Urban Policy Can Help Bridge Political Divides

Urbanists lament the fact that the average American knows and cares little about the built environment, but this sad reality has a significant upside. Because urban policy is a relatively fringe topic, it presents what is in today’s political climate a rare opportunity: the chance to make converts to conservative principles through rational persuasion.

As the left and right solidify into ever more intransigent blocs, thoughtful dialogue has been relegated to internal discussions, while cross-faction exchanges have little hope of changing minds. There are myriad explanations for the trend, but...