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In his New York Times column today, Paul Krugman discusses [2] the rebuilding of New Orleans. Does the following remark reveal something relatively unique about Krugman-as-economist? Or does it reveal something about the prevailing mindset of most economists today?
Nobody thinks that reconstruction should already be under way. But what’s striking to me is that there are no visible signs that the administration has even begun developing a plan. No reconstruction czar has been appointed; no commission has been named. There have been no public hearings. And as far as we can tell, nobody is in charge.
Has Krugman heard of Jane Jacobs [3]? Does he believe that arguments against central planning [4] have no merit? Or that these arguments apply strictly to national economies and have no relevance to the economies of cities?