RESOURCES (Travel and the Built Environment,” Journal of the American Planning Association, May 2010) “Mixed-Income Housing Near Transit,” Center for Transit Oriented Development, 2010
corridor to pull in revenue from transient visi- tors. This raises questions about the true environ- mental impacts of even the best planned new urbanist develop- ments. Will the fi nal balance sheet result in a reduced carbon footprint and less intensive travel, or will the community’s re- tail fringe become a commercial destination that gets more people in the region into their cars? Noth- ing’s simple. For those with the staying power (and fi -
nancial clout) to plan and execute brand-new “sustainable” neighborhoods, many more re- sources are available than were 10 years ago. For example, Duany Plater-Zyberk’s Light Imprint handbook, (available free at www.
lightimprint.org) off ers an organizing set of principles for creating a green neighborhood.
Which Transit Modes Work Best? Current housing trends tend to serve one of the smallest (and rapidly shrinking) niches—married families with children. But all indicators point to far more diverse
VENICE, ITALY 1,500 intersections/square mile
LOS ANGELES, CA 150 intersections/square mile
households dominating most fu- ture markets for housing. There’s much greater need for housing close to work centers, multifam- ily units, rentals, and aff ordable housing. One critical aspect to the success of these types of housing, however, is low-cost transporta- tion. But as urban planners try to
minimize automobile use, what’s the best replacement? Bikes? Buses? Trains? Walk- ing trails? The answer, not surprisingly, is “all of the above.” A study by the Urban Land Institute titled “Moving Cooler” (part of the “Land Use & Driving” report) tested nearly 50 transportation strategies and six diff er- ent “strategy bundles,” or combinations of strategies in various regions of the United States. The researchers conclude that “there’s no silver bullet. No one strategy alone reduces greenhouse gas emissions enough to approach reduction targets.” Rather, they note that “when strategies
WHAT’S A YEAR OF DRIVING WORTH? According to the American Public Transportation Association, households could have saved an average of $9,499 in 2008 if they used transit instead of driving, maintaining, parking, and insuring an automobile. That money, the APTA suggests, could instead be used to:
Buy food for a family for a year. Pay off a 30-year $150,000 mortgage 20 years early. Pay for 75% of a health care policy. Pay for community college tuition for two kids. Pay for child care for one year. Buy 3,168 mocha frappuccinos at Starbucks.
Source: American Public Transportation Association, Center For TOD (and HUD)
coalesce, greenhouse gas reductions become signifi cant. The study projects possible national annual greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to 24% below baseline levels in 2050 when a mix of strategies, including land use, is employed at aggressive levels.” The takeaway from these types of studies
is that eff orts to reduce the energy footprint of the automobile will need to be multi- disciplinary. Assuming that a major downsiz- ing in consumer desires and behavior is not yet part of the equation, the next best thing is a combined carrot and stick approach that encourages more effi cient transit without major inconvenience, with the added benefi t of saving them money. GB
IRVINE, CA 15 intersections/square mile
Sometimes, gridlock IS good. A study of pedestraian activity has found that in dense cities with more intersections,
residents do far more of their daily visiting, work, and shopping on foot. The alterna-
tive: places like Irvine, Calif., where autom- biles dictate lifestyle and location. Source: CTOD
38
GreenBuilder July > August 2010
www.greenbuildermag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60