RE: [CTPP] INNOVATION BRIEFS Advisory

Ken, As the MPO Executive Director in the Austin Texas metropolitan area, I hear a lot about "Smart Growth". I like the term used by the North Central Texas COG better - "Development Excellence." I agree with the NCTCOG that quality of life in land use and transportation is what we're after, whether that be in low density or high density development. All metropolitan areas have some similarities, e.g. predominance of the automobile, but they have some differences, too, e.g. propensity for passenger rail systems in congested corridors. I don't think national trends are helpful to planners in individual areas trying to find solutions to problems with specific local conditions. There is a lot of situation diversity between metropolitan areas and within them, too. Therefore, different solutions work in different places and under different conditions. The solutions should be customized for each area, taking advantage of applicable lessons learned from peer cities. I think that opinionated positions on land use and transportation lead to a "I'm right/ you're wrong" mentality driven by egos that only leads to a lot of heat and not much light in solving urban problems. Thanks for the opportunity, Michael Aulick