlands Smart Growth near Seattle: Photo Essay
The best examples of master planned corporate smart growth are, ironically, from Seattle Democrats – Issaquah Highlands, and Talus, two seperate master planned Smart Growth developments in Issaquah, a formerly … Continue reading
(Updated Nov. 21, 2011) Seattle, San Francisco, Dubuque, Iowa To Become Smart Growth, Carbon Regulated Meccas (aka “Preservation Green Labs”)
Above: I took this photo in 1999 of the Kingdome, before the overzealous planners literally demolished the historic Settle landmark to the ground, wasting taxpayer money, building not one stadia, … Continue reading
Superstar Cities: Why Some Cities Are So Expensive: Analogy to Smart Growth Cities
Superstar Cities are populated by the very rich elite among us, as shown by Dr. Joseph Gyourko, certainly one of the nation’s number one real estate economists. The poor and … Continue reading
“Public Private Space” and Public Safety: The Conundrum Of Smart Growth
(Tom Lane, September, 2011) I have dozens of photos of private space that looks public in several Western states. I’ll be adding these photos as soon as I can. The … Continue reading
Smart Growth Stops Appreciation and Creativity In Suburbia
(Under Construction.) We are creative beings. Naturally, in a traditional neighborhood with large homes on large lots, we remodel our homes and add more landscaping. Traditional properties mature and become … Continue reading
What is Missing from the Smart Growth Debate
(Under Construction): In any scientific endeavor including the land use planning process, one must provide quantifiable (numerical) arguments supporting proposed policy changes. When you read about “smart growth,” you read … Continue reading
Issaquah Highlands Smart Growth near Seattle. Residents Complain of Increasing Density. Bellevue College Complains about Highlands’ Traffic Noise.
As reported in The Issaquah Press in August, 2010. Summary and commentary forthcoming, stay tuned or better yet, read these great articles below: http://www.issaquahpress.com/index.php?s=issaquah+highlands
Letter to President Obama from Dr. Bill Wattenburg – $2 a Gallon Natural Gas … and No Smart Growth Required to Reduce CO2
(June 22, 2012) [under construction] Americans are paying over $4 a gallon this summer and disgusted with Obama’s energy policies. The President and the Democrat Party have made many decisions … Continue reading
International Anti-Smart Growth Web Sites and Researchers in New Zealand and Australia
Smart growth is an international trend in urban planning, and several blogs in Australia and New Zealand make articulate cases against it, as do several researchers including Hugh Pavelich and … Continue reading
(December 8, 2011) Interactive Maps: 2010 Census Data: Relevance to California Smart Growth
(December 8, 2011, Tom Lane) While dozens of maps are in various posts, below are several links to interactive maps, some of which include 2009 or 2010 ACS U.S. Census … Continue reading
(December 23, 2011) Editors and Publishers: Please Note Tom Lane / “Smart Growth USA” Web Site Ratings
(December 23, 2011, Tom Lane) Editors and publishers may wish to consider the high ratings of my web site. I would be glad to publish an article or editorial on … Continue reading
(February 2, 2011) Mid Century Office Parks in the Seattle – Bellevue – Renton Region, Washington State
(February 2, 2011) This is a placeholder for a page that has not yet been completed. The image at the top of the home page is at the Bellefield Office … Continue reading
"Smart Growth" and "New Urbanism" Compared with "Large Lot Zoning" (Tom Lane) [ Home Page - Click Here] 
Eugene, Oregon Lane County Agriculture Extension Service Closes: The Loss Of Oregon Blue Collar Jobs: Agriculture, Timber, Construction, Manufacturing
On this blog, I predominately cover what is essentially the relegation of the construction industry, by way of urban planners, to the new urban design “trend” of “microsized smart growth” … Continue reading →