One of my favorite things to do when I’m reading articles on the web is to read the comments that follow. Each and every one of them. People never cease to surprise me! In an article about extending transit services to the suburbs, someone rants about those crazy liberals and environmentalists who want to force him to live in a small condo in a crime-ridden, noisy urban neighborhood. Last time I checked, liberals and environmentalists had far better things to do than force people at gun point to leave their rural and suburban homes. Another person’s comment called people working for Smart Growth America “thugs.” Because they want to see new neighborhoods built with people, and not cars, in mind?

What I see overwhelmingly when I read comments is that people are afraid of change. But take note: you don’t have to make any changes if you don’t want to. If you like living in a suburban neighborhood, and if you don’t mind driving everywhere, that’s fine. Don’t change what you’re doing if it’s working for you. But it doesn’t work for everyone. Some people want something new and better. We get a lot of comments on our site about how people want to live where they can bike, or where there aren’t any cars, or in a community that is diverse and accommodating.

I think people are missing the point. No one is saying pack up and move to cities. Cities don’t have enough room, first of all, and it would be a waste to abandon our suburbs. But don’t hate the people who want to change, or the people who encourage change. It’s a personal choice.