A new report from the Urban Land Institute says that even with increased fuel efficiency in cars, an increasing rate of vehicle miles traveled due to sprawling development will counteract any reductions in emissions.
"An expected 59% increase in the number of miles Americans drive between 2005 and 2030 will outpace any reduction in greenhouse gases from better fuel efficiency of cars and trucks, said a report issued Thursday."
"If there is any hope of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, a key component of greenhouse gases, the nation needs to slow sprawl and build more compact housing, such as lofts atop commercial buildings in downtowns and taller buildings on less land, the report said. It was compiled by the Urban Land Institute and issued by the Michigan Environmental Council."
"The U.S. could save 85 million metric tons of CO every year between now and 2030 by adopting less-sprawling, more-compact types of development."
Read the full story: Continued sprawl will undo cuts in auto emissions, study says
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
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