More from Coming Into The Country by John McPhee…
This is from Book II, What They Were Hunting For in which the search for a location for a new Alaskan capital is described. On page 133 a Robert Atwood is quoted:
Idealists here in town see a need for a park in every housing development. They want to bury utility lines, reserve green belts, build bicycle paths. With these things, the bowl could only contain three hundred and fifty thousand people. They favor animals, trees, water, flowers. Who ever makes a plan for man? Who ever willmake a plan for man? That is what Iwonder. I am known amound conservasionists as a bad guy.
Foolish me. I thought favoring animals, trees, water (water!!!) and flowers wasa plan for man!