Responses such as these are beginning to take shape in the Washington area and elsewhere. Some of the new transportation spending recently approved by Congress will be administered by a metropolitan transportation planning body, compelling cities and suburbs to plan as one. Change still will take leadership and vision. But those virtues have a shot at prevailing now because of interesting new alliances. The public and the business community are increasingly seeing the region as one.
Farmers share with environmentalists a desire to contain sprawl.
With cities and suburbs finding common ground, we may be able to behave more rationally about the care and tending of America's urban areas.