A clueless developer, single-minded planner, dim-witted politician, belligerent boss, and an unconscious ex or two duke it out in a land-use showdown that is both amusing and disturbing. Sweetwater, Oregon -- a heretofore charming city adjacent to 30,000 acres of prime land is the setting for this face-off. Suburban sprawl pitted against traditional neighborhood. Mindless reactionary dittoheads versus systemic thinkers. Tension between individuals who range the full spectrum of human development prompts a larger question: Is any built environment that perpetuates the status quo a dead-end?
Forays into urban design were inspired by Andres Duany and James Howard Kunstler. Musings on human potential will resonate with fans of Abraham Maslow, Clare W. Graves, and Eckhart Tolle, "One-Trick Ponies" is a prequel to the recently-released title "The Institution" -- part of The No Mind Left Behind Series. As in "The Institution," the Jerome Raines character and his insight feature prominently.
