Are we challenging the rules of urban development?

Clifford over at the Cosmo blog has posted his abstract for a recent talk he gave, The Urban Blogosphere: Gaming the Sacred Text in the New Media-Middle:

…there is an emerging urban blogosphere that is increasingly challenging the rules of urban development. In the urban core of Seattle the demand for condominiums is such that most of the units in a new project are sold before construction of the building is underway. Moreover, developers and city planners coordinate a seemingly endless backlog of new projects with little public involvement

I don’t know how much we currently challenge the rules of urban development. I think for the most part there’s a few consumers who make a bit of a racket, a number of bubble fan boys waiting for us consumers to lose our shirts and a few people from Williams Marketing ready to pounce on my every alleged price reduction claim. I know a few high profile members of the urban development community lurk here and I’d be curious to know if they think we’re having any impact?

Now it’s high time for another meetup. I thought the next one would be at my condo but it’s still in disarray with the only furniture being a $20 chair from Ikea and a dining room table from Craigslist (see I really couldn’t afford it!) I’d like to propose that we have another meetup soon (not at my place) and invite someone from the community to speak. Who would you like to hear? I’d like to hear Liz Dunn speak but perhaps there’s others out there that you’re interested in? Let us know.