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All\\xa0the\\xa0buzz\\xa0is about Arlington, Virginia, these days -- the Washington, DC suburb has seen its population rise and its car traffic drop at the same time. How did they do it? It could be a lesson for Palo Alto, California, which is\\xa0considering various growth proposals, including one that would invite greater density as long as it comes with no additional driving, carbon emissions, or water use.\\xa0

Denser, more transit-oriented development would be a big win for Palo Alto, but ironically, California\'s environmental law has long penalized projects like that for diminishing "level of service" for vehicle traffic.\\xa0A new basketball stadium came to the rescue, however, and\\xa0the state has dumped level of service\\xa0as a metric for judging development projects. That change could potentially slow down highways like "level of service" used to slow down\\xa0smart growth and transit projects. It\'s a whole new world.

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