Data from three U.S. metro areas show a failure to address land use and sprawl as a key factor driving climate change.
A report from Rushaine Goulbourne and Jenny Schuetz provides a model for climate-friendly housing development in Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., three metro areas with different urban development patterns. The report notes that "over the past 30 years, most new homes in these metro areas have been built in suburban and exurban communities, with single-family homes making up roughly 70% of new homes—exactly the opposite of climate-friendly growth." But since 2005, multi-family units have started overtaking single-family construction, signaling a shift toward denser, more accessible developments. The authors recommend strategies including infill development that will put people closer to jobs and services and enable a 'car-light lifestyle.'
According to the report, "In Chicago and Washington, D.C., homes built in the urban core and along key transit spokes that connect to large suburban job centers create the greatest opportunity for non-car-dependent commutes. However, in the Atlanta metro area, nearly two-thirds of MARTA stations are located within the city of Atlanta, providing limited connections to major suburban job centers."
While most land use decisions are made at the local and state level, the authors note, the federal government can encourage more sustainable development by enacting rules that connect land use to transit funding and providing grants to boost transit.
Which US cities have the most housing near transit?
Concentrating housing near frequent, reliable transit offers advantages to both residents and transit agencies, who can serve more riders more efficiently.
Study: Clarifying California’s Vague Definition of Transit Stops Could Make 1.3M Acres Eligible for Density Bonuses
According to researchers, no California jurisdictions are using the broadest possible definition of a transit stop.
Study: Nearly Half of Portland TOD Residents Commute by Transit
People living in transit-oriented developments are more likely to ditch the car and opt for transit or walking, new research shows.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association