These days, we hear a lot about building sustainable communities and what these communities might look like.  Compact, walkable communities with mixed-use development.  Revitalized downtowns.  Sidewalks and bikelanes.   A comprehensive transit system.  

What are local governments doing?  ICMA's 2010 Sustainability Survey of Local Governments (summary results available here) shows that local governments have begun to undertake a range of activities to encourage sustainable land use.  Over 35 percent of local governments have zoning codes that promote mixed-use development, and more than 22 percent permit higher density development where utility or transportation infrastructure is already in place.  Over 60 percent of local governments have added biking and walking trails, 34 percent have expanded bike lanes, and over half require sidewalks in new developments.

Here are a few examples in practice:

Arlington County, Virginia redeveloped Shirlington, a 27-acre highway adjacent site of a former shopping center, into a mixed-use urban village with a bus transfer station connecting it to the larger metro region.  The county amended its Phased Site Development Plan (PDSP) to allow for increased office and residential density and reduced retail space and entered into a public-private partnership with Federal Realty to redevelop the site.  Shirlington is home to a public library, theater, several restaurants, and a grocery store.  There is a 142 room hotel, 60,000 square feet of retail space, 195,000 square feet of office space, and 644 residential units. 

San Antonio, Texas - traditionally a car-dependent city - adopted a Bicycle Master Plan, installed over 200 miles of bike lanes, and, in 2011, launched a bike sharing program.  The bike-sharing program, San Antonio B-cycle, now has 22 stations around the downtown city.

Read more here, in this article from PM Magazine's June 2012 Sustainability issue.