Live well, then die off?

Many problems of scarce resources and threatened ecology that are facing us right now are the result of overpopulation. What are we to do? In some ways, I think humans are no different than locusts. That is, we will continue to over-populate our environment to the point that resources cannot sustain us, and there will be a massive and rather rapid die-off until the ecology recovers. Is that our fate? Our only option?
We could regulate our birth rate. Humans know how to do that now, but we have for some time and yet have not demonstrated the ability to intelligently regulate our population.
There is a somewhat extreme position advocating negative population growth until humans are extinct. Although they present an interesting case, I think a better solution would be simply to reduce birth rates and the world's human population to a level that is sustainable and ecologically sound. Don't know what that point is, but perhaps we'll know it when we see it. Maybe not. As mentioned above, we haven't shown such wisdom yet.
In many ways, this isn't simply about "saving the planet" or some such nonsense. Humans evolved on this planet like any other species and deserve to be here like any other. Rather, this is as much a quality of life issue as anything. Wouldn't it be better if the humans that live here have clean air to breath, clean water to drink, and enough food and other resources to sustain them without resorting to aggression? Wouldn't it be better if there was less congestion? Will future generations have a beautiful home or will they be doomed to a Soylent Green-type existence.
At the very least we should strive for zero population growth. We're down to our last 7 billion people. Do we really need to do more than just replace ourselves?