Reply to Greater Greater Washington as a news source

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Greater Greater Washington is a blog that is primarily funded by the development industry. Its views are in line with urbanism, or the concept that the urban-centric way of life - with dense apartments, public transit, and walking-distance access to places to work and play - is best for future growth in terms of livability, cost, and the environment. Many of its contributors have ties to the real estate industry, though some do not, and they include architects, urban planners, realtors, and general housing and transit advocates. Their political leanings trend progressive but include some libertarian views as well, especially among those who put more emphasis on the private market assuaging the housing crisis by increasing the supply with tools such as deregulated zoning.

Criticism of urbanism and its advocates exists on the right, left, and center. Right-wing criticism tends to fall into the Not-In-My-Backyard (NIMBY) category, which seeks to protect one's own property values or the character of one's neighborhood from change, which could mean a younger and/or less white community. Left-wing criticism tends to evoke skepticism that private developers have the community's best interest in mind, that high density development will displace existing residents who might be less affluent (gentrification) or that the affordable housing set-asides are inadequate. They may advocate for other affordable housing strategies such as public housing or rent control, though many on the left support these strategies as a supplement to up zoning. Other criticism, which could be from the "center," casts doubts on the pragmatism of urbanists and their advocates, citing issues like the tax incentives given to developers for high density projects rendering them unsustainable or incapable of funding schools and infrastructure necessary to accompany a booming population, as evidence that the urbanist model may not be realistic.

That's the least biased take I can offer.[/quote]

This. I have a masters in urban planning and I think of GGW as an industry blog.[/quote]

The urban planning industry?[/quote]

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