It has become a cliché of city planners to blame the woes of the urban world on the automobile. But the much-abused automobile is beginning to find a few champions in important places. New York City's new Planning Commission chairman, Architect William F. R. Ballard, 58, celebrated his appointment by sounding off loud and clear in defense of the auto. "The better and fuller life includes the free use of the automobile," he said. "Planners who try to discourage its use make me sick. I believe in direct transportation."
In its current issue, ARCHITECTURAL FORUM disassociates itself from the notion...