What does it mean to plan in New York? It means accounting for demographic and economic shifts of the past few decades, working with a metropolitan area with such a wide variety of backgrounds and political viewpoints that it's impossible to accommodate everyone, and coming to terms with the realization that the self-styled center of the universe may not be the best model of smart growth and community-conscious planning. Regional Plan Association director Robert Yaro discusses this in light of a population explosion that continues to test the limits of NYC's existing infrastructure and shortage of available land.