Quote of the day

"How do we know 'waste' when we see it? [...] When it comes to land use patterns, the acid test is is simply whether the urbanized area grows or not. Does it attract labor and capital in ways that they can make a go of it?" (Peter Gordon)

It seems to be the case of urban growth in Pittsburgh (increase in urban footprint with no increase in population. and Pittsburgh's economy is not that bad considering the USA context). But could it be more efficient and still make people’s lives better ? The sprawl debate still have a long way to go since it is not a straightforward issue.

In any case, we agree that "You want government policies that make people pay for the social cost of their action, including the environmental cost, but you also want people to make those choices themselves. ... People should be free to choose [where to live] as long as they pay the social cost of their action." (E. Glaeser)

(image credit Don Carter)

Soundtrack: ...looking for flying saucers in the sky