Yesterday, on the heels of the Wall Street bailout and hours before the final presidential debate, policymakers, community and business leaders, activists and citizens gathered in six cities across the country to call on the next President and Congress to strengthen our economy by building a 21st Century transportation system. They were joined by more … Continued
New book documents how key changes in land development patterns could help reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions
UPDATE: Projected 2030 VMT, 2030 vehicle emissions, and potential CO2 savings updated below in bold to match the published version of the book.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Meeting the growing demand for conveniently located homes in walkable neighborhoods could significantly reduce the growth in the number of miles Americans drive, shrinking the nation’s carbon footprint while giving people more housing choices, according to a team of leading urban planning researchers.
In a comprehensive review of dozens of studies, published by the Urban Land Institute, the researchers conclude that urban development is both a key contributor to climate change and an essential factor in combating it.
While we have our offices here in Washington, D.C., we try our best not to come at things with a DC-centric focus, thinking “outside the Beltway.” So pardon me for just a moment while we toot the horn of our hometown. It may be local for us, but it’s certainly national in significance, representing an … Continued
There is a fascinating story on the cover of this month’s Wired Magazine about Shai Aggasi and Better Place, Inc., and his out-of-this-world plan to turn the car industry as we know it on its head. His plan is essentially to replace the car as the primary commodity being sold by automakers, and turn them … Continued
“All the traditions of our past, all the lessons of our heritage, all the promises of our future point to another path, the path of common purpose and the restoration of American values. That path leads to true freedom for our Nation and ourselves. We can take the first steps down that path as we … Continued
Guest post by Barbara McCann, coordinator of the National Complete Streets Coalition A new poll out from AARP documents how incomplete streets are making it tough for older Americans to avoid paying the high price of gasoline. Almost 40 percent of those polled say they don’t have adequate sidewalks in their neighborhood, 55 percent say … Continued
You may have seen oilman T. Boone Pickens around lately. If not, then you haven’t turned on your television, radio, or opened a newspaper in the last few weeks. He’s been touting his new Pickens Plan nonstop to nearly any outlet that will listen, taking out full-page ads in newspapers from coast to coast and … Continued
Just for fun and in the same vein as last year’s post about Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman loving life in downtown Buffalo, I noticed this story about some other professional athletes eschewing what perhaps most would expect to describe the lifestyle of a professional athlete — drive an expensive vehicle and live in a … Continued
Good story today in the Washington Post as part of their ongoing “Oil Shock” series, with this one focusing on the consumer impacts of rising prices. If it’s not already, this is beginning to sound like the theme of 2008, as rising energy prices are like a rudder in the water turning the ship of … Continued
The students who live 100 yards from the school are probably still driving to this mega-campus. Around 30 to 40 years ago, the percentage of kids that walked to school was around 60-70 percent. Go into a room of older adults and ask them to raise their hands if they walked to elementary or middle … Continued