Selling Urbanism: Don’t be an Aristarchus

"Yes, overall, planners have gotten better at articulating projects and the larger goals that drive them. They’re more adept at clarity, helping people envision certain outcomes. But by and large, they still operate with an apparent assumption that they and their audience are on the same page.

"That’s not always true. And it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if it became less true in the coming years. Here’s why: 

"The urbanist proposition is nicely timed right now, as a variety of issues — energy costs, commute times, Millennial interests, etc.— have converged to make cities more attractive. People are seeking particular experiences and cities are delivering them. But now, in the course of our ongoing urban renaissance, a lot of cities are transitioning from the problems of failure to the problems of success. Increasingly, disadvantaged populations with limited political voice are sharing their surroundings with newly-arrived, more affluent populations. Populations more inclined to bring their NIMBY instincts with them when they move in-town. And act on those instincts when they discover they now reside in an environment inclined towards a state of evolutionary flux for the foreseeable future."