The Game We’re All Losing
Ah, game theory in urban planning—a concept so elusive and mysterious that it might as well come with a decoder ring and a secret handshake. Mr. Suzuki’s editorial raises a valid point: if you’re going to criticize something, you should at least prove it exists. And let’s be honest, explaining game theory in urban planning is about as easy as deciphering ancient hieroglyphics after a couple of margaritas.
But to be fair to Mr. Blum, just because Mr. Suzuki may not have explicitly encountered game theory as a former Planning Commissioner and a current Vice Chair of the Complete Streets and Transportation Commission, does not mean its principles don’t underlie urban planning tools and strategies—especially in scenarios involving complex negotiations and competing interests. For example, in the planning of congestion pricing schemes in cities like London and Singapore, game theory models have been extensively used to predict how drivers might alter their behavior in response to tolls.
So, to Mr. Suzuki I say, Bravo! You’ve managed to highlight how complex and utterly incomprehensible game theory can be when applied to urban planning.
But perhaps the real game here is trying to find practical solutions to the very real urban planning issues the town is facing from multiple Builder’s Remedy applications, bone crushing beach traffic that exists today, not to mention more congestion to come from housing developments—and that, my friends, is a game no one’s winning.
Los Gatos Community Alliance
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