Ryan Avent examines how sprawling development in the Sun Belt is changing communities while perpetuating an increasingly unsustainable method of growth. (Beta Culture 11)

A group of scientists in Ann Arbor are studying how exurban communities could become more environmentally efficient through better land use decisions. (Ann Arbor News — Tracy Davis)

The California State Legislature is seeking to make the obvious connection between land use decisions, transportation, and climate change by voting on a law that would limit carbon emissions by curbing sprawl. (Los Angeles Times — Margot Roosevelt)

Planners and politicians in southern Maine are taking a first look at transit-oriented development, and with high gas prices shifting priorities for many residents, they are starting to like what they see. (Portland Press Herald — Tom Bell)

S.F. Post’s editorial board says that Californians need to understand the connection between land use decisions, congestion, and greenhouse gases, and backs a proposal by state senator Darrell Steinberg to require that regional and local transportation plans include reports on the impact of greenhouse gases.