CT Governor Jodi Rell issued an executive order creating a state office to control sprawl and promote more sensible and sustainable growth.

The Hartford Courant cheered the move, with some caveats, in this editorial.

PPS Senior Associate Toni Gold also asks whether the move is a meaningful one in her commentary, "Smart Growth or a Fig Leaf?"

"One of the lures of the outer suburbs is more house -- maybe even one with a big yard -- for less money. But a new study shows that the savings are illusory: The costs of longer commutes are so high that they can outweigh the cheaper mortgage payments.

A study of Washington and 27 other metropolitan areas by the Center for Housing Policy found that the costs of one-way commutes of as little as 12 to 15 miles -- roughly the distance between Gaithersburg and Bethesda -- cancel any savings on lower-priced outer-suburban homes."

The farmers market in Carlisle (MA) is an example of how markets can become an incubator for creative products and marketing ideas hatched by youths.

Because farmers markets are less bureaucratic and less strictly regulated than other sales venues, they provide an ideal venue for young people to try out their sales and marketing skills.
 

A farmers market in Petershead, in the UK, is sponsoring a cycle safety initiative.  Road safety advisors will check bicycles for safety, and will distribute leaflets to kids.

"City biking can be more than bus fumes and potholes; in some metropolitan centers, urban cyclists can enjoy clean bay air, lighted paved routes and even shower stations to rinse off the bike sweat."

Adventure Cycling Association and Bicycling Magazine give the Washington Post their suggestions on the most bike-friendly cities in the country.

The road has set off a rare battle for preservation in a country where big construction projects have long been welcomed as progress and used to grease the wheels of politics.