"Trying to get people to move to the city is a common cry for control of growth on open land. It apparently does not work since the buyer chooses where he will live, not the builder"
That's great, but it presumes the builder has no culpability and is some sort of victim of circumstance.
The average house buyer (note I did not say 'home' buyer) would be glad to live in the city....but when he goes to buy his 3-2 on 1/5 acre with all the amenities it's located in a suburb.
The buyer might choose his tile color, but more often than not he's looking at houses that have been crammed onto the cheapest lot possible. It's either that or buy some 60 year old piece of junk in the city with a 60 amp service and lead pipes.
Are house buyers stupid and shortsighted? Yes. But so are developers and builders. The average developer swings a bigger club than the average house buyer.
In the future, lawyer jokes will have been replaced by developer jokes.
