The Antiplanner

Smart Growth at the Polls

6th November 2009

Smart Growth at the Polls

posted in News commentary |

National news reports of last Tuesday’s election focused on the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s races and the congressional race in upstate New York. But smart growth and rail transit played a role in several local races.

First, Peter Brown, a candidate for mayor in Houston, had made smart growth the centerpiece of his campaign. A member of the city council, Brown put more than $3 million of his spouse’s money into the race and polls favored him to win a plurality of voters, which would have put him into a runoff with the second out of four major candidates if Brown didn’t win an outright majority.

As it turned out, Brown came in third after another city official (who happens to be gay) and a black civil rights activist. Opinions vary on why the results differed from the polls — Brown got only 22% when the polls said at least 24% were for him, while the other candidates all got more than polled — but at least this is not a ringing endorsement for smart growth.

In Indiana, a proposal to create a regional transit district that was promising to increase rail service was soundly trounced at the polls. This was clearly expected by Senator Luke Kenley, a local legislator who insisted that the plan be referred to the voters. But, as usual, rail supporters aren’t giving up, figuring they just need “to find a better way to tell the public what a good idea this is.”

Streetcar plans were a big issue in at least three mayors races: Charlotte, Cincinnati, and Boise. The pro-streetcar candidates apparently won in all three elections — though some pointed out that low voter turnouts don’t mean that the majority really support sinking millions into trolley cars. In Boise, at least, the winning candidate had promised to submit the issue to voters. If that happens, the result might be very different, as polls showing that only 36 percent of Boise voters support the streetcar and 50 percent oppose.

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There are currently 6 responses to “Smart Growth at the Polls”

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  1. 1 On November 6th, 2009, JimKarlock said:

    Don’t forget that in Vancouver WA, the incumbent mayor, a big light rail supporter and smart growth devotee, lost to a moderate.

    Thanks
    JK

    posted on November 6th, 2009 at 3:54 am

  2. 2 On November 6th, 2009, t g said:

    (who happens to be gay)?

    Well then why wasn’t your headline:
    Texans Prefer Homosexual Love to Smart Growth

    I assume that’s what your arguing, yes?

    posted on November 6th, 2009 at 7:25 am

  3. 3 On November 6th, 2009, ws said:

    I’ve noticed the anti-smart growth contingent always has similar articles every week:

    http://www.newgeography.com/content/001172-smart-growth-places-3rd-houston-mayors-race

    posted on November 6th, 2009 at 10:14 am

  4. 4 On November 6th, 2009, Neal Meyer said:

    Antiplanner,

    The Smart Growth show is not over in Houston. Politics being what it is, there’s still a runoff to be held here. Mr. Brown has declared that his 22 percent of the electorate matters and that he has demanded on having his voice heard. That means that both Mr. Locke and Ms. Parker will have to kiss Mr. Brown and court his Smart Growth loving friends. It seems that Smart Growth will be like some undead horror that no man can kill.

    I am not aware of another figure on the Houston scene who advocates Smart Growth that has Mr. Brown’s resources, ergo I do expect the threat of heavy handed regulation to subside in Houston for a while.

    Rail is still on the agenda and our local transit agency is bitterly upset that its political masters tell the agency to surrender 1/4th of its tax monies for road building and other mobility. I don’t expect that the election will prevent the rail constituency from trying to press forward with wasting monies on rail, but I do expect that the cost of Metro’s rail plans will.

    posted on November 6th, 2009 at 12:58 pm

  5. 5 On November 6th, 2009, Dan said:

    Shorter Neal Meyer: “give me dumb growth or I’ll use histrionic bad metaphors!”

    DS

    posted on November 6th, 2009 at 1:15 pm

  6. 6 On November 6th, 2009, prk166 said:

    I wouldn’t read too much in an election like Houston’s nor candidates for city council. Just because it’s not big enough of an issue to drive an election doesn’t necessarily mean people don’t want it.

    Didn’t Cincinnati have a referendum concerning a proposed street car system?

    posted on November 6th, 2009 at 4:26 pm

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