“Cities require management and need to leverage their fixed-cost investment.”

– Ed Glaeser

“We need discipline in our planning.”

– Mike Krusee

“We need modes of transportation that feed eachother, not compete.”

– John Robert Smith

What do all of these comments have in common? They were uttered during CNU 19 by speakers who consider themseves conservative or Republican. This is important because new urbanists are too often seen as blue, liberal, elites from the coasts. If CNU is to get over the next hump, it must get its message across to conservatives.

New urbanism – it just performs better.

This is part of CNU’s new messaging, and they must continue to get out the message. In these times of austerity, it must become better known that new urbanism saves tax dollars, brings discipline to planning, and makes cities operate more efficiently. Perhaps this message can help crack the partisan rancor in this country and speed the spread of better urbanism everywhere.

We cannot expect everyone to love the design aspects of urbanism the way we do, but we shoudl expect elected officials to consider new urbanism policy that saves tax dollars an improves equality.