Is New Urbanism The Way To A Green Future?

"The dominant pattern of development in America — large houses and sprawling, auto-dependent suburbs — requires a heavy input of fossil fuels and an output of carbon emissions. The adoption of cleaner technologies will take us part of the way, but what we really need to do is change our habitat, not just for the environmental benefits, but for our health, lifestyle and happiness."

"For most Americans outside a handful of urban areas, not driving is not an option. But auto addiction takes a hidden toll. There's health: The average American walks as little as four minutes a day, in part because little is within walking distance. That sedentariness has contributed to the rise in obesity over recent decades. Next is the theft of time: More driving means more hours in the car, especially with traffic worsening. The population of extreme commuters — those who travel 90 minutes or more each way — has hit 3.5 million, double the number in 1990. But the worst effects — the ones that affect us all — are environmental. As long as the car is central to the American lifestyle — one we're in the process of exporting to developing countries like China — making the necessary, drastic cuts in carbon emissions will be very difficult. 'What is causing global warming is the lifestyle of the American middle class,' says Duany. 'It's terrible for nature and for humans.'"