An urban planner recently asked me how to learn what people want in urban design. He was referring to people who say they want pedestrian bridges to cross busy streets, which I explained that people don’t like and don’t use. “But if they say that’s what they want...” No, what they want is a safe and convenient way to cross the street; if they don’t know what the options are, they are in no position to say which one they prefer. Perhaps the appropriate analogy would be someone with a stomach ache going to a doctor and requesting a particular test or treatment. The doctor listens to the symptoms, but the point of medical training is to know what the appropriate response is; it is the doctor, not the patient, who normally should be the expert on diagnosis and cure. So with urban planning...the point of studying the field is to know what the average person on the street doesn’t, for instance, that if you invite more cars, you get more cars. What we should be asking people is what kind of city they want: one that is convenient for those with a car (if you don’t mind congestion) or one’s that’s great for everyone, including children and the elderly, to walk and cycle in; one with a lot of pollution or with less; one that discourages or encourages socializing. Then the experts should be able to go about providing it. Democracy and participation do not mean that the masses make all the decisions, but rather that their views and wishes get incorporated into the decision-making process!