--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We're not going to reform our moronic…" description: "\"We're not going to reform our moronic land-use laws, which mandate suburban sprawl one way or another. They're simply going to be ignored when it becom..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/james-howard-kunstler-2886_evident_we-re-not-going-to-reform-our-moronic-la_3176869.jpg" --- # We're not going to reform our moronic land-use laws, which… ![“We're not going to reform our moronic land-use laws, which mandate suburban sprawl one way or another. They're simply going to be ignored when it becomes self-evident that we cannot build stuff that way anymore.” quote by James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/james-howard-kunstler-2886_evident_we-re-not-going-to-reform-our-moronic-la_3176869.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/james-howard-kunstler-2886_evident_we-re-not-going-to-reform-our-moronic-la_3176869.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/james-howard-kunstler-2886_evident_we-re-not-going-to-reform-our-moronic-la_3176869.jpg) > “We're not going to reform our moronic land-use laws, which mandate suburban sprawl one way or another. They're simply going to be ignored when it becomes self-evident that we cannot build stuff that way anymore.” [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Current land-use policies force sprawl; they will be abandoned when unsustainable. **In simple terms:** Sprawl laws will be ignored when they become impractical. Key Takeaway Prepare for alternative development models. Themes urban planning environment policy sprawl sustainability Mood frustrated determined Type critical analytical When to use this quote - city planning - real estate development - community activism - policy reform Key Concepts land use regulation urban sprawl environmental impact Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives can replace current zoning? - How can communities push for change? A Different Perspective Changing laws alone won’t fix entrenched habits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Land use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land-use/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Sprawl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sprawl/) ## Related quotes > [Suburban sprawl leads to social atomisation and fragmentation and is environmentally disastrous, as carbon-intensive car journeys displace local shops and replace public transport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rogers/suburban-sprawl-leads-to-social-atomisation-and-fragmentation-and-is/) [Richard Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rogers/) > [I like to call it 'the national automobile slum.' You can call it suburban sprawl. I think it's appropriate to call it the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/i-like-to-call-it-the-national-automobile-slum-you-can-call-it/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [“Suburban sprawl has heavily damaged the balance of our cities, divorcing environmental context from design and removing the concept of scale from the creation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi-friedman/suburban-sprawl-has-heavily-damaged-the-balance-of-our-cities/) Avi Friedman > [Chicago happened slowly, like a migraine. First they were driving through countryside, then, imperceptibly, the occasional town became a low suburban sprawl, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/chicago-happened-slowly-like-a-migraine-first-they-were-driving/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [A limit on the automobile population of the United States would be the best of news for our cities. The end of automania would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-udall/a-limit-on-the-automobile-population-of-the-united-states-would-be/) [Stewart Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-udall/) > [There is not going to be a "hydrogen economy," and no combination of alternative energy systems or fuels will allow us to continue the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/there-is-not-going-to-be-a-hydrogen-economy-and-no-combination-of/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [The suburban cycle which began a hundred years ago is nearly over. We are in for a period of contraction and economic hardship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/the-suburban-cycle-which-began-a-hundred-years-ago-is-nearly-over-we/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [My own opinion is that the suburban project is over. We are done. We don't know it yet. 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Will they elect maniacs who promise to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/the-faltering-of-our-suburban-living-arrangement-is-probably-certain/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [The two elements of the suburban pattern that cause the greatest problems are the extreme separation of uses and the vast distances between things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/the-two-elements-of-the-suburban-pattern-that-cause-the-greatest/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Two things hold promise of improving those lights. One is to apply science to land-use. 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Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-simpson/) > [The 'key-log' which must be moved to release the evolutionary process for an ethic is simply this: quit thinking about decent land-use as solely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/land-ethic/the-key-log-which-must-be-moved-to-release-the-evolutionary-process/) Land ethic ## More by James Howard Kunstler > [ The ideas of \[ Le Corbusier \] that actually found their way into practice were deeply destructive - for instance, the tower-in-a-park, which mutated… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/the-ideas-of-le-corbusier-that-actually-found-their-way-into-practice/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [ “On my way out of \[Atlantic City\] at quarter after seven in the morning, a young pump jockey at the gas station \[...\] mentioned… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/on-my-way-out-of-atlantic-city-at-quarter-after-seven-in-the-morning/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Ahead now, I think you'll see the big nations shrink back into their own corners of the world. 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Our failure is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/what-we-face-is-a-comprehensive-contraction-of-our-activities-due-to/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [We're living in a culture that doesn't believe in decorating buildings, or proportioning them properly. And they don't know how to do it anymore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/we-re-living-in-a-culture-that-doesn-t-believe-in-decorating/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Because I believe a lot of people share my feelings about the tragic landscape of highway strips, parking lots, housing tracts, mega-malls, junked cities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/because-i-believe-a-lot-of-people-share-my-feelings-about-the-tragic/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [No amount or combination of alternative fuels is going to allow us to continue running what we're running, the way we're running it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/no-amount-or-combination-of-alternative-fuels-is-going-to-allow-us-to/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Everything we do these days - our lust for ever more comfort, pleasure, and distraction, our refusal to engage with the mandates of reality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/everything-we-do-these-days-our-lust-for-ever-more-comfort-pleasure/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [There's a lot of wishful thinking that somehow we'll replace fossil fuels with alternative energy sources, but they remain far from reality. We're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/there-s-a-lot-of-wishful-thinking-that-somehow-we-ll-replace-fossil/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Our twenty-first century economy may focus on agriculture, not information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/our-twenty-first-century-economy-may-focus-on-agriculture-not/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [I think that Obama's failure to reestablish the rule of law in money matters is the most damaging thing that he's done - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/i-think-that-obama-s-failure-to-reestablish-the-rule-of-law-in-money/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [I'm not against Kyoto. I just think it's a fantasy, especially considering China's energy predicament and their coal supplies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/i-m-not-against-kyoto-i-just-think-it-s-a-fantasy-especially/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [The American house has been TV-centered for three generations. It is the focus of family life, and the life of the house correspondingly turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/the-american-house-has-been-tv-centered-for-three-generations-it-is/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) [Explore all 146 James Howard Kunstler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) ## More Evident quotes > [Our obsession with material things and lack of self-worth is evident in our need for an abundance of momentary luxuries and must-have amenities that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-i/our-obsession-with-material-things-and-lack-of-self-worth-is-evident/) T.I > [A second characteristic of the process which for me is the good life, is that it involves an increasingly tendency to live fully in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/a-second-characteristic-of-the-process-which-for-me-is-the-good-life/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [When one considers our nation's educational foundations - Harvard, Yale, Princeton and most of our respected institutions were originally Christian - it becomes evident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-falwell/when-one-considers-our-nation-s-educational-foundations-harvard-yale/) [Jonathan Falwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-falwell/) > [It is evident that the right of acquiring and possessing property, and having it protected, is one of the natural, inherent, and unalienable rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-paterson/it-is-evident-that-the-right-of-acquiring-and-possessing-property-and/) [William Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-paterson/) > [A pregnant woman and her spouse dream of three babies--the perfect four-month-old who rewards them with smiles and musical cooing,the impaired baby, who changes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-berry-brazelton/a-pregnant-woman-and-her-spouse-dream-of-three-babies-the-perfect/) [T. Berry Brazelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-berry-brazelton/) > [Class - or the economic status of individuals - is evident in all societies, some very well stratified by a rigid caste system determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-sionil-jos/class-or-the-economic-status-of-individuals-is-evident-in-all/) [F. Sionil Jose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-sionil-jos/) > [The effect of the discovery of printing was evident in the savage religious wars of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Application of power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-innis/the-effect-of-the-discovery-of-printing-was-evident-in-the-savage/) [Harold Innis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-innis/) > [Popular thought appeals to crowds, gatherings and tribes, who use it as a way to guide the herd. It is very evident in protests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/popular-thought-appeals-to-crowds-gatherings-and-tribes-who-use-it-as/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [A focus on people's health and well-being must be the core of family planning research and policy. This may seem self-evident, but the realities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-simmons/a-focus-on-people-s-health-and-well-being-must-be-the-core-of-family/) [Ruth Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-simmons/) > [ Quentin \[Taranino\] will say, "We've got it, but we're gonna do it one more time. Why?" And then, the entire cast and crew chimes… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walton-goggins/quentin-taranino-will-say-we-ve-got-it-but-we-re-gonna-do-it-one-more/) [Walton Goggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walton-goggins/) > [It is evident, indeed, that such a doctrine, taken by itself in a literal manner, had no future. 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Even in translation, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-sound-of-things-falling-may-be-a-page-turner-but-it-s-also-a-deep/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [ It is self-evident that any and all paths must be open to a researcher during the actual course of his \[or her\] investigations. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-weierstrass/it-is-self-evident-that-any-and-all-paths-must-be-open-to-a/) Karl Weierstrass > [it is clearly evident that our path travels through a valley of teas well known to all farm workers, because in all valleys the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/it-is-clearly-evident-that-our-path-travels-through-a-valley-of-teas/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [The genuinely significant creation, whether an idea, or a work of art, or a scientific discovery, is most likely to be seen at first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/the-genuinely-significant-creation-whether-an-idea-or-a-work-of-art/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) Browse all 545 Evident quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We're not going to reform our moronic land-use laws, which mandate suburban sprawl one way or another. 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