<p>Economist Jeremy Rifkin warns that unchecked urbanization is fueling unsustainable resource consumption and the destruction of the natural world.</p>
<p>At a recent meeting of the Urban Land Institute, delegates discussed what urban development will look like in the 21st Century -- and what it will need to be successful.</p>
<p>In spite -- or because -- of federal inaction on climate change, dozens of cities and states are taking their own actions on reducing greenhouse gases.</p>
<p>With "localism" being trumpeted by all sides of the political spectrum, maybe it's time to ask if local needs are better served by nation states, writes Doug Saunders.</p>
