Dense, Mixed-Use Development Is Vital to Reducing Transportation Emissions

This post is the second in a series on transportation system efficiency. The first post focused on policies to support mass transit, walking, and biking.
 
Dense, mixed-use neighborhoods that combine affordable housing, workplaces, and amenities can reduce climate pollution from cars and improve residents’ sense of community. But policymakers have often pursued land use that has instead encouraged car-dependent housing in sprawling suburbs while underinvesting in transit and other forms of low-carbon transportation like biking and walking. This leads to higher transportation cost burdens for many low-income families.