I got into planning after Katrina. And, I try to “plan with a purpose” and not just the sake of planning. It is difficult to balance the wants and the needs. Here is an article I came across that helps to put some planning in the modern world into perspective.
Balancing the Scales of City Sustainability
F. Kaid Benfield
I spend virtually all my professional time thinking about the intersection of human settlement and environmental sustainability. I am particularly interested in the built environment of American cities, towns, and suburbs – what I like to call our “people habitat” – and how it relates to the natural world. How can we make these two realms – people habitat and natural habitat – more harmonious?
These issues are acutely on my mind today because I am preparing a talk I have been invited to deliver early next month on “Urbanism and Sustainability.” ….
Planningnerd.net 