What About Cities?

That's the question Harvard economist, Ed Glaeser asks of presidential candidates in the Boston Globe (pointer via Ryan Avent):

The Democrats have barely sketched urban policies, and the Republicans have done less, but candidates' statements ultimately reflect voters' interests. If we are going to get a better urban policy, then we must ask the candidates to say more about cities and then judge them on what they say.

Comments

[Vincent Clement]

Despite the fact that more people live in urban areas than rural areas, it seems that many, if not most, federal and state/provincial politicians in Canada and the US are averse to promoting any urban policies. We still hang on to the notion that North America is an agrarian society. Could have something to do with the powerful agricultural lobbies.

[sandy]

Vincent- I would take your point a step further. I don't see the federal government promoting urban or rural policies, let alone regional development policies. The Farm Bill is hardly development policy.

[RF]

The federal government hates cities. Strong language perhaps. But policy speaks louder than words. Unfortunately, many so-called urbanists do too, including some self-professed "liberals." I don't think one of the current candidates really gives a damn about cities which is a shame. America's spread out urban structure, as I've said before, is one of the biggest fetters on the country's competitiveness. And, no, I'm not just talking about traffic congestion, housing affordability, and the cost of oil. The issue is the density required for creativity and innovation. The longer this is ignored the more the competitiveness implications will grow. But still not a single federal level official even wants to talk about it. Those who say they care about urban policy mean poverty and social policy. This simply amazes me.

[hayden fisher]

The most obvious example of this point are the federal urban housing projects which "warehouse", as it's been aptly described, of poor, mostly African-American people within the cities of our great country. To testify to the remarkable nature of the human spirit comes the hip-hop genre, perhaps the only laudable end-product of the "project" culture, here to assure us that humanity's desire to create cannot be penned-in. That aside, the mentality that led to the absurd realization of housing projects; and highways bisecting and dissipating the shape and ephemeral structure (respectively) of established urban neighborhoods says much about the understanding and respect shown to urban neighborhoods during the past 50-75 years. The "correction" will take years to see to fruition. In the interim, let's pray that current local, regional and national events/movements, and most of all our government, do not encroach further upon what has been accomplished in the recent past and could be realized in the recent future provided that the momentum of "now" isn't interrupted by egos and agendas here or abroad.