by Andy Boenau
Michael Lewyn has been teaching at numerous law schools for 14 years, and has written extensively about urban and suburban development.
Like several other guests on Urbanism Speakeasy, we first met through Congress for the New Urbanism.
Does your local government policy promote sprawl?
Michael and I began our conversation with a blog post he recently published:
“The cost advantage of suburbia, where it exists, is not a result solely of the free market. Like suburbia itself, this cost advantage is a result of public policy.”
Many people — including city planners and politicians — have argued that the free market leads to low density housing because it’s so much cheaper than denser development.
The reasoning is that people “drive to quality” for their home. Drive far enough away from the population or employment centers to afford a big house on a lot of land.
Critics of the free market claim that sprawl is a law of nature. (And therefore, why government interference is necessary to prevent costly sprawl.) So what makes Michael think that public policy actually props up the cost advantage of suburbia?
Land use policy, sprawl development, and housing prices
Americans spend a ton of money on housing. It’s a huge percentage of most family incomes.
If you’re a homeowner, thinking about your annual assessment letter. Are you relieved if your home’s value is going down since it’s headed in the direction of market reality? Is it realistic to think Americans would elect politicians who think it’s a BAD idea to guarantee ever-increasing housing prices?
Is a comprehensive plan necessary for reversing (or avoiding) suburban sprawl?
There’s a common belief in the planning profession that comprehensive plans are a necessity for getting away from sprawl. In other words, your town needs a long-range plan that includes where certain types of development should go, where utilities need to reach, which streets might be connected, and so on.
Sprawl is a loose word. For purposes of our discussion, “sprawl” is automobile-oriented development patterns that extend far beyond the urban core. (Urban is where people are clustered–not necessarily a big city center.)
Michael has challenged the idea that following a comprehensive plan is a prerequisite for improving development patterns. He talks about ways that comprehensive plans actually promote sprawl in American communities.
Connect with our guest
You can read some of Michael Lewyn’s scholarly work or connect with him online:
- Touro Law (scholarly works)
- Planetizen
- Congress for the New Urbanism (blog)
(Cross posted from Urban Speakeasy.)