They have returned from conferences and seminars enthused by planners who present visions of small compact communities where people shop at neighborhood stores, work in local businesses or commute on light rail and bus systems. Smart Growth is the latest in a family of planning visions. Smart Growth has become very popular, and that's exactly why we ought to be sure to consider it critically.
Popular ideas have a way of seducing reason and healthy questions.
In that light I recommend the work of former Sierra Club lobbyist Randall O'Toole. Ninety percent of commuters drive to work until densities are above 5000 per square mile. Even above that density, huge changes in density are needed to significantly change driving behavior. For example, quadruple in Seattle's density from 5,000 per square mile to New York's 20,000 might cut per capita driving in half. Only three of the nation's 400 urban areas have densities greater than 5000 per square mile.