A quick response to Eduardo

I am (pretty much) on the same page as Eduardo with respect to his recent post on sprawl and housing-development patterns.  Two quick (and, I think, friendly) amendments. 

First, in order to compare the cost (to the owner, putting aside externalities) of suburban v. urban housing, it is true (as Eduardo says) that we need to factor in the cost of transportation.  We also need, though, to factor in the fact that, in most of our metropolitan areas, urban public schools are lousy.  (Perhaps this would change, if many suburbanites moved back to the cities.)  The point is just that, at least in the short run, a move back to the city is likely -- not guaranteed, but likely -- to entail either financial costs (for private schools) or other opportunity costs.

Also, I think it needs to be a part of this conversation that, these days, the typical suburb-dweller is no longer (necessarily) commuting from a radial suburb to an urban job.  Suburb-to-suburb commutes are just as common, I'm told.  So, it is not the case that suburb-dwellers could simply move in, and thereby drive less. They might well be moving *away* from the job (in the suburban office park).