Better Living through Discussion

So I've been following Michelle Kaufmann's blog for a few months now - her approach to sustainable architecture makes me want to work for or with her *sooo* badly; but the thousand+ miles between Texas and Cali makes it a bit hard.  

There's a recent post about an ecosalon - a discussion group of like-minded folks talking about sustainable things... in this case sustainable communities.  She does a good job of summerizing the discussion and calls out a good question: how do you explain the benifits of a human and earth sustainable living arrangement?  

I think the better question is how do we declaim how much value sustainable living can have for the mass of people who just want a quiet cul-de-sac (avoiding traffic - minimized car requirement), little yard for kids to play in (community, rooftop and micro parks), friendly neighbors who can be shut out completely (sound-proof shared walls), shopping, community & civic centers nearby (pedestrian friendly streets).  

In short - how do we bring the masses a message that the suburban ideal... isn't all that ideal? And, how can we create sustainably DENSE living arrangement for thousands that  can not degenerate into a slum?  Yes I said slum - people have *long* held the impression that dense living was for the very poor.  Wealth is expressed by land-ownership... the more the better.  It is this fundamental mind-set from our frontier and settler past that we fight against today when convincing people that the New Urban designs are better than the 'house in the country'.