"Smart Growth" presentation tonight at OCU

**Pete** · 04-26-2006, 09:20 AM

This sounds like a great group with an excellent mission.

Anyone planning to attend or inolved with Sustainable OKC?

Architect to lead study on city growth

Hans Butzer, principal of design at TAParchitecture, will lead the presentation “Building a Great City: Now’s a Good Time” at 7 p.m. today in the Watson Lounge on the lower level of the Angie Smith Chapel at Oklahoma City University.

The presentation is free and open to the public and is part of the “Smart Growth” series, sponsored and organized by Sustainable OKC along with the Vivian Wimberly Center for Ethics and Servant Leadership at OCU.

Butzer’s presentation will include a review of the historical factors that have influenced Oklahoma City’s growth, as well as thoughts and ideas for the continued growth of the city and the quality of life it offers to the community with careful consideration of the financial, environmental and social costs of the growth.

Sustainable OKC, a part of the Oklahoma Sustainability Network, facilitates grassroots action, fosters awareness of sustainability and serves as an information and networking resource. For more information on the presentation, visit www.sustainableokc.org.

**SoonerDave** · 04-26-2006, 10:42 AM

Caution advised.

"Sustainable" in this context is often code for plans to impose government limitations on the freedom of individuals to select their place of residence, or to try forcing growth in centralized "urban" areas, and typically villify such things as privately owned vehicles and suburban development. They also often convey a bit of a moral high ground with the presumption of a superior sense of what should constitute a "community."

That said, I do *not* presume to say that is the case for this meeting, but use of that term is, shall we say, conspicuous. The website listed for this organzation proudly restates the UN's definition of "sustainable," which sadly leads me to believe it is precisely of this ilk. It is perhaps all the more urgent that people who enjoy private property rights and the opportunity to select suburban life if they so choose attend, because it is highly unlikely that side is represented by organizations of this nature. I wish I were able to attend.

-SoonerDave