Daniel Scarpinato Columnist

It's over. Time is up. The School of Planning will be eliminated despite cries from its leaders, students and renowned planners and development officials all over the state.

Most knew it would happen last semester, but as it lay on the cutting board, the school's supporters crossed their fingers, said their prayers and held out hope that administrators would side with them and keep the budget cut sword far away from Planning.

Now, it looks for sure like Planning will be the main course for dinner.

Planning is a small school, so most don't know it exists on campus, but everyone is certainly conscious of its effects in the real world. The concrete kingdoms we call home and the rural getaways we enjoy depend on the insight and talent of educated planners ÷ many of who hail from our university.

So, what does the eradication of Planning mean?

Well, the short-term effect is easy: The loss of an award-winning, grant-getting department, along with its valuable faculty and future urban developers.

But the imminent elimination of the School of Planning may also mark an end to any possibility for productive city planning in Southern Arizona ÷ particularly our growing metropolis of Tucson.

Just listen to William Kannenn, the county housing authority's executive director. Last week, the Wildcat reported Kannenn saying that "having an institution here locally is very important to the southern portion of this state."

The imminent elimination of the School of Planning may mark an end to any possibility of productive city planning in Southern Arizona

The school's director, Barbara Becker, will tout its positive effects locally as well. And no one's denying those, not even President Peter Likins. There are just more important things to take care of here, UA's top dog argues.

Look ÷ Tucson's an OK place to live. But as it grows, it needs to invest both privately and publicly into healthy development. That's how Tucson will win the fight to be Optics Valley. The success of Tucson as more than just a destination for telemarketing firms and big box retailers rests on making it a livable destination, and in turn, keeping the UA's graduates in town with competitive jobs and salaries.

Sure, that can happen without the School of Planning. But the elimination seems to go against the founding principles of Focused Excellence, Likins' supposedly bold plan to better the university.

The school is good for the UA and for Tucson.

Still, Likins and sidekick Provost George Davis have been slim in their explanations of why the school is up for elimination.

Nevertheless, the School of Planning has fought hard for its survival, and despite its efforts, elimination seems just around the corner.

It goes without saying that the local media should be up in arms over this elimination. After all, they were in the Î90s when then-President Manuel Pacheco and Provost Paul Sypherd toyed with swashing journalism. Now, the media is silent and sometimes praiseworthy.

But just as the School of Planning is out of chances, so is Tucson.

We've voted against roads. We've voted against other transportation solutions. Perhaps locals think growth will just stop.

Make the roads treacherous, the city an asphalt war zone, and outsiders will stay away. Right?

But in spite of everything, the city keeps growing and will keep growing. That's good.

Unfortunately, without the School of Planning, that growth will be fast, unplanned and messy.

Sure, the UA will lose big-time without this valuable program. But as it vanishes silently (and yes, it will vanish), the real loser will be Tucson.

Planning, although already unpopular in a city and state built on western frontier values, will slowly slip away into the desert.

Roads will get more crowded. Rush hour will get longer. And the thousands of graduates the UA produces each year will choose someplace nice to live, taking their degrees with them.

Daniel Scarpinato is a former Daily Wildcat editor in chief and current editor of the Desert Yearbook. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.