The Difference between Planning and Social Engineering

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American Thinker:

Planning:
About ten miles beyond the Libertyville city limit is a farm owned by Grandpa Jones. The farm has been in the Jones family for three generations, but now all the Jones kids are grown and have moved away. Grandpa Jones has decided to sell his 1,600-acre farm and retire. He made a deal with ABC Developers to sell the farm for $1.6 million, subject to approval of ABC's subdivision plan by the Planning Commission.
ABC presented the plan for "Pleasant Acres" to the Planning Commission. It proposed changing the zoning of 1,400 acres from agriculture to residential, and 200 acres to commercial. It dedicated 100 acres to the county school board, which would be held for ten years for the school board to purchase at the same price ABC originally paid for the property. It proposed a final build-out of 3,250 homes (2.5 homes per acre). It proposed a shopping center for the 200 acres zoned commercial.

The Planning Commission met and determined that the highway to Pleasant Acres would have to be widened, water and sewer lines extended, and utilities upgraded, at a substantial cost to the county. Currently, the Jones farm produced annual tax revenue paid by a single owner at the lowest county rate. Should the plan be approved, the same property would produce tax revenue paid by more than 3,000 owners at the residential and commercial rates. The increase in tax revenue would far more than justify the county's investment in road and utility upgrades. The project would also bring new jobs to the community. The plan was approved.

Social Engineering:

About ten miles beyond Greenville's city limit is a farm owned by Grandpa Smith. The farm has been in the Smith family for three generations, but now all the Smith kids are grown and have moved away. Grandpa Smith has decided to sell his 1,600-acre farm and retire. He made a deal with ABC Developers to sell the farm for $1.6 million, subject to approval of ABC's subdivision plan by the Planning Commission.
ABC presented the plan for "Green Acres" to the Greenville Planning Commission. It proposed changing the zoning of 1,400 acres from agriculture to residential, and 200 acres to commercial. It dedicated 100 acres to the county school board, which would be held for ten years for the school board to purchase at the same price ABC originally paid for the property. It proposed a final build-out of 3,250 homes (2.5 homes per acre). It proposed a shopping center for the 200-acres zoned commercial.