In this paper, a new strategy is proposed for decentralized state feedback design with overlapping information structure constraints. The method combines linear matrix inequalities and the inclusion principle in a way that eliminates controllability problems that are inherent to standard decentralized control design in the expanded space. This approach can be extended to include an important class of uncertain nonlinearities, and its validity is demonstrated through applications to strings of moving vehicles. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.