Meeting demand for conveniently located homes in walkable neighborhoods could significantly reduce the number of miles Americans drive, shrink the nation’s carbon footprint and give people more housing choices, according to a team of urban planning researchers.

In a comprehensive review of dozens of studies, the researchers conclude in a report published by the Urban Land Institute that development patterns are both a key contributor to climate change and an essential factor in combating it.

The report, released in Michigan today by the Michigan Environmental Council, warns that if sprawling development continues to fuel growth in driving, the projected 59 percent increase in the total miles driven between 2005 and 2030 will overwhelm expected gains from vehicle efficiency and low-carbon fuels. The result would be emissions of carbon dioxide that are 41 percent above today’s levels. That would shatter the goal of reducing CO2 emissions to 1990 levels by 2050, according to Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change.

“Many local governments in Michigan – led by the 17 cities that have signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement - have done the right thing in setting aggressive global warming pollution reduction goals,” said Brad Garmon of the Michigan Environmental Council. “But to meet the challenge, we need smart state and local planning incentives that foster communities where people can accomplish more with less driving.”

Michigan residents are driving more than ever before, resulting in increases in vehicle fuel emissions, one of the leading sources of global warming pollution. Spread-out development is the key factor in that rate of growth, the research team found.

The Detroit metropolitan area was the 15th-most sprawling region among more than 80 ranked by the report’s authors. Not surprisingly, vehicle-miles traveled increased by 25 percent in that region between 1992 and 2005.

Grand Rapids was the only other metropolitan region ranked in Michigan, with a sprawl index placing it the 36th-most sprawled out region in the country. Vehicle miles traveled were not available for Grand Rapids.

“West Michigan is prepared to set and achieve significant conservation goals.  The infrastructure to support urban growth is in place.  Policies to support that growth are nearly complete,” said Rachel Hood, executive director of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council.   “What we need now are people ready to take action.  Families need to change their lifestyles and invest in the renewal of our urban core and the decline of energy consumption.”

On average, Americans living in compact neighborhoods where cars are not the only transportation option drive a third fewer miles than those in typical automobile-oriented places, such as subdivisions and office parks, the report found. The report cites real estate projections showing that two-thirds of development expected to be on the ground in 2050 are 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 metric 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), comparable to proposals now being debated in Congress."

The findings show that people who move into compact “green neighborhoods” are making as big a contribution to fighting global warming as those who buy the most efficient hybrid vehicles but remain in car-dependent areas. While demand for such smart-growth development is growing, government regulations, government spending, and transportation policies all still favor sprawling, automobile-dependent development. The paper recommends changes in all three areas to make green neighborhoods more available and more affordable.  It also calls for including smart-growth strategies as a fundamental tenet in climate change plans at the local, state, and federal level.

The study represents collaboration among leading urban planning researchers at the University of Maryland, the University of Utah, Fehr and Peers Associates, the Center for Clean Air Policy and the Urban Land Institute. Smart Growth America coordinated the multi-disciplinary team that developed the recommended policy actions and is leading a broad coalition to develop those strategies further.
 
The executive summary, full white paper, and regional data on VMT growth are available at: www.support.smartgrowthamerica.org

Michigan Mayors who have signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement vow to meet or beat the international Kyoto Protocol targets in their own communities, and to urge state and federal officials to pass laws requiring the same.

They are: John Hieftje, Ann Arbor; John Godfrey III, Battle Creek; Marilyn Stephan, Berkley; Samir Singh, East Lansing; Robert Porter, Ferndale; George Heartwell, Grand Rapids; Albert McGeehan, Holland; Virg Bernero, Lansing; Tom Tourville, Marquette; James Walter, Pittsfield Charter Township; Peter Strazdas, Portage; James Ellison, Royal Oak; Brenda Lawrence, Southfield; Robert Sisson, Sturgis; Lawrence Mawby, Suttons Bay; Cameron Priebe, Taylor and Linda Smyka, Traverse City

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