The author has run the numbers (or at least found and cited them) - see e.g. https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/5/7/the-more-we-build-the-poorer-we-get ht

The author has run the numbers (or at least found and cited them) - see e.g. https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/5/7/the-more-we-build-the-poorer-we-get https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/5/7/the-more-we-bui... and https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/7/20/mapping-the-effects-of-californias-prop-13 https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/7/20/mapping-the-ef... It's true that the global economy is the biggest factor in a city's prosperity, but a strong economy is only papering over the fiscally unsustainable way most municipalities are run. Also, generally, urban planners are the technicians that implement decisions made by elected officials. They are NOT the ones setting the vision for a city. [citation: Masters in Urban Planning that I never used]