Don't Trust The Natives

An otherwise reasonable Denver Post article on the relationship between density and smart growth stated: "but every now and then nearby residents who loudly protest a proposed project really do understand their long-term interests." 

Maybe they do, but they don't necessarily understand the interests of the city or the state or humanity.  It may be in the interest of a neighborhood's residents to keep  housing scarce, but its not in the interests of the people priced out of that neighborhood.  It may be in the interest of the residents to favor policies that keep the neighborhood car-oriented (e.g. minimum parking requirements) but if those policies mean increased citywide car emissions, it might not be in the interests of the city as a whole (or of broader regions to the extent pollution goes beyond city lines).