Transportation systems have largely determined our sprawling
land use patterns for the past half-century; land use patterns
that have dramatically increased the number of car miles Americans
drive. As a result, transportation accounts for 65% of the
nation's petroleum consumption and 32% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Smart Growth can reduce our reliance on automobile travel,
which will reduce fuel consumption, dependence on foreign
oil and greenhouse gas emissions. Compact development reduces
the distance that we travel between our daily destinations
- homes, workplaces, restaurants, stores, parks. Mixed-use
communities arrange these destinations together, which further
reduces the length and number of car trips. And the combination
of density and mixed-use creates a built environment that
is more conducive to walking, biking, ride-sharing and mass
transit. |
