> There's a real risk in attempting to define exactly what "socially suboptimal" uses for land are. Everyone will have a different opinion on how they want land to be used.
The market is making a decision here via prices, not any centralized power.
It might not be a great analogue, but it's the best one we've got. What people are willing to spend on things, in comparison to each other, is the most direct indicator of aggregate preference within society we have. It's vastly more valid as an indicator than anything generated by any political process.
The market is making a decision here via prices, not any centralized power.