The myths of Portland (Oregon) which claims to be the archetype of "SmartGrowth" policies (termed "Urban Consolidation" in Sydney) continue to be propounded. In an opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald (13 June 07) Elizabeth Farrelly breathlessly writes about a visit from one of its ambassadors, Susan Anderson who raved that "Portland's remarkable achievements are expressed as savings in money, congestion, time and air quality".
Contrast this with Randal O'Toole's eye-popping report which can be accessed at:http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-596.pdf
Wendell Cox comments on the disappearance of Neil Goldschmidt, the former United States Secretary of Transportation (equivalent to a Cabinet Minister in Australia), Governor of Oregon and Mayor of Portland, who zealots give so much credit for the development of Portland's planning system. Public disclosure of the Secretary/Governor/Mayor's activities earned "Willamette Week," an alternative weekly newspaper, the Pulitzer Prize, while the establishment "Oregonian" appears to have revealed what it knew only after it was clear that the story would come.
A following posting on this blog by Wendell Cox provides a rebuttal of some of the claims made by Portland disciples.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Portland Myths
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1 comment:
No doubt with the hugh windfall profits to be made from high density development in the suburbs,the inevitable result will be more corruption of our political and planning processes,similarly to the Portland experience .We await with certainty the dislosure of more wrong doing,such as revealed via ICAC inquiries into Rockdale and Strathfield councillors,in these political and planning areas
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