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)

On the New York Times Freakonimics blog, a host of experts wonder aloud what America’s suburbs will look like in 40 years, and come to some vastly different conclusions.

High gas prices are forcing commuters, planners, transportation experts, and others in the Washington D.C. area to rethink the manner in which suburbs are being designed — and pushing many potential home buyers to live closer to urban centers. (Washington Post — Eric Weiss)

Gas prices and the housing crisis have jolted Americans awake — and made many reconsider whether their suburbs should be built as car-centered, sprawling landscapes or walkable, cohesive communities. (USA Today — Haya El Nasser)

The combined effects of the housing crisis and fuel price explosion has made single-family units in far-off suburbia seem a lot less appealing, and the real estate market is feeling the heat. (Christian Science Monitor — Michael Farrell)

Inexpensive land and inexpensive fuel may have helped create sprawl, but a shift in global markets is changing that paradigm — and may very well change the way we build our communities. (U.S. News and World Report — Brett Schulte)

The numbers from Business Week back up what many of us already know — home prices near the center of big cities have stayed relatively stable, but homeowners in suburban or exurban communities are facing massive loss of value. (Business Week — Prashant Gopal)

New U.S. Census shows reversal in population trend — big cities in the Midwest like Minneapolis and St. Paul, which had been decreasing in population throughout the decade, are now gaining new residents from some of their outer ring suburbs. (Minneapolis Star Tribune — David Peterson)

Suburbs hit hard by foreclosures and fuel prices, while planners and developers are looking for ways to accommodate growing interest around urban centers. (Reuters — Helen Chernikoff)

Joel Kotkin disputes the notion that high gas prices and a slumping housing market will bring a decline in suburban living and rise of the inner city, prompting a response from at least one blogger. (Los Angeles Times — Joel Kotkin)