Samizdata is running an article on the real world consequences of insufficient sprawl as I've written before it is both hazardous to middle class retirement funds as well as third world farmers to have too much land set aside for green space or otherwise restricted from building.
Others have noted in Flitters, that sometimes it's the opposite problem that's true. Government sometimes mandates more sprawl by creating unnaturally large lot sizes and restricting the ability to subdivide property to meet actual need. This too is a problem.
At heart, it is the government interference in the property market that is the major cause of both problems and the solution is to back out of the market in a measured way so that you ruin the least amount of people possible.
I am guessing though that with the green movement organizing to create more wilderness, it is the lack of sprawl that will predominate as a problem, not development that is too sparse. Thus it's more sprawl please, not pack 'em tighter and hurry that I am titling this line of inquiry.
Posted by TMLutas at March 20, 2004 12:32 PM