HISKES: 10 ways cities and towns can kick the offshore-oil habit.

While Louisville and Southern Indiana citizens await the results of a dance contest between Wall Street honchos, foreign investors, special interest lobbyists, and an "authority" with little transportation and community development expertise, even less diversity, and no public accountability as part of a financial process that's already five years behind in service to a project that, according to current schedules, won't be finished until approximately 2030 making it even more outdated and unsustainable upon completion than when originally imagined, other local governments are rapidly moving forward with more cost effective, long-term solutions.

HISKES: 10 ways cities and towns can kick the offshore-oil habit

With the Gulf oil spill continuing unabated, powering a 21st century economy on a 19th century fossil fuel looks less and less smart by the day.

Luckily, we've got other options. I described the most promising steps the federal government could take toward reducing oil use in transportation systems last week. But local governments don't have to wait for federal action. Through smart land use, cities, towns, and many rural areas can give residents the option of driving less -- a direct way to stem the demand for offshore (and foreign) oil.

I spoke with leaders of the Smart Growth movement, along with advocates for economic justice, to learn about solutions that don't require new technology and, in many cases, pay for themselves.