This Is The Essay That Had Me Chosen For Planning Abroad In Vienna, Austria!


I want to be informed and prepared for the transition to the post-petroleum world.


On a recent trip to Charlotte, N.C. there was an opportunity to ride the new Lynx light rail system to the city center. Interestingly this trip could be directly compared to a previous trip on an adjacent road with the same beginning and end points during a convention 6 months earlier. Whizzing by beautiful new TOD’s, traveling faster than parallel traffic on South Boulevard and enjoying a conversation without having to pay attention to the road brought a realization; this is a big part of the future of planning and I want to be part of it.


Now is the time to prepare, if suburbs were developed with an eye toward the current century’s needs, our metropolitan areas would have been designed far differently. Metro Atlanta might not be following in LA’s footsteps. If there is going to be a transition to a post-petroleum world now is the time to plan for it.

Although hybrid or even petroleum-free single occupancy mobility is the most obvious core of future transportation in America, transit oriented developments offer a bridge to that future as well as great benefits. I believe that light and heavy rail transit systems offer public mobility, less car dependence and spur more central development. A concerted effort to reduce oil consumption will stimulate a desire for shorter commutes, walkability and more political will in support of mass transit. These things can contribute to the reduction of sprawl and cause development in the city core and inner ring suburbs. This issue is so large because even the first stages of transitioning to an oil free future may cause a dramatic change in the form of today’s cities.


There are obstacles to this sort of change. There is an established, familiar petroleum based vehicular street grid system. Our culture fosters a strong desire for independence in mobility with a constant eye toward the cheapest or most luxurious alternative.


These two classes are going to be great opportunities to explain how a petroleum free future can come about and change our cities. Also they will answer questions I have for the detailed physical future of the North American city.


One of my chief questions will be, What does the footprint or street grid of a petroleum-free metropolitan area look like? Other questions are, will the cuts in sidewalks or the physical form of the street change? Could the street carry the energy needed for transportation? I also want to know if Developing countries could leapfrog Western ones as markets begin to emerge without the burden of obsolete infrastructure.


One of the strengths of Rome was in their aqueduct and road systems. Infrastructure is the key to economic vitality and is central to urban planning. I am open to new ideas and fresh perspectives on transportation. This is my passion and I want to be in the middle of the future.

A reflection on Rawlsian (Socialist) Framework

The Rawlsian Framework is an extremely liberal political theory based on the ideals of collectivism. This “moral” theory is meant by some to be a guide for the creation of law. An earlier reading expressed an opinion that people with Marxist leanings often find themselves in the employment of planning as a way to implement their belief system on a society. (Beatley) This liberal approach to Growth Management is an effective way to aid the disadvantaged and limit the power of the bourgeoisie under the guise of fairness and populism.
To be sure there is an appeal to economic fairness in the Rawlsian Framework. Beatly advocates a view of a society not comprised of individuals but a collection of people in a mutual and shared endeavor. This is supposed to cause an equal distribution of the good and bad of life. Beatly goes so far as to question why the naturally advantaged by means of skill and dedication should received a greater distribution of benefits. This is a morally arbitrary and is essentially undeserved according to our writer!
When these ideas are put into planning the ideas of equal distribution corrupts the technical aspects of planning and planning takes on the role of social judge. Imagine trying to implement fairness in life whilst plotting roads and allocating space for commercial development. Social Judges planners are not.
I take personal offence that we are to be denied the fruit of our efforts if those fruits do not benefit society as a whole. The following passage from our text illustrates the most poisonous idea of justice and illustrates how deep into socialism Rawls had descended.
“Thus for Rawls the primary task of moral theory is to determine the appropriate standards of justice for governing their cooperative social arrangement and its resultant distribution of benefits and burdens” (Beatley)
This idea of “social justice” and cooperation is in direct contrast to the Anglo-Saxon and Judeo-Christian work ethic on which the United States was founded. This sort of thinking leads to wondering who is the least advantaged and how do we chose them? Who is making too much, has too much and how much should the government take to even the score of life? This is the heart and soul of Socialism. All one would need to do would be to look at the cities of the former Soviet Union and North Korea to understand where these theories lead. Their cities are Spartan and cleaned of references to faith and religion. The desolate cities and towns of those two nations are considered to be among the dreariest in the world.
One other aspect of this cannot be ignored. In Rawls “two principles of justice” Rawls arranges legal principles in serial order. The most striking thought is the thought that “equality under the law” is dead last. (Beatley) This sacred idea is behind such common things as discussion and formal democratic liberties. I put it that equality under the law is a primary, fundamental and basic right and most special privilege.
The principles in our text our principles I will try to avoid in my professional career. One should always hold a place for the disadvantaged. There is a always a place in the city for the disadvantaged. These principles however, are not based on morality, they are based on humanism .
In this nation, any increase in wealth or benefit should always go to the most hardworking and dedicated. In the frame of Urban Planning, We must accept that our central business districts comprise our most dedicated members of society who hold the keys to our economic vitality. CBD’s deserve before other sections of a city the most progressive and innovated forms of infill and reurbanization. The most impoverished districts of most American cities look as awful because of the laissez faire attitude of their residents and the crime those residents commit. No, our hardest working do deserve the best laid Plans of mice and men.
Now I know why Rawls and his wife spent their first holiday writing an index for Nietzsche. (Friedrich Nietzsche)