In the category of  “new information that underscores common sense”, check out the new report by the Urban Land Institute and Smart Growth America “Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change” . The report offers compellling new evidence that changing the way we live may offer one of the biggest opportunities to slow global warming. We all know that we need to improve the fuel efficiency of our cars, switch to compact flourescents in our homes, push for transit….but all of these individual changes will not be sufficient if we keep increasing the number of cars on the road and the miles driven. The solution: change our urban growth and land use patterns to reduce the transportation and energy requirements up front. 

 The data in the report is compelling:

“Two-thirds of development expected to be on the ground in 2050 is not yet built, meaning that the potential for change is profound. The authors calculate that shifting 60 percent of new growth to compact patterns would save 85 million tons of CO2 annually by 2030. The savings over that period equate to a 28 percent increase in federal vehicle efficiency standards by 2020 (to 32 mpg).”

While urgent, the message is hopeful. More compact and walkable communities are showing steady and strong consumer interest and people living in such neighborhoods already do drive less.

Filed under: I'On Group, Urban Sustainability on October 3rd, 2007