The problem with places like New Haven is that the...

2009-04-02T12:18:00.000-04:00

The problem with places like New Haven is that they do not foster healthy growth. While I agree with you that cities and small towns need some sort of economic engine to support imports, focusing that engine in one place is unnecessary.

Often times, the economic engines of small towns are incredibly distributed, like farms and forests. With industrial cities, it is rarely desirable to locate all production facilities in close proximity, it causes intense transportation problems.

In any case, the biggest lesson of a place like New Haven may be that competitive advantage of suburban development doesn't tend to outlast its novelty. There is something inherently better about older forms of development, though that doesn't make them perfect.

The hope is that we'll be able to foster a new kind of development that is more sustainable and longer lasting so that we can leave something helpful to our progeny.

Very interesting. Interesting to note that first ...

2009-03-31T17:40:00.000-04:00

Very interesting. Interesting to note that first planned city in the USA, New Haven, was designed as a perfect square grid the size of a walking radius. From the center, it takes no more than a few minutes to walk to the edge. However in contrast to many small towns (and like many larger cities), the center held strong and continues to grow in value significantly, whereas areas of the city that were once suburbs have gone through a major decline. This proves that cities need a spiritual and economic anchor, otherwise they collapse. Many small towns lack such an anchor, and have become irrelevant.

Comments on Pretty Good City: Tombstone - A Small Town

The problem with places like New Haven is that the...

Very interesting. Interesting to note that first ...