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Mar 13, 2023Liked by Andy Boenau

Great comparison to energy innovation and the lack of incentive for the planning bureaucracy to adapt. I think another way to put it is, Does the planning/engineering bureaucracy feel the pain of any negative outcomes? And the answer is clearly no. They don’t suffer when enough housing doesn’t get built, or when cars routinely crash at unsafe intersections. So what would a feedback mechanism look like for the planning bureaucracy to “feel pain” from not achieving its stated goals?

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Great point. Pre-internet, it was much harder to connect negative outcomes to the experts & hold them accountable. Three ways come to mind:

(1) Make noise to peers & decision makers. Direct, candid, constant observations in whatever tone suits you. Serious, mockery, satire, etc.

(2) Report PE/AICP ethics violations. Go after their professional certifications b/c they swear to things they routinely violate.

(3) Lawsuits for wrongful injury & death. I'm not one to cheer court cases, but there are more of these happening, and perhaps it's the only way to make lasting change.

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