In this article, I argue that local governments have a potentially significant role to play in defining and attaining social, economic and ecological sustainability, but that many local governments lack the legal authority to implement place-based initiatives - including local land-use plans,...

Over the last two years a number of state level initiatives in New York have been announced and enacted to address sustainable development and climate change. For example, Governor Paterson issued a series of executive orders: requiring a new State Energy Plan (which was adopted in December...