Unsustainable cities a product of growth fetish

InDaily has published Unsustainable cities a product of growth fetish by Brendan Gleeson that is worthy of reflection. This article is counterpoint to Grass isn't greener in the outer 'burbs by Robert Nelson.

But his [Robert Nelson] argument is based on a false opposition: mounting evidence shows that high-density development in inner areas performs very poorly in terms of resource consumption and greenhouse emissions. The idea that outer suburbs are inherently less sustainable than inner ones doesn’t bear scrutiny.

It is only fair that we break from our long habit of malign neglect and cut the outer suburbs an appropriate share of national resources. The investment should be in a massive suburban overhaul to realise the latent environmental potential of the low density form. In quest for resilience, households should be assisted towards self-sufficiency in water, energy and food production.