From Granola Shotgun — Transactions of Decline

A transaction of decline, as Jane Jacobs explains in Cities and the Wealth of Nations, is an attempt to mitigate a problem but it can't eliminate the cause. Further she says once they have begun as an overall policy approach, they have no ending. In this blog post Johnny Sanphillippo (he's also a contributor to Strong Towns) considers an example in Santa Rosa CA.

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Santa Rosa Junior College is installing another parking lot near campus. No big deal, right? 

This is a commuter school serving people from all corners of the county. Faculty and students need places to park. This parking lot is carefully designed to meet all sorts of requirements. There’s comprehensive handicap accessibility. 

There’s a shade structure on the corner for pedestrians. I have no doubt there will be electric vehicle charging stations and that the lighting will be downward facing to preserve the night sky and view of the stars. As parking lots go this one will be as attractive and well appointed as possible.... 

This is the kind of plain vanilla project that travels through various regulatory agencies with tremendous institutional inertia and minimal community resistance. Read more: Transactions of Decline – Granola Shotgun

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