ABSTRACT
Increasing the amount of land required for building lots without limiting demand for those lots may only spread the sprawl a little thinner, using up more undeveloped and agricultural land. The local construction of buildings and societies that do or do not take more from the earth than the earth can regenerate. Indeed, the building industry does not do so well at protecting its own "selfish" interests. Building does not rule by fiat but continues to be a central dynamic for communities, shaping local power and the built environment. Localities gain not so much from a particular rule or zoning change or utility control but from a general politics that is skeptical toward development. Once a number of localities establish new rules, especially places regarded as "leading," other localities follow suit. Indeed, sometimes the difference between strict rules and weaker ones is the time frame, and the unanticipated future use of a given land parcel or structure.
