Speaking at the council's annual State of the Region Address, Ventura lauded the communities for their leadership in seeking new ways to grow. Ventura called the awards, part of the Met Council's new Smart Growth Twin Cities initiative, an opportunity for communities to develop according to the wishes of their residents -- as the governor said, ``by choice, not by chance.''

The six projects, called ``smart-growth opportunity sites,'' include two in St. Paul -- the Harriet Island-District del Sol Urban Village and a joint venture with Maplewood in Hillcrest Village. Others include transit-oriented business and residential district developments in Brooklyn Center, Chaska, Ramsey and St. Anthony Village.

The Harriet Island-District del Sol Urban Village proposal calls for a mixed-use neighborhood on St. Paul's West Side, with residential densities of up to 30 units per acre mixed with business and recreational uses. The proposal sought planning and design assistance from the council. No dollar amounts were given.

The Hillcrest Village proposal calls for an urban village development near the intersection of White Bear and Larpenteur avenues. The proposal asked for $35,000 for several market and land-use studies, with a $17,500 match from both Maplewood and St. Paul.

The St. Anthony Village proposal seeks $170,000 to help with the redevelopment of the aging, underused Apache Plaza shopping center. The plan calls for the mall to be redeveloped into a mixed-use ``suburban village.'' The area would be developed to incorporate commercial, light-industrial and residential uses while allowing better pedestrian and transit access. The city has agreed to match $150,000 of the grant.

Peter Calthorpe, a nationally known urban design consultant and architect, will provide development designs for the six communities. Calthorpe, who also spoke during the State of the Region program, told the crowd at the Minneapolis Midtown YWCA that the understanding and acceptance of Smart Growth policies such as compact development and efficient use of roads and other infrastructure is growing.

Metropolitan Council Chairman Ted Mondale, who delivered the State of the Region Address, agreed. ``The debate in the region has changed to not whether the communities will do this, but how,'' Mondale said.

The six opportunity sites are meant to provide answers to that question.

In his speech, Mondale pointed to the Smart Growth initiative and other factors as signs that the region is on the right track.

At the first State of the Region program last year, Ventura basically told the Metro Council to ``shape up or ship out,'' Mondale recalled. Since then, he said, the council has focused its mission, emphasizing problem-solving over regulation.

Mondale also highlighted the council's efforts to encourage more affordable housing in the region and criticized a television news report that placed blame for escalating housing costs on council policies on extending urban services at the metropolitan fringe.

The Builders Association of the Twin Cities also believes that the council's policies are to blame for the rising cost of developable land. The association contends the council has underestimated the amount of land available for development and has not ensured that cities conform to the housing densities outlined in their comprehensive plans. The association also says some of the council's policies ignore homebuyers' preferences for single-family homes on medium or large lots.

Mondale and Calthorpe insist that the economy, not the land supply, shoulders much of the blame for rising costs. Rapid job growth and rising wages over the past decade have pushed demand for homes -- even expensive ones -- ever higher, they said.

The same things have happened in cities where growth is not limited by an urban-services boundary, Calthorpe said. The real problem is not the amount of land available, but how it is used. Instead of large-lot, single-family subdivisions, far removed from retail centers and transit hubs, communities should focus on developments that integrate different types of housing, businesses and transportation alternatives, Calthorpe said.

``The fundamentals of how we live have changed,'' he said, ``and yet our zoning codes have not caught up with these changes. The stuff we have on our books is outdated.''