ABSTRACT
In the day-to-day life of any community, there is a constant stream of debate and discussion pertaining to the economic fate of that community. During these discussions, commonplace attitudes about the growth ethic, and therefore, directly and indirectly, about the prospects for sustainability, are continually being expressed. This chapter attempts a practical down-to-earth exploration of typical factors that anyone might encounter while going about the process of involvement and observation in his or her own community. While economic analysis and economic data can help a great deal, the bottom line is that, in addition to questions of economic efficiency, value judgments and political choices must be made. Urban growth, almost innately involves a situation where a few are helped quite a bit, because their incomes are directly affected, and many are hurt. This is a permanent dilemma for public policy, and indeed for democracy, and that is what makes it so explosive.
