Report on "Driving and the Built Environment"

A recent report from the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems (BEES), both subsets of the National Academies, analyzes the effects of compact development on motorized travel, energy use, and carbon dioxide emissions.

The results are presented in a full report (Special Report 298) and a four-page PDF summary.

Quoting from the study overview:

The committee that produced the report estimated that the reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), energy use, and CO2 emissions resulting from more compact, mixed-use development would be in the range of less than 1 percent to 11 percent by 2050, although committee members disagreed about whether the changes in development patterns and public policies necessary to achieve the high end of these estimates are plausible.

TRB will conduct a web briefing or "Webinar" on Wednesday, October 21, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT that will explore Special Report 298: Driving and the Built Environment: The Effects of Compact Development on Motorized Travel, Energy Use, and CO2 Emissions. There is no fee to join this webinar. Space is limited, so they encourage participants to register 24 hours prior to the start of the webinar.