Joel S. Hirschhorn

The current tsunami disaster should cause serious rethinking of seaside development for all coastal locations, but there is little evidence that it will. When people and developers refuse to see the folly of living at the water's edge, then government must step in and effectively protect people from themselves and nature from people.

Though smart growth and new urbanism have different origins, constituencies, and tactics, the leaders of these movements must identify how they complement one another. Both have strong common enemies, and to succeed, both must accept the truth that continuing population growth requires major new housing in both suburbs and cities.

Transportation has become far too important to be steered by people who prefer the existing automobile-dominated system. The governance issue of how to effectively broaden the basis of transportation policy to overcome the 'stove-pipe' structure of government and public policy must be addressed.

In the war on sprawl, the smart growth movement cannot directly compete with the powerful and well-funded sprawl lobby. But it is folly to ignore the sprawl lobby and its commitment to sustain the sprawl status quo.

Sprawl is reaching military installations and threatening the nation's defense capabilities.