Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Re: Biscayne Times article: Amendment 4 (hometown democracy) will affect the entire state of Florida, not just Miami. While the Florida growth management system is broken, Amendment 4 is not likely to fix it. First, how many people are likely to do their due diligence and then get to their polling place to vote on every comp plan amendment request? Second, supporters of Amendment 4 assume that every current county and city comp plan represents sound planning, while the opposite is more often true; many comp plans currently on the books are in need of updating to allow the type of mixed-use, walkable, transit-oriented, sustainable development patterns that a number of communities in Florida still deem illegal. Finally, the author derides smart growth as just another term for urban sprawl. On the contrary, smart growth supports the development and redevelopment of walkable, mixed-use communities and the protection of our open spaces and natural resources as an antidote to sprawl. The author is correct in that years of political corruption have allowed developers to have their way with city and county commissions and comp plan changes, and a solution is sorely needed. However, it is unlikely that Amendment 4 will offer much positive change, although it may be an interesting experiment at best.