Angie Schmitt looks at the greenwash being applied to new sprawl developments in Ohio, Indiana, and Texas as developers market to consumer preferences for more walkable urban environments.
On Schmitt's radar are The Lakes of Orange, outside Cleveland ("Ohio's FIRST Green Certified Residential Community"), Saxony, outside Indianapolis, and The Bridgelands, far outside of Houston, which make varying dubious environmental claims in their marketing materials in order to respond to changing tastes.
Although "many of these new housing developments - to be fair - are real improvements over their 1990s counterparts," Schmitt looks beyond the greenwash to see that "any environmental savings these developments produce will likely be eclipsed by their near-total dependence on auto travel, which accounts for almost a third of Americans' energy use."
"The Lakes of Orange is on the undeveloped periphery of Cleveland - a shrinking city surrounded by a shrinking metro area. Literally 30,000 vacant homes that are already served by sewer, roads and water, sit closer to retail and work, accessible to the region's transit system."
While LEED-ND is intended to encourage more sustainable development patterns by awarding points for infill development and rehabbing existing buildings, only four or five projects have achieved certification.
"So when will we see a new 'Lakes of Orange' or ‘The Bridgelands' in a sustainable location with multiple transportation options and a LEED-ND seal? And when will that become the norm, not the exception? It's going to take a rethinking of the financial and regulatory incentives that favor sprawl, as well as increased awareness of what makes development truly sustainable - and that includes location efficiency, not just green roofs and compact fluorescent lightbulbs," concludes Schmitt.
FULL STORY: The Greenwashing of Sprawl
The Natalist Case For Sprawl (And Why It Fails)
Some commentators defend anti-urban government policies such as exclusionary zoning on the basis that homeowning suburbanites have high birth rates. But this doesn't seem to be true in recent decades.
Density and Disorder: The Imaginary Link
A recent article tries to tie public transit and walkability to social disorder — but in fact, sprawling Sunbelt cities like Memphis are as likely to have high crime rates as transit-rich metropolises such as New York and San Francisco.
How Autonomous Cars Can Induce Sprawl and Sabotage Climate Goals
Robotaxis can lead to longer, more frequent trips and are projected to increase VMT by as much as 83 percent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
Rethinking Computing: Researchers Tackle AI’s Energy Demands
USC researchers are reimagining how AI systems are trained and powered — through smarter algorithms, innovative hardware, and brain-inspired designs — to dramatically reduce computing’s energy footprint.
Amazon-Owned Robotaxis to Begin Testing in LA
Los Angeles will become the sixth city where Zoox is testing its autonomous vehicle technology.
New York MTA Says No More Borrowing, Will Cut Costs Instead
The agency says it won’t take out any new loans to finance its planned improvements and is finding other ways to cut costs.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions