Randall O'Toole has published a commentary today on the Globe and Mail website -- "A plague of planners" -- which critiques centralized urban planning by government planners.

He uses the example of Portland, Oregon, which has been touted as a model for "smart growth" -- but which has led to high housing costs, leading families with children "to flee to nearby (and relatively unregulated) Vancouver, Wash., and more distant suburbs where they can afford a home with a yard."