Quit Sprawling = Less Driving + Less Warming

As a newly published research project published by the Urban Land Institute points out, improving vehicle efficiency alone won’t make a dent in the United States’ role in global warming.

Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, a 172-page book sponsored by the Urban Land Institute, Smart Growth America, the Center for Clean Air Policy, and the National Center for Smart Growth, reviews dozens of studies on the connection between urban development and the CO2 emitted by vehicles. The study finds that one of the most effective way to decrease car use and associated greenhouse gas emissions is to develop more compact “green neighborhoods.” People who currently live in such areas drive 1/3 fewer miles on average than those living in the sprawling ‘burbs.

 

In fact, living in a green neighborhood represents a similar reduction in emissions as buying the most efficient hybrid car and living in a typical suburb. Of course the best solution is to drive a super-efficient car and to drive less.

The study advocates a “three-legged stool” approach to reducing CO2: improving fuel efficiency, reducing the carbon content of the fuel itself, and reducing the amount of driving. According to lead author Reid Ewing, “the research shows that one of the best ways to reduce vehicle travel is to build places where people can accomplish more with less driving.”

The book finds that the amount Americans drive has grown three times faster than the U.S. population since 1980. This increase in miles driven negates any improvement we might make in fuel economy. Urban sprawl is the culprit, and well thought out communities are the solution.