Part
I :: Trickle Down…
Issue 1
Volume 2
In Support of a Slow Growth Approach
by Clay Rockefeller
with significant support from Manya Kay Rubinstein and Drake
Patten
How do capitalism and democracy play out in urban planning, design and development? Specifically, how do these two systems, woven so deeply into the fabric of American life, affect both the pace of development and the quality of the final product?
A successful democracy calls for careful discussion, including the airing of grievances and personal viewpoints. Meanwhile, the capitalist machine continues to insist that we plunge relentlessly forward, in a constant effort to create value, increase production, and further development. Ideally, capitalism and democracy should keep each other in check, striking a balance between the surging forces of profit and the institutions responsible for representing social good. A successful democracy calls for inclusion, while capitalism thrives in environments where opportunities for civic participation and activism are minimized.
I have been grappling with these issues professionally and personally, as one who is involved in the development of urban space as well as an individual who cares deeply about the community in which I am active. Almost everything in today’s world tells us to hurry up and get the job done so we can get onto what’s next. This culture of multi-tasking and hyper speed is only intensified by the escalating cost of doing business and the subsequent increased pressures on the rapid completion of projects in the world of urban development. Over the past three years alone, property taxes have doubled, utilities have increased by as much as 82%, and the Federal prime interest rate has crept from 4.12% to 8.0% APR. The threat of these increased carrying costs and the ever-competitive nature of the real estate industry results in quietly crafted feasibility studies and proposed developments that are rooted solely in the projected numbers and profit margins. Upon the purchase of a property, developers hit the ground running as the costs begin to mount, leaving little time for public inclusion and outreach. Thus, capitalism increasingly seems to be winning out, rendering gestures towards a democratic process, such as community meetings and public hearings, token at best.
The luxury of taking time to research, select and implement the best, most community conscious, inclusive processes and products is becoming cost prohibitive. Taking one’s time is becoming an extravagance, one that few developers can or in most cases would choose to be able to afford--at least within the capitalist system as we know it.
We are told from day one that it is bad to be slow. Maybe it’s because I’ve never been the fastest person in the world when it comes to processing information (or a task like writing this piece), but I strongly believe that we need to create systems that allow us to move more slowly when working on the planning and development of space. We need time to be able to define and model social responsibility within the community of impact. There must be a better way to ensure that there is room for a Slow Growth approach to development: an organic approach that is inclusive and accessible to the public these development processes ultimately affect.
The problem is two-fold: how to get economic pressures to back off long enough to be able to engage in this type of planning and then, how to educate developers about the sort of input they might listen for from their communities if they had the time to do so. The pressures of capital and capitalism must be addressed by strengthening democracy, using government legislation to create grants for slower projects, enforced timetables, and favorable taxation terms for those choosing to practice a community responsive Slow Growth development. A stronger philanthropic culture must be encouraged and pursued in order to help fund these sorts of initiatives. The responsibility for education falls on the shoulders of all of those currently practicing a Slow Growth approach (whether through a fluke, tendency towards long-windedness, or purposeful implementation of a community-centric method of development).
Ultimately, unchecked
capital growth in urban development will destroy untold numbers of communities
in pursuit of some ever-receding frontier of faster, better, more. American
democracy must be reactivated as a worthy adversary. We must use our voice
to spur our government to action in order to moderate the pace of development
and make room for being Slow.
