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Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change
In Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, a 2007 book published by the Urban Land Institute, a team of leading urban planning researchers report that the key to mitigating climate change is less auto-dependent development, and that key changes in land development patterns could help reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.
Meeting the growing demand for conveniently located homes in walkable neighborhoods could significantly reduce the growth in the number of miles Americans drive, shrinking the nation's carbon footprint while giving people more housing choices, according to a team of leading urban planning researchers.
Researchers warn that if sprawling development continues to fuel growth in driving, the projected 59 percent increase in the total miles driven between 2005 and 2030 will overwhelm expected gains from vehicle efficiency and low-carbon fuels. Even if the most stringent fuel-efficiency proposals under consideration are enacted, notes co-author Steve Winkelman, ''vehicle emissions still would be 40 percent above 1990 levels in 2030 -- entirely off-track from reductions of 60-80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 required for climate protection.''
''Curbing emissions from cars depends on a three-legged stool: improved vehicle efficiency, cleaner fuels, and a reduction in driving,'' said lead author Reid Ewing, Research Professor at the National Center for Smart Growth, University of Maryland. ''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.''
Depending on several factors, from mix of land uses to pedestrian-friendly design, compact development reduces driving from 20 to 40 percent, and more in some instances, according to the forthcoming book Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change. Typically, Americans living in compact urban neighborhoods where cars are not the only transportation option drive a third fewer miles than those in automobile-oriented suburbs, the researchers found.
At the same time, the book documents market research showing a majority of future housing demand lies in smaller homes and lots, townhouses, and condominiums in neighborhoods where jobs and activities are close at hand. The researchers note that demographic changes, shrinking households, rising gas prices, lengthening commutes and cultural shifts all play a role in that demand.
From the Executive Summary
The phrase ''you can't get there from here'' has a new application. For climate stabilization, a commmonly accepted target would require the United States to cut its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 60 to 80 percent as of 2050, relative to 1990 levels. Carbon dioxide levels have been increasing rapidly since 1990, and so would have to level off and decline even more rapidly to reach this target level by 2050.
Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change demonstrates that the U.S. transportation sector cannot do its fair share to meet this target through vehicle and fuel technology alone. We have to find a way to sharply reduce the growth in vehicle miles driven across the nation's sprawling urban areas, reversing trends that go back decades.
Growing Cooler is based on an exhaustive review of existing research on the relationship between urban development, travel, and the CO2 emitted by motor vehicles. It provides evidence on and insights into how much transportation-related CO2 savings can be expected with compact development, how compact development is likely to be received by consumers, and what policy changes will make compact development possible.
Several related issues are not fully examined in this publication. These include the energy savings from more efficient building types, the value of preserved forests as carbon sinks, and the effectiveness of pricing strategies -- such as tolls, parking charges, and mileage-based fees -- when used in conjunction with compact development and expanded transportation alternatives.
The term ''compact development'' does not imply high-rise or even uniformly high density, but rather higher average ''blended'' densities. Compact development also features a mix of land uses, development of strong population and employment centers, interconnection of streets, and the design of structures and spaces at a human scale.
Read more at the resource link below.
Resource: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/gcindex.html
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