Smart Growth In the News

Environmental groups released a "landmark" report about climate change on the steps of the Colorado Capitol building in Denver on Thursday.

Called "Growing Cooler: The Evidence of Urban Development and Climate Change," the 160-page report looks at the relationship between urban development and carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles. The study serves as "a wake-up call" for state leadership to start paying attention to smart growth and development, according to one of its presenters, Colorado District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI Colorado).

Other presenters include Environment Colorado and the Sierra Club.

The study recommends smart-growth policies including legislating for denser, "green" neighborhoods, and making those neighborhoods more available and more affordable.

"The development community can win big by taking advantage of this growing market [for compact development], and will play key role implementing real solutions to climate change," ULI Colorado Executive Director Michael Lucchese said in a statement.

The report shows that if sprawling development continues, total miles driven will increase 59 percent between 2005 and 2030. That jump will overwhelm expected gains from fuel efficiency and low-carbon fuels, according to the study.

Even if the toughest fuel-efficiency standards under consideration are enacted, vehicle emissions still would be 40 percent above those of 1990 in 2030.

"To meet the challenge, we need to start driving down our growth in vehicle emissions, instead of simply driving around the problem," Pam Kiely, Environment Colorado's land use advocate, said in a statement.