WENDELL COX IN PARIS ASSIGNMENT
Visiting Professor in Transport & Demographics in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007
Wendell Cox (principal of The Public Purpose and Demographia) served as a visiting professor at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers (CNAM) in Paris in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. This French national university has approximately 80,000 students and grants degrees to the doctoral level. It is in the core of Paris (3rd Arrondissement) at the Arts and Metiers Metro station and was established in the former Abbaye de St. Martin-des-Champs during the French Revolution. Mr. Cox presented well seminars and classes on U.S. and international public transport, intercity rail (including Amtrak), freight transport and world urban areas in Paris and Le Havre and conducted research on French and European demographics and transport. He also lectured at the University of Paris Institute of Urbanism.

SMART GROWTH ASSOCIATED WITH RADICALLY HIGHER HOUSING COSTS IN THE UNITED STATES
Costs of Sprawl Forecast Misses by a Mile
It has been claimed that smart growth would reduce housing costs. A $13,000 (2007$) decline in new residential unit costs was predicted for 2000 to 2025 in Costs of Sprawl --- 2000, for markets with smart growth (prescriptive planning) compared to responsive planning systems. At this rate, a reduction of nearly $4,000 would have occurred between 2000 and 2007. The reality was starkly different. In just seven years, median house prices rose more than $160,000 in prescriptive planning areas relative to prices in markets with responsive planning.

PENNSYLVANIA'S EFFICIENT TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT
Study Shows Smaller Governments Have Far Lower Costs per Capita
In this report commissioned by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, Wendell Cox shows that the Commonwealth's smaller local governments have by far the lowest costs per capita, even when attributable spending is added and spending financed by state and federal sources is subtracted. This conclusion is in opposition to the "conventional wisdom," which is that larger governments are more efficient. In fact, the only "economies of scale" in larger governments are for special interest, which are able to exert control over larger government organizations with less effort and expenditure than would be necessary to control a myriad of smaller local governments. At the same time, smaller local governments are more effective because they are "closer to the people."

SMART GROWTH & URBAN CONSOLIDATION: INCOMPATIBLE WITH HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
3rd Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey
The unprecedented housing affordability crisis is worst in Australia, where years more income are now required to buy a home than just 10 years ago. Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have also become seriously unaffordable. Some markets in the United States and Canada are also severely unaffordable, especially on the Pacific Coast and in Northeast. Strong affordability continues in many markets, such as Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Quebec, Indianapolis Cincinnati and Kansas City. This edition includes a comparison of Perth,, Australia and Austin, Texas, similarly fast growing markets, but where the differences in housing affordability are like "night and day." The distinguishing feature is regulation --- smart growth and urban consolidation are associated with severe housing affordability losses.

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS: CAUSE NOT MICROECONOMICS
2nd Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey
Some economic analysts have attempted to blame the housing affordability crisis on demand or low interest rates. The reality, however, is that some of the most affordable housing markets (examples are Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston) also have the highest demand. The same low interest rates have been available both in the unaffordable and the affordable markets and cannot therefore be the cause of the housing affordability crisis. This Second Annual Demographia Housing Affordability Survey provdes a detailed examination of the issues behind the present structural and spotty housing affordability crisis.

BLUEPRINT 2030: MOBILITY AND ACCESS FOR ATLANTA
Traffic Congestion Can be Reduced: The First Step is to Try
In this report, Wendell Cox and Alan Pisarski show that Atlanta's intense traffic congestion, unusual for a low density urban area, is principally the cause of underinvestment in suburban roadways. Rejecting, the "maternity wards increase the birthrate" logic of "induced demand," they show how the Atlanta area can improve its traffic flow, saving people time and improving economic efficiency. While the casual visitor to Atlanta may think the urban area well served by wide freeways, coverage of the urban area is sparse. In fact, Atlanta has the greatest extent of suburbanization in the world unserved by cross-town (lateral) freeways. Further, the area has a substandard arterial (non-freeway) road system. Nonetheless, significant improvements can be made with expenditures that are well within the capability of the local economy. Atlanta's continued growth could well depend upon it.

AMERICAN DREAM THREATENED: BLACKS, HISPANICS AT GREATEST RISK
Growing Smart: Planners Would Confiscate Homes Not Consistent with Their Plans
The American Plannning Association has developed a legislative guidebook with support from the Clinton Administration, foundations and a builder of urban rail cars. The guidebook, Growing Smart contains model legislation which, if enacted would increase the price of housing, with the impact falling most heavily on lower income households, which are disproportionately African-American or Hispanic. Other provisions could force confiscation of houses where subsequent zoning changes render a use non-conforming. The model legislation is based upon the planning doctrine of smart growth, which like a previous planning doctrine, urban renewal, will make urban areas less attractive places to live.

SMART GROWTH: DELUSION, NOT VISION
Wendell Cox Closing Statement at Railvolution Conference
On December 1, Wendell Cox and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) debated smart growth and transit at the annual Railvolution conference in San Francisco. Wendell Cox's closing statement is reproduced here.

PORTLAND SPRAWLS LIKE PHOENIX
Corridors & Wedges: Los Angeles Far More Dense than Portland
Many urban planners now recognize that sprawling Los Angeles is the most dense urban area in the US. Few, however, are aware of the comparative extent of its density. Los Angeles has the greatest geographical expanse of over 10,000 per square mile density in the developed new world (more than New York or Toronto). Compared to "smart growth" Portland, Los Angeles is a virtual Mumbai. At all points except the outer suburbs, Los Angeles is more than 1.5 times as dense as Portland. While some transit planners have claimed that Portland corridor densities are higher than that of Los Angeles, in fact, urban corridor densities in Los Angeles are between two and 3.5 times as great as Portland. Among major urban areas, Portland has among the lowest core densities, with generally lower densities than Phoenix.

INTERNATIONAL DATA: DENSITY & TRAFFIC GO TOGETHER
Smart Growth Makes Traffic Congestion and Air Pollution Worse
This analysis of international data indicates that as population densities increase, traffic congestion rises, traffic speeds slow and air pollution gets worse. The analysis compares data in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe with references to Asia.

BADGE OF HONOR
Wendell Cox Placed on Sprawlwatch List
Wendell Cox and others are highlighted as opponents of the anti-sprawl movement. Cox stated that placement on the list was a "badge of honor." but that Sprawlwatch would have more correctly characterized those on the list as "pro-choice" with respect to urban development --- that people should have the freedom to live and work where they like.

WENDELL COX OPED IN THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION
Portland Not Sprawl Free: Atlanta Needs Other Policies
Despite Atlanta's reputation for severe traffic congestion and low densities, Wendell Cox shows that the Atlanta area scores generally better on measures of transit use than Portland, which has gained an international reputation for policies intended to increase transit ridership and urban density. His conclusion is that Portland's policies would not solve Atlanta's traffic problems any more than they have Portland's.

WENDELL COX OPED IN THE WASHINGTON TIMES
A Straitjacket on Growth
New urbanist and so-called "smart growth" policies promise to slow economic growth where implemented and could limit job creation and business expansion. Limitations on new "big-box" retailers is likely to limit job growth in construction trades and related industries. The telecommunications revolution and the expansion of regional jet service could erode the competitiveness of larger metropolitan areas, in combination with new urbanist and so-called "smart growth" initiatives. Smaller metropolitan areas are likely to benefit, as they welcome the growth turned away by metropolitan areas like Portland, Oregon.

RESPONSE TO REPORT BY DAVID RUSK
Keeping Kalamazoo Competitive: The Husock Report
This report by Howard Husock of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and Wendell Cox challenges the findings of the Kalamazoo County Compact by David Rusk and recommends competition based measures to improve the competitiveness of Kalamazoo.

E-MAIL LIST
Urban Policy Discussion Group
Demographia sponsors an urban policy e-mail discussion list.