First principle is radical self-reliance.

Making 80,000 people wait for 12 hours in the hot sun to exit BRC just because one silly girl snuck off with her secretive boyfriend was so idiotic that many people just don’t trust the Burning Man Org not to do something else insanely controlling.

Plus giant tropical storm one state over.

Dry lakebed + storm = alkaline skin corroding mud pit ripe for disease catching and spreading. Who needs that shit?

Be de-centralized.

Like art and sculptures? Go to museums.

Like to take drugs and party? Lots of places for that.

Want to build cool shit? Go ahead. Knock yourself out.

Want to have a gift economy? Do a potluck or potlach or charity benefit.

Don’t have to spend thousands of dollars and drive hundreds or thousands of miles just to do it in place that is either dry (in which the sand is toxic and causes lung issues) or wet in which case it’s kind of miserable for most people unless you like handing out in your tent or RV telling stories about past BMs.