Readers of William R. Travis’ New Geographies of the American West, may have to adopt a new definition of optimist: someone who can do a detailed study of growth and development in the American West and not descend into utter despair.

Ten years ago, Travis edited the useful and humorous Atlas of the New West (where else can you find a map showing western cowboy poetry festivals?). Now, the University of Colorado geographer has undertaken a more serious look at change in the fastest growing region in the United States.

As anyone who has lived in the West for even a short time knows, it’s not a comforting picture:

• The 11 western states (including the coast) grew by 20 percent in the 1990’s, and five of them—Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Idaho—are the fastest growing states in the nation.

• What we often describe as a region of boom and bust pretty much always has boomed and shows no sign of busting anytime soon. Our population grew even during the downturn of the 1980’s and, Travis writes, “the region’s population and economic growth are poised to outpace the nation’s for decades to come.”

• Neither the West’s vast tracts of public that can’t be developed nor its arid climate are going to stop the growth trend. The West’s population will double in the next 40-50 years.

• This rapid, and largely uncontrolled development, Travis writes, is “transforming the West’s emblematic landscapes: its mountain fronts, its great swaths of rangeland, and its desert canyons. At risk is wildlife habitat, biodiversity, nurturing human communities, and the sense of place that comes from the West’s terrain, climate and history…[T]he West is at risk of losing the qualities that make it unique.”

That coarse scale view of western development is a familiar one. But Travis goes far deeper with his analysis of what he calls the West’s “development geographies” – metro areas, exurbs, resort zones and gentrified range – and the forces that are driving growth in each.

The “ultimate enablers” of western development, Travis writes, “are the counties and municipalities, which promote growth as the equivalent of community well-being….” And those enablers are largely unconstrained because of “weak, fractured, and uncoordinated” land use regulation in the region.

How, then to get control of this monster that is devouring the very qualities that make the West such a special place to live?

Travis proposes four strategies:

• Expand land use planning beyond single communities to the regional and landscape level, using multi-jurisdiction organizations such as councils of governments. The Puget Sound Council of Governments is a good model, Travis says.

• Develop land use codes “suited to landscapes and tension zones in the West” that include preservation of natural spaces, wildlife migration routes and stream corridors.

• Bolster public participation in land use planning and encourage more advocacy on its behalf. Travis sees hope in the work of regional smart planning groups like the Sonoran Institute and conservation organizations built around specific landscapes such as the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.

• Make better use of the new tools that are available such as GIS mapping and sophisticated community planning models.

There is, Travis concludes, “still time to alter the settlement trajectory of the West,” but not much.

Tom Kenworthy, who formerly covered the West as a reporter for The Washington Post and USA Today, is a senior fellow at Western Progress, a regional policy institute.