The concept of city planning is not the problem we have, but everything we pass through on the way to corrupt and oppressive messes.
I realize it’s not possible to simply create a fresh start here in the US. We are in too deep and there’s really nothing left to save. Pretending for a moment we are around to see a fresh start, I believe the blanket hostility to urban planning is unjustified. I’m neither left nor right, nor do I pretend to be centrist. I’ve already indicated my politics and economics are tribal. Decentralized local government is the key. Social policy belongs to the social leaders, who should be related by blood or marriage to everyone they lead. Civil government takes care of defense and other emergencies. But whomever owns the property should have full freedom to decide how it gets used. A city should be entirely private property, preferably within one family. In the future, we should never permit anything resembling corporations as they now exist. All property must be owned by real people. Call it what you will, but this is what God had in mind when He revealed His Laws.
Having lived in Europe some, and visited a lot of the US and other countries, I’ve seen the full range of good, bad and really ugly. In some future world, I hope things tend to the good for awhile, at least. Barring some devastating plague which nearly depopulates the earth, I think it’s safe to assume the human population won’t recede all that much during the collapse of Western Civilization. Thus, what follows is purely an academic exercise. If you aren’t amused, you can stop reading anytime.
Let’s think clearly about planing our privately owned city. I can think of an immediate example. A primary issue which continues to drive me nuts is automotive traffic. We Americans have made a fetish, even a deity, out of private car ownership. This is sin. It’s hardly necessary for life, but we have allowed life here to develop under the expectation every responsible member of society will be owning a vehicle for personal use. Bad idea. Very bad. You can come up with all sorts of reasons, but were I advising the owners of a planned city, I’d warn them to lay out no streets anywhere near the center of town. For at least a few square miles, there should only be pedestrian, bicycle (or similar human powered conveyances), and service vehicle traffic. The latter should be restricted to non-business hours mostly, except for emergencies. Most of the rest of the outer areas should be well served by something in the way of mass transit.
During the life span of most major cities, those which prevented people from ever developing the car habit in the city center have typically offered a much higher quality of life. If your entire business and government sector develops with the impression this will never change, people who spend much time in the area will simply get used to it. No one will create a work schedule and life habits that depend on private autos.
I write this in part to shock my fellow Americans into rethinking what they hold sacred, as it were. Frankly, a part of why God is dumping His wrath on us right now is related to the habits of mind which sees people throwing a fit, making all sorts of demands, composing vast books of theory, why the city government must not restrict people’s “right” to own and drive their car, and park near their destination in the city. That sort of approach to life is evil. It’s part of the mass mental illness called “democracy.” Make sure cities are wholly owned by private families, and advise them to stand firm on such things. “You wanna come do business here? You do it our way.” Since today’s corrupt civil government operates that way anyway, let’s be honest and keep it manageable.
The notion of secular bureaucratic government entities having total control of whole areas of any nation is an abomination to God. All government should be tied directly to the people who live under their care. Not elected; that’s foolish. Family; folks who darn sure better love you. Someone who takes the time to actually seek your best interest, suffer with you when things aren’t so good, and knows enough to keep cars and trucks out of the city center.
