Hmm, interesting, I seem to encounter this on other sustainability related boards/listservs, the clash between people seeing possibilities, solutions, and those that think we're either doomed or need to entirely shift how we function on the planet, yesterday.
I'd prefer to sidestep that for the moment, bringing it back to the original intent of this thread. I recently moved to a small but vibrant and growing town of 12000 called Grass Valley, in California. There's a proposed development that seems to be hitting many good points, with housing laid out in such a way to encourage more community, and resources and businesses within 5 minutes walk from anywhere in the development, enough so that people need not get in their car and drive elsewhere for their needs. The properties offered will be of differing styles and costs to encourage a mixed community, each built with greater sustainability in mind. There will be an organic farm (already in operation now) on site to provide produce.
Now there are some that say why build it at all, it's increasing the population here. I'd counter that Grass Valley is drawing people no matter what the housing allotment is, the only way to eliminate people wanting to move here is to make it an unpleasant place to live, not likely to happen soon, so why not develop a healthy, life giving, environmentally friendly development, one that will be slowly rolled out, within a confined area, over 10-15 years?
See it for yourself at
Loma Rica