DEMAND

Effects of the Built Environment 

on Transportation: 

Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas 

Emissions, and Other Factors

TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES:

Effects of the Built Environment on Transportation: 

Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Other Factors

A Study Sponsored by 

U.S. Department of Energy 

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

March 2013 

Prepared by 

CAMBRIDGE SYSTEMATICS

Cambridge, MA 02140 

under subcontract DGJ-1-11857-01 

Technical monitoring performed by 

NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY

Golden, Colorado 80401-3305 

managed by

Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

for the

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Under contract DC-A36-08GO28308 

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States 

Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their 

employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or 

responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, 

product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. 

Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, 

trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, 

recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views 

and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United 

States Government or any agency thereof.
iv

ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES PROJECT

This is one of a series of reports produced as a result of the Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) 

project, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored multi-agency project initiated to identify 

underexplored strategies for abating greenhouse gases and reducing petroleum dependence 

related to transportation. The project was designed to consolidate existing transportation energy 

knowledge, advance analytic capacity-building, and uncover opportunities for sound strategic 

action. 

Transportation currently accounts for 71% of total U.S. petroleum use and 33% of the nation’s 

total carbon emissions. The TEF project explores how combining multiple strategies could 

reduce GHG emissions and petroleum use by 80%. Researchers examined four key areas – lightduty vehicles, non-light-duty vehicles, fuels, and transportation demand – in the context of the 

marketplace, consumer behavior, industry capabilities, technology and the energy and 

transportation infrastructure. The TEF reports support DOE long-term planning. The reports 

provide analysis to inform decisions about transportation energy research investments, as well as 

the role of advanced transportation energy technologies and systems in the development of new 

physical, strategic, and policy alternatives. 

In addition to the DOE and its Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, TEF 

benefitted from the collaboration of experts from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and 

Argonne National Laboratory, along with steering committee members from the Environmental

Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, academic institutions and industry 

associations. More detail on the project, as well as the full series of reports, can be found 

at http://www.eere.energy.gov/analysis/transportationenergyfutures. 

Contract Nos. 

DC-A36-08GO28308 and DE-AC02-06CH11357
v 

AVAILABILITY

This report is available electronically at http://www.osti.gov/bridge

Available for a processing fee to 

U.S. Department of Energy and its 

contractors, in paper form, from: 

U.S. Department of Energy 

Office of Scientific and Technical 

Information

P.O. Box 62 

Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0062 

phone: 865.576.8401 

fax: 865.576.5728 

email: reports@adonis.osti

Available for sale to the public, 

in paper form, from:

U.S. Department of Commerce 

National Technical Information Service

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

phone: 800.553.6847 

fax: 703.605.6900 

email: orders@ntis.fedworld.gov 

online 

ordering: http://www.ntis.gov/help/ordermet

hods.aspx 

CITATION

Please cite as follows:

Porter, C.D.; Brown, A.; Dunphy, R.T.; Vimmerstedt, L. (March 2013). Effects of the Built 

Environment on Transportation: Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Other Factors.

Transportation Energy Futures Series. Prepared by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory 

(Golden, CO) and Cambridge Systematics, Inc. (Cambridge, MA), for the U.S. Department of 

Energy, Washington, DC. DOE/GO-102013-3703. 91 pp.
vi

REPORT CONTRIBUTORS AND ROLES

National Renewable Energy Laboratory 

Austin Brown Co-lead

Laura Vimmerstedt Co-lead

Cambridge Systematics 

Christopher D. Porter Primary author

Consultant 

Robert T. Dunphy Contributing author 
vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are grateful to colleagues who reviewed portions or the entirety of this report in draft form, 

including: 

Lee Cook, Group Manager, Transportation and Regional Program Division, U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) 

John Davies, Environmental Protection Specialist, Sustainable Transport and Climate Change 

Team, Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. 

Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) 

Elizabeth Deakin, Professor of City, Regional Planning and Urban Design, University of 

California, Berkeley

Art Rypinski, Economist, Office of the Secretary, U.S. DOT

Mark Simons, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, EPA 

John Thomas, Director, Community Assistance and Research Division Office of Sustainable 

Communities, EPA

Diane Turchetta, Transportation Specialist, Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team, 

Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. DOT 

Participants in an initial Transportation Energy Futures scoping meeting in June 2010 – 

representing the U.S. Department of Energy and national laboratories – assisted by formulating 

innovative and timely ideas to consider for the project. Steering Committee members and 

observers offered their thoughtful perspective on transportation analytic research needs as well as 

insightful comments on an initial Transportation Energy Futures work plan in a December 2010 

meeting, and periodic teleconferences through the project. 

Many analysts and managers at the U.S. Department of Energy played important roles in 

sponsoring this work and providing valuable guidance. From the Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Sam Baldwin and Carla Frisch provided leadership in conceptualizing the 

project, and Seth Federspiel provided technical review. A core team of analysts collaborated 

closely with the national lab team throughout implementation of the project. These included: 

Jacob Ward and Philip Patterson (now retired), Vehicle Technologies Office 

Tien Nguyen and Fred Joseck, Fuel Cell Technologies Office

Zia Haq, Kristen Johnson, and Alicia Lindauer-Thompson, Bioenergy Technologies Office

The national lab project management team consisted of Austin Brown, Project Lead, and Laura 

Vimmerstedt, Project Manager (from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory); and Tom 

Stephens, Argonne Lead (from Argonne National Laboratory). Data analysts, life cycle 

assessment analysts, managers, contract administrators, administrative staff, and editors at both 

labs offered their dedication and support to this effort. 

ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... x

List of Tables............................................................................................................................. x

Acronyms ................................................................................................................................. xi

Executive Summary.................................................................................................................. 1

1. Introduction......................................................................................................................... 5

2. Characterizing Urban Form and the Built Environment ................................................... 7

2.1. Local/Neighborhood-Level Characterization .............................................................. 7

2.2. Regional-Level Characterization................................................................................ 8

3. Impacts of Urban Form and the Built Environment ........................................................12

3.1. Travel, Energy Use, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions .............................................12

3.2. Economic Impacts ...................................................................................................21

3.3. Other Factors...........................................................................................................22

4. Analysis Methods..............................................................................................................28

4.1. “Four-Step” and Other Travel Demand Models ........................................................29

4.2. Transportation Land-Use Models.............................................................................31

4.3. 4-D Methods............................................................................................................32

4.4. Land-Use Scenario Planning Tools..........................................................................33

4.5. Municipal Transportation and Greenhouse Gas (MUNTAG) Model..........................34

4.6. Moving Cooler Method Based on CUTR VMT Forecasting Model............................35

4.7. Housing and Transportation Affordability Index........................................................36

4.8. Analysis of the National Household Travel Survey...................................................36

4.9. Structural Equations Modeling .................................................................................37

4.10. Discrete and Discrete-Continuous Choice Models ...................................................38

4.11. Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) Methods....................................................................39

5. Factors That Influence Urban Form .................................................................................41

5.1. Demographic, Social, Economic, Technological, and Policy Drivers ........................41

5.2. Decision-Making Processes.....................................................................................44

5.3. Historical Examples of Energy and GHG Goals and Programs for Urban Planning..45

5.4. Smart Growth Opportunities ....................................................................................49

6. Federal Actions That Might Influence Urban Form.........................................................51

6.1. Historical Influences................................................................................................. 51

6.2. Current Federal Actions...........................................................................................54

6.3. Potential Federal Opportunities................................................................................56

7. Additional Analysis...........................................................................................................62

7.1. Technical Issues......................................................................................................62

7.2. Modeling and Assessment Tools .............................................................................63

7.3. Effects of Federal Policy on Urban Form ................................................................. 64

8. Conclusions.......................................................................................................................65

Appendix. Literature Review ..................................................................................................69

References ..............................................................................................................................82
x

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 3.1. Private VKT per capita versus urban density...........................................................18

Figure 3.2. Car ownership versus urban density .......................................................................18

Figure 3.3. Vehicle trips per capita versus income ....................................................................19

Figure 3.4. Comparison of CO2 emission rates for transient versus smooth driving ..................20

LIST OF TABLES

Table ES.1. Comparison of Studies on Land Use and GHG Reduction....................................... 3

Table ES.2. Opportunity Matrix for Built Environment Strategies................................................. 4

Table 2.1. Sprawl Indicators........................................................................................................ 9

Table 3.1. VMT Forecasts by Census Tract Density ................................................................. 12

Table 3.2. Comparison of Studies on Land Use and GHG Reduction .......................................14

Table 3.3. Mode Share by Census Tract Density, All Trips .......................................................16

Table 3.4. VMT Elasticities with Respect to Built Environment Variables ..................................16

Table 3.5. Water and Sewer Costs per New Dwelling Unit........................................................22

Table 3.6. Local Road Costs per Person...................................................................................23

Table 3.7. Unit Residential Infrastructure Costs by Density Group ............................................23

Table 4.1. Summary of Tools and Methods for Assessing Travel, Energy, and GHG Impacts 

of Urban Form .........................................................................................................28

Table 5.1. Projected Housing Demand and Density in 2025 versus 2003 ................................. 44

Table 6.1. The Top 10 Influences on the American Metropolis of the Past 50 Years.................51

Table 6.2. Examples of Existing Federal Actions.......................................................................57

Table 6.3. Strategy Assessment for Federal Policy and Program Options................................. 58

Table 6.4. Opportunity Matrix for Built Environment Strategies .................................................61
xi 

ACRONYMS

3 Ds density, diversity, and design 

CNT Center for Neighborhood Technology 

CO2 carbon dioxide 

CO2e carbon dioxide equivalent 

CTOD Center for Transit-Oriented Development

CUTR Center for Urban Transportation Research

DOE U.S. Department of Energy 

DOT department of transportation (state or regional) 

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

FTA Federal Transit Administration

GHG greenhouse gas 

GMA Growth Management Act (state)

HUD U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 

LCA life-cycle assessment

mpg miles per gallon

MPO metropolitan planning organization 

MSA metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area 

NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program

NHTS National Household Travel Survey

OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory 

ppsm persons per square mile 

RCLCO Robert Charles Lesser & Co.

SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 

Users of 2005

TAZ traffic analysis zone

TCRP Transit Cooperative Research Program

TEF Transportation Energy Futures 

TIGER Census files: topologically integrated geographic encoding and referencing

TIGER U.S. DOT’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program

TOD transit-oriented development 

TRB Transportation Research Board of the National Academies

U.S. DOT U.S. Department of Transportation 

UA urbanized area

UC urban cluster

VKT vehicle-kilometers of travel

VMT vehicle-miles of travel

VTPI Victoria Transport Policy Institute

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

Designing the Built Environment to Reduce Energy Use and Emissions 

Urban form has evolved in response to a variety of demographic, social, economic, technological, and 

policy drivers. While direct authority over land use resides primarily at the local level, the federal 

government’s transportation and housing policies have indirectly influenced the built environment. These 

policies accelerated mid- and late-20th century trends of decentralization and declines in population 

density that were driven by increasing automotive mobility and the post-World War II baby boom. 

Suburbanization now shows some signs of slowing or reversing in response to demographic, economic, 

and cultural changes, renewing interest in smaller homes in urban settings. Local governments are 

increasingly implementing smart growth policies in attempts to manage growth and land use change, and 

constrain sprawl, with governments at higher levels supporting initiatives through funding, technical 

assistance, and incentives. This study examines the energy implications of the built environment, and the 

role the federal government could play. 

This report reviews and summarizes literature on the relationships between the built environment and 

transportation-related energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, along with implications for 

factors such as economic growth and quality of life. This report is one of a series of reports and tools, 

several of which address transportation demand, developed as part of the U.S. Department of Energy 

(DOE) Transportation Energy Futures (TEF) project, under the leadership of the National Renewable 

Energy Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. This report was developed under a National 

Renewable Energy Laboratory subcontract with Cambridge Systematics, which provided subject matter 

expertise. In addition to findings from the published literature, the report contains unpublished 

perspectives that are based on Cambridge Systematics’ experience. 

The primary objectives of this report are to inform national policy experts and decision-makers about how 

changes to land use and the built environment could reduce transportation energy use, and the feasibility 

and possible impacts of potential federal actions (including DOE actions) to affect the built environment. 

In recent years, a substantial body of literature has examined the relationship between the built 

environment, travel, and energy use. Planning initiatives in many regions and communities throughout the 

country have been directed at changing land use in order to reduce transportation energy use, decrease 

emissions, and achieve related benefits. This report reviews the state of knowledge on the potential of 

such initiatives, and identifies possible federal actions to help shape the built environment. 

Key Findings 

•	 Higher densities, a mix of uses, and walkable neighborhoods contribute to lower vehicle travel 

and energy use. 

•	 Changes to the built environment could result in a reduction in U.S. transportation energy and 

GHG emissions from less than 1% to as high as 10% by 2050, the high end corresponding to a 

reduction of up to 16%–18% in the urban light-duty vehicle travel subsector. 

•	 Expansion of federal efforts to influence development through funding incentives and other 

voluntary initiatives could support more effective land use planning and reduce transportation 

energy use. 

•	 The relationships among built environment metrics, transportation systems, and travel are 

nonlinear and interactive. Network-based models are best suited to assess these relationships. 

1 
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

2

The report’s findings have also supported the development of a tool to allow the National Renewable 

Energy Laboratory and DOE to evaluate the transportation energy and GHG impacts of urban form 

scenarios at a national level through 2050. The report has been reviewed by subject matter experts from 

other federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) and the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as researchers in the field.

Factors with the Greatest Impact

While many different factors can be used to characterize the built environment, this report focuses on four 

of the most important factors identified by the literature review, often referred to as the four Ds: 

• Density – population or jobs per square mile 

• Diversity – the number of different land uses in a given area and the degree to which they are 

represented

• Design – how friendly the local environment is to nonmotorized travel 

• Destination accessibility – ease of access to trip attractions. 

These factors may be measured, to varying degrees, on both a local and a regional scale. All of these 

factors – as well as automobile ownership, trip frequency, trip lengths, and modal shares – interact in 

sometimes complex ways to affect travel.

Tools for Measuring the Impacts of the Built Environment 

We identified roughly a dozen individual tools or classes of tools that are currently used to assess 

relationships between transportation and land use. None of the tools are ideally suited for measuring all 

aspects of the built environment’s effects on travel. The best are probably the more well-developed 

regional travel demand models that incorporate transit and nonmotorized mode choice, as well as factors 

that reflect built environment variables such as the quality of the pedestrian environment and mix of uses. 

Ranges of Potential Improvement

This study confirms the built environment’s important effect on travel, with higher densities, a mix of 

uses, and walkable neighborhoods contributing to lessened vehicle travel and energy use. Examination of 

density, diversity, design, and destination accessibility revealed ranges of potential improvement in each 

of these areas.

Density

Higher densities contribute to shorter trip lengths and make transit and nonmotorized modes more viable. 

Gross neighborhood densities in the range 4,000–10,000 persons per square mile seem to act as the 

threshold for the most meaningful reductions in automobile travel. Residents of compact, walkable 

neighborhoods have about 20% to 40% fewer vehicle-miles of travel (VMT) per capita, on average, than 

residents of less-dense neighborhoods. 

The effects of density, however, are difficult to capture through simple metrics such as average 

neighborhood or regional density. For example, the Los Angeles urbanized area has a higher average 

population density than the New York metropolitan area, yet has higher VMT per capita and much higher 

automobile mode shares. This is because the New York region contains a high-density core with a large 

fraction of population and employment that can be readily served by transit and walking, whereas Los 

Angeles is more uniformly distributed at moderate densities best served by the automobile. 

Density’s effects can also be indirect, with high densities leading to greater traffic congestion and higher 

parking costs, which make alternatives modes of transportation more attractive.
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

3

Diversity, Design, and Destination Accessibility

The effects of diversity and design on transportation patterns are modest—doubling diversity and design 

metrics typically results in a VMT change in the range of 5% to 10% or less. Although these are 

meaningful contributing factors at higher densities, at lower densities no design can make travel by transit 

or walking competitive. Especially at the neighborhood level, accessibility of residents closer to the center 

of a region versus that of those who live in outlying areas may lead the effects of density to be overstated. 

People who live closer to the center of a region tend to travel shorter distances than those who live in 

outlying areas, even if neighborhood design and composition are similar. 

Despite numerous studies of the built environment’s effects on travel, researchers still disagree on the 

extent to which the built environment itself accounts for differences in travel behavior versus other factors

such as income, demographic, and personal preferences. 

Overall Potential 

A number of recent studies have estimated the potential for land-use changes to reduce U.S. 

transportation GHG emissions from 0.6% to as high as 10% by 2050 (Table ES.1). The high-end 10% 

reduction corresponds to a reduction of up to 16%–18% in urban light-duty vehicle travel, a subsector of 

GHG-generating transportation activity. The higher end of the range is based on very optimistic 

assumptions (e.g., 75% to 90% of new development between now and 2050 being located in compact, 

walkable neighborhoods) that may be unlikely to be achievable without aggressive policy action and 

supportive market forces.

Table ES.1. Comparison of Studies on Land Use and GHG Reduction

Transportation 

Research Board 

(TRB 2011) 

Rodier

(Rodier 2009) 

Cambridge 

Systematics, Inc.

(EPA 2003) 

Ewing (Ewing 

et al. 2007) 

Urban light-duty vehicle VMT 

reduction in 2050

1%–11% Median 16% (range 

3%–28%)

1.7%–12.6% 12%–18%

U.S. transportation GHG 

reduction below 2050 baseline 

(baselines vary)

0.6%–6.5% N/A 2.0%–3.4% 7%–10%

As vehicles meet increasingly more stringent fuel economy standards, the absolute energy benefits of 

land-use change will decline, since the total baseline energy and emissions from automobiles will 

decrease. 

Other Outcomes

We also reviewed literature related to the effects of the built environment on a variety of other outcomes. 

Compact development and smart growth deliver municipal infrastructure cost and environmental impact 

benefits, especially in the preservation of agricultural and forest land and natural habitats. Limited 

evidence suggests that traffic safety, public health, and equity benefits can result from land-use patterns 

that reduce traffic speeds and encourage travel by transit and nonmotorized modes. Findings on 

economic, housing affordability, and consumer welfare benefits are limited and inconclusive. 

Federal Policy Options

Federal agencies including the U.S. DOT, the EPA, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD) are currently engaged in a number of funding, technical assistance, and incentive 

programs promoting coordinated land use, transportation planning and smart growth. Federal actions, 

including expansion of existing federal initiatives, could help drive the changes to the built environment 

that are identified above.
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

4

Table ES.2 is an opportunity matrix showing federal authority versus potential transportation energy 

reduction payoff for strategies designed to affect the built environment. Expansion of existing activities 

(e.g., tax credits, planning and technical assistance) tends to have higher feasibility but low to moderate 

potential payoff. Actions such as eliminating the home mortgage interest deduction or implementing 

planning requirements, which would likely have a greater impact on urban form, would be harder to 

implement.

Table ES.2. Opportunity Matrix for Built Environment Strategies

Federal 

Authority

Potential Payoff

Low Medium High

High Marketing and outreach

Funding for brownfields cleanup 

and public housing renewal

Tax credits for brownfield, transitoriented development

Funding for planning

Technical assistance

Funding for transit infrastructure 

(without planning requirements)

Location-related criteria for 

federally funded programs

Eliminate home mortgage interest 

deduction

Funding for transit infrastructure 

(with planning requirements)

Medium Location-efficient mortgages Requirements for regional 

integrated planning

Low Requirements for local 

comprehensive planning and zoning

Direct federal planning

While few strategies to affect the built environment currently fall under the DOE’s jurisdiction, the DOE 

can and does have influence, primarily through departmental funding into planning and technical 

assistance programs, which may further support activities already undertaken by the EPA, HUD, and the 

U.S. DOT.

The Potential for Significant Impact

Although researchers still disagree on the extent to which land use accounts for differences in travel 

behavior among neighborhoods and regions, the evidence suggests that changes to the built environment, 

such as higher densities and mixed-use, walkable communities, have significant potential to impact 

transportation energy and GHG emissions significantly over the long term. Additional research and the 

refinement of analysis tools to better understand the relationships between built environment and income, 

demographics, personal preferences, commerce, marketplace factors and other transportation strategies 

could support further implementation of built environment strategies to reduce energy use, GHG 

emissions, and petroleum dependence. 
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

5

1. INTRODUCTION

Planning initiatives in many regions and communities throughout the country have been directed at 

changing land use in order to reduce transportation energy use, decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) 

emissions, and achieve other economic, social, and environmental benefits. Research has suggested that a 

shift towards more compact and walkable development patterns could reduce the nation’s transportation 

energy use and GHG emissions by up to 10% by 2050, playing an important role to complement other 

technology improvements and travel reduction measures. 

While land use planning in the United States is primarily a matter of local (municipal) authority, an 

increasing number of regional and state initiatives are directed at better coordinating transportation and 

land use planning. Previous federal government policies have also indirectly influenced land use (e.g., the 

Interstate Highway System, model subdivision regulations), and in some cases played a direct role, such 

as through urban renewal programs. In recent years, federal emphasis has shifted towards supporting 

voluntary and collaborative planning initiatives. 

This report reviews the state of knowledge on the potential of such initiatives to reduce energy and GHG 

emissions and deliver other benefits, based on published literature, as well as on Cambridge Systematics’ 

expertise. The report draws on a range of evidence, including empirically verifiable statements of fact and 

quantitative findings from published studies, as well as interpretations and judgments. The report also 

identifies possible federal actions to help shape the built environment. The primary objectives of this 

report are to provide information about how changes to land use and the built environment could reduce 

transportation energy use, and the feasibility and impacts of potential federal actions [including U.S. 

Department of Energy (DOE) actions] to affect the built environment. The report is not intended to 

propose or promote such actions. 

The report addresses the following questions: 

• How have the built environment and urban form been characterized in travel behavior research? 

(Section 2) 

• How does the built environment affect travel, as well as transportation-related energy use and 

GHG emissions? (Section 3)

• How does the built environment affect other factors, including economic growth, infrastructure 

and housing costs, the environment, social welfare, and equity? (Section 3) 

• What tools and methods are available for analyzing the impacts of changes in the built 

environment on travel, energy, and GHG emissions? (Section 4)

• What are the primary factors that influence urban form−including demographic, social, economic, 

technological, and policy drivers−and decision-making processes? (Section 5) 

• What has been the past role of the federal government in influencing urban form, either directly 

or indirectly? What current federal policies and programs are directed at influencing urban form? 

(Section 6) 

• What actions could the federal government potentially take in the future to influence urban form? 

(Section 6) 

• What additional analysis is needed to better understand the effects of changes in urban form on 

travel and energy? What is needed to better understand the potential effects of federal actions on 

urban form? (Section 7) 

An annotated outline of the literature reviewed is provided in the appendix, focusing on key sources that 

summarize research findings. This report was developed with input from subject matter experts from 
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

6

other federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) and the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as researchers in the field. 

This report also provides background for the development of a sketch-level tool, the Built Environment 

Energy Analysis Tool. The tool makes it possible to evaluate the transportation energy and GHG impacts 

of urban form scenarios at a national level through 2050. Information from the literature reviewed for this 

report informed the choice of datasets, variables, and analytical methods to develop this tool. This tool 

can be accessed through the TEF website: http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/transportation_futures. 
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

7

2. CHARACTERIZING URBAN FORM AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

This section provides background on how urban form and the built environment are characterized in ways 

that relate to energy use and GHG emissions, based on published literature and Cambridge Systematics’ 

interpretations. Such metrics have primarily been developed at two levels: 1) the local or neighborhood 

level, and 2) the regional level.

2.1. Local/Neighborhood-Level Characterization

Local-level studies have examined relationships between travel measured at the individual or 

neighborhood level, and local (neighborhood-scale) land-use characteristics at home, work, and 

sometimes other destinations. The “Ds” are frequently used to characterize local-scale land-use 

characteristics. Cervero and Kockelman (1997) first coined the “3 Ds” – density, diversity, and design – 

as measures of the built environment that influence travel. Researchers soon followed with two more 

“Ds” – destination accessibility and distance to transit (Ewing and Cervero 2001). The “Ds” are 

frequently applied at the micro-scale level in travel behavior research; density applies regionally as well. 

They can be defined as follows (Ewing and Cervero 2010): 

Density is a variable of interest per unit of area. Population is the most frequently used variable of 

interest, but studies have used household, employment, and development density (number of dwelling 

units or square footage). Activity density is a more general concept that describes the number of trip-ends 

(i.e., trips originating or ending) in a given area. Higher densities should lead to shorter trip lengths 

(destinations are closer together) and make transit more competitive as compared to automobile travel, 

which can easily serve low-density, dispersed destinations. Density also affects travel behavior indirectly. 

For example, parking charges are more likely to be levied in high-density areas where land is at a 

premium. Higher density will also lead to higher levels of traffic congestion due to a greater concentration 

of trip-ends. Both of these factors make alternatives to automobile travel more competitive.

Diversity indicates the number of different land uses in a given area and the degree to which they are 

represented. Measures of diversity include entropy1 as well as jobs-housing or jobs-population ratios. 

Along with density, diversity can affect trip lengths and therefore mode shares, as locating destinations 

closer together provides the ability to use slower modes of travel.

Design characterizes how friendly the local environment is to nonmotorized travel. Design includes street 

network characteristics such as average block size and connectivity; pedestrian and bicycle network 

factors (e.g., sidewalk coverage, pedestrian crossings); pedestrian and bicycle amenities (e.g., street trees, 

parking); and site design metrics such as building setbacks and placement of parking.

Destination accessibility measures ease of access to trip attractions. It reflects the characteristics of a 

place relative to the broader subregion or region, using metrics such as number of jobs or shopping 

opportunities within a given travel time, or distance from the central business district. It has been used as 

a way of introducing regional characteristics into studies that have focused largely on local/neighborhoodscale characteristics.

Distance to transit measures access to transit, using specific metrics such as average distance between 

residences or workplaces and the nearest rail station or bus stop, transit route density, or percent of 

population within one-quarter mile of a transit stop. 

 

1 A quantitative measure that increases when the number of types of land use increases and obtains maximum value when all 

types are equally represented.
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

8

2.2. Regional-Level Characterization

Regional-level studies have examined relationships between metropolitan or regional-level descriptors of 

urban form and aggregate travel patterns as measured at this level. To understand regional-level 

characterizations, it is helpful to have an understanding of U.S. Census Bureau definitions that relate to 

metropolitan and urbanized areas. 

• The term “Core-Based Statistical Area” is a collective term for both metropolitan and 

micropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). A metropolitan area contains a core urban area of 50,000 or 

more population, and a micropolitan area (a concept first introduced in the 2000 census) contains 

an urban core of at least 10,000 but fewer than 50,000 population. Each metropolitan or 

micropolitan area consists of one or more counties and includes the counties containing the core 

urban area as well as any adjacent counties that have a high degree of social and economic 

integration (as measured by commuting to work) with the urban core (U.S. Census Bureau 2011). 

• Urbanized areas (UAs) and urban clusters (UCs), both defined using the same criteria, represent 

densely developed territory, encompassing residential, commercial, and other nonresidential 

urban land uses. In general, this territory consists of areas of high population density and urban 

land use resulting in a representation of the urban footprint. A UA consists of densely developed 

territory that contains 50,000 or more people, while a UC consists of densely developed territory 

that has at least 2,500 people but fewer than 50,000 people (this concept was first introduced in 

the 2000 census). Areas that are not UAs or UCs are classified as rural (Braslow 1999). 

• UAs and UCs are defined based on census tract and block group geography rather than counties. 

It is important to note that UAs and UCs have different boundaries and are often smaller than 

their corresponding MSA. MSAs may include significant amounts of land in counties within the 

metropolitan area that is not urban in character. The most extreme example is San Bernardino 

County in California, which encompasses much of Death Valley and the Mojave Desert as well as 

the City of San Bernardino and environs. 

2.2.1. Measures of Concentration and Sprawl 

The simplest, and most widely used, macro-level urban form descriptor is “average population density” 

[persons per square mile (ppsm) or persons per hectare]. Average population density can be computed for 

a MSA or for a UA. Particularly for metropolitan areas in the western United States, the use of urbanized 

densities is preferable to metropolitan area densities. Metropolitan densities may be misleading if there 

are large amounts of rural land, water, or other undeveloped or undevelopable land within the 

metropolitan boundary. On the other hand, the use of the county-based MSA boundaries can be preferable 

for examining changes in a fixed, consistent geographic area over time.

In addition to a simple snapshot of density, growth trends have been measured by comparing the amount 

of land added per new person in a region, essentially a measure of the density of new population, which 

can be compared with the density of existing population. Using data from the Natural Resources 

Inventory, which is conducted at five-year intervals, to compare 1997 versus 1982, Fulton et al. (2001) 

find that most metropolitan areas in the United States were adding urbanized land at a much faster rate 

than they were adding population, but with significant differences among regions – new growth in the 

West was much more dense than new growth in the South. 

Average population density has been used in a number of studies, including international studies that 

compare travel metrics [such as vehicle-miles of travel (VMT) per capita or transit mode share] against 

factors, including urban form and infrastructure supply. Perhaps the best known studies are those by 

Kenworthy and colleagues (Kenworthy et al. 1999), who collected data on land-use transport indicators 

from cities throughout the world in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Using the average population density 

has a number of limitations, however, that have led researchers to develop more sophisticated measures of 
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

9

urban form. Eidlin (2010) points out that the distribution of density is much more important than the 

average density, and notes that the Los Angeles metro area actually has a higher average density than the 

New York metro area, yet is much more automobile-dependent. He cites alternative measures, including:

• The Gini coefficient, a measure of deviation from uniformity 

• Perceived density (the average of small-area densities weighted by population) 

• A density gradient index, the ratio of perceived density to standard density. 

New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, which have very dense cores but low-density suburbs, have high 

density gradients, while Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami have much more uniform, moderate densities. 

Eidlin cites data from Bradford (2008) showing that density gradient is highly correlated with public 

transit and walking commute mode, in contrast with average density, which shows almost no correlation. 

The distribution of employment can be used to indicate the degree of centralization of a region. For 

example, Glaeser and Kahn (2004) measure urban sprawl based on the share of employment within a 

certain radius of the central business district. 

Ewing, Pendall, and Chen (2002) go beyond density and concentration as the measures of urban form, 

and develop a more general index of sprawl based on 22 variables grouped into four factors:

1. Residential density

2. Neighborhood mix of homes, jobs, and services 

3. Strength of activity centers and downtowns 

4. Accessibility of the street network. 

They define and assemble data on these factors for 83 metropolitan areas and combine the data into an 

overall “sprawl index” for each area in the year 2000. The specific variables, data sources, and relative 

contribution of each variable to the four factors are shown in Table 2.1. The data are taken from a variety 

of sources, including the census, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Inventory, ZIP Code 

Business Patterns, and the American Housing Survey. The authors find clear relationships between this 

index and daily VMT per person, vehicle ownership, and reduced levels of transit and walking, but do not 

find a relationship with traffic delays.

Table 2.1. Sprawl Indicators

Factora Variable Source

Variable 

Loadingb

Density 0.57

Gross population density (persons per square 

mile)

U.S. Census (1990 and 2000) 0.89

Percentage of population living at densities 

less than 1,500 ppsm

-0.69

Percentage of population living at densities 

greater than 12,500 ppsm

0.94

Estimated density at the center of the metro 

area derived from a negative exponential 

density function

0.90

Gross population density of urban lands U.S. Department of Agriculture

Natural Resources Inventory 

(1987-1997)

0.94

Density (continued)

Weighted average lot size (square feet) for 

single-family dwellings

American Housing Survey 

(1989-1999)

-0.30
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Factora Variable Source

Variable 

Loadingb

Weighted density of all population centers 

within a metro area

Claritas Corporation (from 1990 

and 2000 censuses)

0.81

Mix

Percentage of residents with businesses or 

institutions within X blocks of their homes

American Housing Survey 

national microdata samples

0.60

Percentage of residents with satisfactory 

neighborhood shopping within 1 mile

0.36

Percentage of residents with a public 

elementary school within 1 mile

0.52

Job-resident balance at a traffic analysis zone 

level

Census Transportation Planning 

Package

0.85

Population-serving job-resident balance 0.87

Population-serving job mix (entropy) 0.13

Centers

Coefficient of variation of population density 

across census tracts in the metro area 

(standard deviation divided by mean density)

U.S. Census (1990 and 2000) 0.21

Density gradient (rate of decline of density 

with distance from the center of the metro 

area)

-0.74

Percentage of metropolitan population less 

than 3 miles from the central business district

Glaeser and Kahn. (2004), based 

on analysis of ZIP Code Business 

Patterns

0.76

Percentage of metropolitan population more 

than 10 miles from the central business district

-0.76

Percentage of the metropolitan population 

relating to centers or subcenters within the 

same MSA or Primary MSA (based on defined 

spheres of influence of population centers)

Claritas Corporation (from 1990 

and 2000 censuses)

0.17

Ratio of the weighted density of population 

centers within the same MSA or Primary MSA 

to the highest density center to which a metro 

relates

0.48

Streets

Approximate average block length in the 

urbanized portion of the metro

Census TIGER files -0.83

Average block size in square miles (excluding 

blocks > 1 square mile)

U.S. Census (1990 and 2000) -0.86

Percentage of small blocks (< 0.01 square 

mile)

0.92

a

Factors, definitions of variables, and sources from Ewing et al. (2002), except as noted. b

The numbers shown in this column indicate each variable’s relative contribution to the overall factor, as determined from a principal 

components analysis. A higher absolute value indicates a higher contribution. Small loadings (e.g., 0.2 to 0.3 or less) indicate the 

variable makes only a marginal contribution. A negative sign means the variable is inversely correlated with the factor (i.e., positively 

correlated with the sprawl index). 
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

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The variables shown in Table 2.1 provide ideas for metropolitan-level variables that can be used in the 

Built Environment Energy Analysis Tool developed through this project to analyze national development 

scenarios in 2030 and 2050. Not all of the variables shown here may be suitable for this work, however. 

Some are from data sources that are no longer updated (e.g., American Housing Survey) or were 

developed from a one-time analysis (Glaeser and Kahn 2004). Others might require data processing that is 

beyond the scope of this project. Variables that can be both intuitively understood and readily forecasted 

are also desirable so that future scenarios can be developed using these variables. In developing the Built 

Environment Energy Analysis Tool, basic variables were used that describe the above factors and can be 

readily constructed from available data. Future enhancements could include investigation of additional 

variables and the extent to which they add explanatory power to the tool or expand the range of scenarios 

that can be tested.
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

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3. IMPACTS OF URBAN FORM AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

This section describes how urban form and the built environment affect travel patterns, energy use, GHG 

emissions, and other factors, based on published literature as well as Cambridge Systematics’ expertise. 

3.1. Travel, Energy Use, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The impact of urban form on travel has been widely studied. Many studies within the past two to three 

decades have used empirical data to relate travel patterns to land-use and urban design factors, by 

examining the behavior of individual households, or the aggregate characteristics of travelers at a 

neighborhood (e.g., census tract or traffic analysis zone) or metropolitan level. Some studies have used 

regional-scale data (e.g., average population density) while others have used local-scale land-use 

descriptors, as described above. The “Ds” have become widely accepted as an organizing framework for 

conducting research on travel and the built environment, as documented in Ewing and Cervero (2010), 

who conducted a meta-analysis of more than 50 studies drawn from over 200 empirical studies conducted 

on land use and travel.

In addition to empirical studies, travel demand models have been used to predict the potential effect of 

alternative land-use and transportation scenarios on travel at a subregional or regional level. The best 

studies of this type have used models that are informed by the empirical research described above. Other 

studies have used state of practice travel demand models that do not incorporate data specifically on 

micro-scale design characteristics, but are still capable of reflecting the network/system-levels impacts of 

the spatial arrangement of a region. The research described below—selected and interpreted based on 

Cambridge Systematics’ experience—reflects a synthesis of empirical and modeling research from 

various sources.

3.1.1. Overall Impacts on Vehicle-Travel, Energy, and GHG 

The impacts of land-use patterns on energy and GHG (U.S. DOT 2010) at a site or neighborhood level 

can be significant. A recent review of the literature concluded that vehicle travel is typically 20% to 40% 

lower for residents of compact neighborhoods compared to residents of sprawl neighborhoods (Ewing et 

al. 2007). Infill sites have been shown to reduce VMT by 15% to 50% compared to greenfields 

(previously undeveloped locations) (Kooshian and Winkelman 2011). Data from a VMT forecasting 

model developed by Polzin and Chu of the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) (2007) and 

based on the 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) suggests that households in the highestdensity neighborhoods (over 10,000 ppsm) produce less than half the annual carbon dioxide (CO2) 

emissions produced by households in the lowest-density neighborhoods (under 500 ppsm). Table 3.1 

shows VMT per capita estimates and forecasts for 2005 and 2035 by neighborhood (census tract) density. 

VMT per capita is forecast to increase in the future due primarily to income growth.

Table 3.1. VMT Forecasts by Census Tract Density

Annual VMT per Capita

Persons per 

Square Mile 

(ppsm)

Approximate 

Dwelling Units 

per Acre 2005 VMT

VMT Compared 

to < 500 ppsm 2035 VMT

VMT Compared 

to < 500 ppsm

0-499 < 0.6 11,422 0.0% 13,798 0.0%

500-1,999 0.6-2.5 10,083 -11.7% 12,196 -11.6%

2,000-3,999 2.5-5 9,345 -18.2% 11,345 -17.8%

4,000-9,999 5-12 7,986 -30.1% 9,782 -29.1%

10,000+ > 12 4,437 -61.2% 5,651 -59.0%

[Source: CUTR VMT forecasting model (Polzin and Chu 2007) as applied by Cambridge Systematics (Urban Land Institute 2009)] 

Dwelling units per acre conversions are gross densities estimated at roughly 50% residential land per tract.
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

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Empirical examinations of the relationship between density and VMT may be somewhat confounded by 

the effects of other variables, including household income, household size, and regional accessibility 

(e.g., proximity to the central business district or other major job centers). However, much of the 

literature suggests there are relationships with density even after controlling for other variables. The 

CUTR model controls for some demographic variables, although not income by tract. A model developed 

for this study using 2009 NHTS survey data (NHTS 2010) finds local density significant even with 

income included. Furthermore, an analysis of tract-level median income and population density from the 

American Community Survey shows only a small inverse correlation between the two variables (-0.10 for 

density at urban densities greater than 700 ppsm), suggesting that income differences introduce little bias 

in relationships based on national-level data. A contrasting viewpoint is provided by Barnes (2001), who 

finds that local and regional density variables show very little relationship with travel behavior, especially 

once the effects of other variables (such as regional access) are considered.2

The net benefits of actions to change urban form and the built environment are tempered by the long-term 

nature of land-use changes. Land-use change can occur as population in a region grows, and as obsolete 

building stock is replaced. [Nelson (2006) cites residential and commercial turnover rates of about 6% 

and 20% per decade, respectively.] VMT and GHG reduction benefits reported in recent efforts to 

quantify the potential benefits of land-use changes at a national scale are discussed below.

Growing Cooler. The Growing Cooler study (Ewing et al. 2007) estimated that changes in land-use 

patterns to focus most new development into compact, walkable, transit-accessible communities could 

reduce total U.S. GHG from transportation sources by 7% to 10% from forecast levels by 2050, or urban 

VMT by 12% to 18%. The Growing Cooler estimates were based on very aggressive land-use changes, 

with a range of 60% to 90% of new development between the time of the study and 2050 located in 

compact neighborhoods where vehicle travel is reduced by 20% to 40% (with an average of 30%) 

compared to conventional development. This assessment is based on considering a range of studies that

may have controlled for confounding effects to varying degrees.

Moving Cooler. The Moving Cooler study (Urban Land Institute 2009) found potential reductions in 

urban light-duty VMT ranging from 2% (for a scenario based on a very conservative assumption of 43% 

of development in compact areas3

), to nearly 13% for assumptions regarding compact development that 

were similar to the most aggressive assumptions in Growing Cooler, specifically, that 90% of new 

development would occur in compact, walkable neighborhoods with gross densities of at least 4,000 

ppsm (2009). The assumptions regarding per-capita VMT by local density are based on the CUTR model 

(Ewing et al. 2007). 

TRB Special Report 298. The Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Special Report 298 found results in 

the same range (TRB 2009). Special Report 298 estimated that the reduction in VMT, energy use, and 

CO2 emissions resulting from more compact, mixed-use development would be in the range of less than 

1% to 11% by 2050. The estimated GHG reduction range in Special Report 298 is based on 25% to 75% 

of new residential development taking place at double the average density of new acres developed 

between 1987 and 1997. Development between 1987 and 1997 was significantly less dense than existing 

development. As such, under the low-end scenario, average densities would continue to decline. Under 

the most aggressive scenario, average densities would increase from current levels to densities on the 

ground in the early 1990s. Committee members for the TRB report disagreed about whether the changes 

 

2 If all of the effect is due to regional accessibility, rather than local density, the conclusion is that two neighborhoods directly 

adjacent to each other will have similar travel characteristics, even if one is high density and one is low density. This is largely 

expected since most trips occur outside the neighborhood. However, the effects of local density on travel cannot be discounted. 

The aggregation of local densities creates a regional pattern that affects longer trips. An agglomeration of low-density 

neighborhoods will lead to a low-density region, which will require longer trip lengths and greater reliance on automobile travel 

compared to an agglomeration of high-density neighborhoods that creates a high-density region.

3 This is based on the development that was compact in the year 2000, which was lower than more recent development.
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

14

in development patterns and public policies necessary to achieve the high end of these estimates are 

possible. 

Regional scenario planning studies. Scenario planning studies using travel forecasting models have 

estimated that land-use changes in U.S. metropolitan areas, combined with supportive transit investments, 

could reduce metropolitan VMT by a median of 16% below forecast levels over a 40-year time horizon 

(Rodier 2009), which is in the same range as the Growing Cooler results. Because land-use change occurs 

slowly over time, the impact over a shorter timeframe will be proportionately less; the Rodier study found 

a median VMT reduction of 8% over a 20-year time horizon. The potential benefits depend on the 

projected growth in the region, aggressiveness of assumed land-use and transit changes, as well as the 

forecasting model’s capabilities and specific methodological assumptions. In general, the modeled 

scenarios were postulated land-use changes rather than changes that had been determined to be politically 

or market-feasible. Forty-year VMT reductions in the Rodier review ranged from a low of 3% to a high of 

28% across all studies. Outputs of the Built Environment Energy Analysis Tool could potentially be 

compared against regional modeling results from these studies as a validity check on the magnitude of 

results, although the specific assumptions within each study vary widely. 

U.S. DOT Report to Congress. This report synthesized previous research, relying on the Growing Cooler, 

Moving Cooler, TRB Report 298, and Rodier results reported above. The report concluded that land-use 

strategies could reduce U.S. GHG emissions by 28 to 84 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent 

(CO2e), or 2.5% to 7.8% of light-duty vehicle emissions, in the year 2030. Benefits would grow over time 

to possibly double that amount annually in 2050 (U.S. DOT 2010). 

A comparison of three source studies that each took a similar approach to macro-level description of landuse scenario benefits is shown in Table 3.2. The absolute reduction in CO2e assumes the adoption of

model year 2012–2016 federal fuel economy standards, but not 2017–2025 standards proposed in 

November 2011 (Federal Register 2010b, 2010a). Adoption of these new standards would reduce the 

magnitude of CO2e benefits but would have little impact on the percentage benefit (reduction expressed 

as a percentage of light-duty vehicle emissions). 

Table 3.2. Comparison of Studies on Land Use and GHG Reduction

Transportation Research 

Board 

(TRB 2011) Moving Cooler

Ewing (Ewing et al. 

2007) 

Of the total land area that is 

developed in 2050, percent 

that will be developed or 

redeveloped between 

present and 2050

41%–55% 64% 67%

(Population growth plus 

6% housing stock and 

20% nonresidential 

redeveloped per decade)

Percent of new 

development assumed to 

be compacta

25%–75% 43%–90% 60%–90%

Definition of “compact” 1.98 dwelling units per acre 

(roughly 4 units per 

residential acre)

> 4,000 ppsm (roughly 

> 5 units per 

residential acre)

Density, diversity, design, 

destination accessibility, 

and distance to transit

VMT in compact 

development

5%–25% lower 23% lower 30% lower

Other key assumptions New development will more 

likely be on urban fringe, 

VMT adjusted upward. VMT 

of those who live in existing 

housing will remain the 

same.

VMT of those who live 

in existing housing will 

continue to grow.

GHG reduction 

discounted by 10% to 

account for increased 

cold starts and reduced 

vehicle speeds with 

compact development.

Overall urban light-duty 

vehicle VMT reduction

1%–11% 1.7%–12.6% 12%–18%
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

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Transportation Research 

Board 

(TRB 2011) Moving Cooler

Ewing (Ewing et al. 

2007) 

Overall U.S. transportation 

GHG reduction below 2050 

baseline (baselines vary)

0.6%–6.5%

(1%–11% reduction in lightduty GHGs)

2.0%–3.4% 7%–10%

The GHG reduction estimates presented in this table represent savings from reduced personal vehicle travel; 

they do not assume any offsetting increase from transit service emissions (Source: U.S. DOT 2010). 

a

Lower ranges were considered by the authors of each study to be more likely or feasible, while upper ranges 

were considered as maximum that might occur with more aggressive policy and/or market changes.

3.1.2. How Impacts Are Manifested

While overall VMT is the primary measure of interest from an energy and GHG perspective, it is also 

worth considering how urban development patterns affect different aspects of travel. Kuzmyak et al. 

(2003) identify how land-use and site design characteristics affect different aspects of traveler response. 

The authors identify specific categories of response, including:

Auto ownership – Most researchers have found a small causal relationship between higher densities and 

lower auto ownership after controlling for income. 

Person trip generation – Considering household trips by all modes, there is at most only a minor variation 

(15%) in trip rates (trips per person per day) across densities. Some studies have found higher trip rates in 

areas with high population and employment densities and a mix of uses, particularly in the form of 

additional walk trips and/or trip chaining.

Vehicle trip generation – This has been found to be negatively related to density and to some extent 

quality of the pedestrian environment, although the relationships are modest under most conditions. 

Trip length – The authors cite evidence that trip lengths are shorter in areas of good jobs-housing balance, 

and to some extent in areas of mixed-use and traditional neighborhood design. Analysis of 2001 NHTS 

data shows that car trip lengths are about 12% longer than average in low-density areas (100 to 500 ppsm, 

but about 15% shorter than average for population densities over 4,000 ppsm. There was very little 

difference in car trip lengths at higher densities, suggesting that most VMT reductions above this 

threshold come from mode shifting (FHWA 2001). 

Non-auto mode share – Transit mode shares are highly related to density, in part because higher densities 

are required to support transit service, leading to higher levels of service provision. Nonmotorized mode 

shares are also related to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and amenities.

While there are clearly relationships between density and travel behavior, the relationships are not 

necessarily linear. There is some evidence of threshold effects—changes up to a certain point are modest. 

For example, increasing neighborhood density [measured at a tract or traffic analysis zone (TAZ) level] at 

levels up to roughly 10,000 ppsm seems to lead to somewhat less vehicle travel (see Table 3.1), but does 

not support significant reductions in auto ownership or increases in transit and nonmotorized travel. 

Below this threshold, lower levels of VMT per capita appear to result primarily from shorter trip lengths 

due to destinations being in closer proximity. Only as densities increase above 10,000 ppsm do the effects 

of travel alternatives become more substantial. This can be illustrated with data on mode shares from the 

2001 NHTS shown in Table 3.3. Walk trips and utilitarian bike trips exhibit only a modest increase across 

the first four density ranges but a substantial jump in the highest density range. The effects of density also 

reflect diversity or mix of uses, since at higher densities, there are enough destinations in close proximity 

to make walk and bike trips feasible in many situations. Personal vehicle trips exhibit nearly no difference 

across the first three density ranges (89% to 90%), dropping only slightly to 86% in the fourth range, but 

then dropping very dramatically to 63% in the highest density range. (Transit would account for most of 
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

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the trips not shown in this table.) The 2009 NHTS will include an additional density range of at least 

25,000 ppsm. 

Table 3.3. Mode Share by Census Tract Density, All Trips

Persons per Square 

Mile (ppsm) Personal Vehicle Walk Bike

Bike (except Social/

Recreational Trips)

0-499 90.2% 5.8% 0.8% 0.3%

500-1,999 89.8% 6.1% 0.9% 0.4%

2,000-3,999 88.7% 7.8% 0.7% 0.3%

4,000-9,999 85.7% 9.8% 0.8% 0.4%

10,000+ 63.3% 22.7% 1.0% 0.8%

Population-weighted 

average

86.4% 8.7% 0.8% 0.4%

[Source: 2001 National Household Travel Survey (FHWA 2001), analyzed by Cambridge Systematics, Inc., 

using On-Line Query Tool.] 

Researchers have also attempted to disentangle the contributions to travel of different land-use/urban 

design variables, but with mixed success. These efforts are summarized here, based on Cambridge 

Systematics’ interpretations of published and unpublished insights. Factors that support travel alternatives 

and shorter trips are often highly correlated, e.g., higher-density neighborhoods have better pedestrian 

infrastructure, and often are located in older urban cores built on grid street systems, closer to the center 

of the region. On the whole, though, density seems necessary to support travel alternatives. Destinations 

must be close enough together to walk to, and transit and nonmotorized alternatives must be reasonably 

competitive with driving from a travel time and cost standpoint. High densities are also related to higher 

levels of traffic congestion and parking costs, which are important incentives for reducing vehicle travel. 

Once sufficient density exists, design factors are also important in encouraging the use of alternative 

modes. On the other hand, policy interventions, such as improving pedestrian facilities in low-density 

environments, are not likely to have a meaningful effect on VMT, energy, or GHG emissions.

Table 3.4 shows elasticities of VMT with respect to the “5 Ds” as identified by Ewing and Cervero 

(Ewing and Cervero 2010) in a meta-analysis of the literature. Elasticities can indicate the general 

magnitude of relationships, although they fail to reflect nonlinearities (i.e., the elasticities may differ 

across different ranges of the indicator variable, but such differences are usually not analyzed or 

reported). The elasticities also suggest that relationships between any one variable and VMT are modest; 

for example, a doubling of local density leads to a 4% reduction in VMT. The largest individual effects 

are for destination accessibility, which reflects regional context more than local/neighborhood 

characteristics.

Table 3.4. VMT Elasticities with Respect to Built Environment Variables

“D” Variable Specific Indicator Weighted Average Elasticity of VMT

Density Household/population density - 0.04

Job density 0.00

Diversity Land-use mix (entropy index) - 0.09

Jobs-housing balance - 0.02

Design Intersection/street density - 0.12

Percent four-way intersections - 0.12

Destination accessibility Job accessibility by auto - 0.20

Job accessibility by transit - 0.05
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

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“D” Variable Specific Indicator Weighted Average Elasticity of VMT

Destination accessibility 

(cont.) 

Distance to downtown - 0.22a

Distance to transit Distance to nearest transit stop - 0.05a

(Source: Ewing and Cervero 2010) a The authors reversed the signs on these variables so that a shorter distance corresponds to a lower VMT.

3.1.3. International Comparison 

Cambridge Systematics, Inc. (EPA 2003) used data from the Millennium Cities Database to compare travel 

patterns, including vehicle-kilometers of travel (VKT) per capita, vehicle-trips per capita, and mode 

shares, against metropolitan-level variables including population density, income, and road supply (miles 

per capita).

4

 Figures 3.1 to 3.3 show a sample of these data, including private VKT per capita versus 

density (Figure 3.1), car ownership versus density (Figure 3.2), and daily private vehicle trips per capita 

versus income (Figure 3.3). As is evident from Figure 3.1, densities are strongly correlated with private 

vehicle travel. The United States, Canada, and Australia have the lowest densities and also the highest 

rates of private vehicle travel. Figure 3.2 illustrates a similar relationship between density and car 

ownership, although there are a number of European cities with car ownership rates approaching those of 

U.S. cities. Differences in auto ownership and VKT per capita are not just a function of income; 

Figure 3.3 illustrates that private vehicle trip rates are about twice as high in the United States as they are 

in European cities with similar incomes. The regression models developed for this research predicted 

different elasticities of VKT with respect to density, depending on the density (persons per hectare), 

infrastructure supply (freeway-kilometers per capita), and user cost (gross domestic product per-capita per 

car-kilometer). VKT was more sensitive to high densities, high user costs, and low freeway supply. 

 

4 The Millennium Cities Database, assembled by Australian researchers Jeff Kenworthy and Felix Laube, contains aggregate 

(metropolitan-level) data on urban structure, the economy, transportation infrastructure, and travel characteristics in cities around 

the world. The database includes up to 200 indicators for each of 100 cities. The data are generally from the late 1990s 

(Kenworthy et al. 1999; UITP 2001). 
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

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Total Private Vehicle-Kilometers per Capita (in Thousands)

Density (Persons per Hectare)

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 10 100 1,000

Australia

Los Angeles, San Francisco

Johannesburg

Curitiba

Harare

Seoul, Taipei

Africa/Latin America

Asia

Canada/Oceania

Europe

Middle East

United States

Figure 3.1. Private VKT per capita versus urban density

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

1 10 100 1,000

Passenger Cars per 1,000 Persons

Urban Density (Persons per Hectare)

Africa/Latin America

Asia

Canada/Oceania

Europe

Middle East

United States

Figure 3.2. Car ownership versus urban density
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

19

0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Daily Trips per Capita (Private Modes)

Gross Domestic Product per Capita (in Thousands of U.S. Dollars)

Africa/Latin America

Asia

Canada/Oceania

Europe

Middle East

United States

Figure 3.3. Vehicle trips per capita versus income

3.1.4. Differences between VMT Reduction, Energy Reduction, and GHG Reduction 

VMT reduction is used as an imperfect proxy for energy and GHG reduction in most studies. In 

particular, at higher densities, traffic congestion tends to increase and travel speeds are slower, meaning 

that vehicles operate somewhat less efficiently. While the magnitude of this congestion offset will depend 

on the specifics of the transportation network, Ewing et al. (2007) assume that GHG benefits are only 

90% of the VMT benefits of smart growth due to congestion effects. In the future, this effect may be 

diminished as electric-drive vehicles (including hybrid electrics) gain market share, as the inefficiencies 

of driving in congested conditions are lower for these vehicles. Figure 3.4 shows how CO2 emission rates 

vary by speed as well as under transient versus smooth driving conditions for the current vehicle fleet

(Koupal et al. 2010). 
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

20

 

 

C02 (g/mile)

700

650

600

550

500

450

400

350

300

250

200

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Average Speed Bin (mph)

Transient Driving Smooth Driving

Figure 3.4. Comparison of CO2 emission rates for transient versus smooth driving

(Source: Koupal et al. 2010)

3.1.5. Effects of Alternative Fuel Sources and Federal Fuel Economy Standards on the Estimates

Presented in This Report 

In May 2010, the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adopted a set of new 

light-duty vehicle GHG emissions and fuel economy standards through 2016 consistent with California 

GHG emissions standards. In November 2011, the agencies proposed more stringent light-duty standards 

for the 2017 through 2025 model years, with equivalent miles per gallon (mpg) for the light-duty fleet 

(including passenger cars and light trucks) increasing from 36.6 in 2017 to 54.5 in 2025. In addition, the 

Federal Renewable Fuel Standard-2, the part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 that 

sets minimum production requirements for particular types of biofuels through the year 2022, aims to 

affect the mix of fuels used.

Energy use and GHG emissions are linked in a nearly one-to-one relationship assuming that continued 

use of existing petroleum-based fuel sources dominates the transportation sector. However, a switch to 

different fuel sources over time will change the relative petroleum savings or GHG benefit of a given unit 

of energy reduction. For example, the use of alternative fuels (such as biofuels, electricity, natural gas, 

and hydrogen) will lead to a corresponding decrease in petroleum use per unit of energy consumed (less 

any petroleum inputs used to produce the fuel). Alternative fuels will also have different GHG emissions 

per unit of energy consumed, with the specific effect depending on the characteristics of each fuel source 

and production pathway – usually (but not always) resulting in a decrease in GHG emissions per unit of 

energy.

The introduction of these new standards will have little effect on the relative impacts of built environment 

strategies on light-duty vehicle energy use and GHG emissions (i.e., on the percent change in energy and 

emissions from the strategies versus a projected baseline). However, they will have the effect of 

decreasing the benefits as expressed in absolute terms (gallons of gasoline, tons of CO2, etc.). For 

example, the nearly 50% increase in fuel efficiency over the 2017–2025 time period would, in the long 

term (roughly 2040 and beyond, after most of the fleet has turned over), reduce the absolute energy and 

GHG benefits of built environment strategies by about one-third, compared to estimates that were 
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

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developed based on the 2012–2016 standard. Another way of looking at this is that energy and GHG 

reductions realized from built environment strategies would reduce the absolute benefits of fuel economy 

standards in proportion to the reduction in baseline emissions from built environment strategies.

3.2. Economic Impacts

While there is an extensive body of literature on agglomeration effects and associated concepts of optimal 

city size, there has been very little research relating economic outcomes (such as growth, productivity, 

and wages) to measures of urban form. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 

(OECD) (2007) provides an overview of the expected effects on productivity of city size, density, and 

transportation costs. It notes that while there is general agreement on the phenomenon of economies of 

agglomeration (proximity to a greater number of workers, suppliers, customers, etc., that increases 

productivity), there is some disagreement as to whether city size or density is the primary driver of 

agglomeration economies and the resulting productivity improvements. They also note that it may depend 

on the measure, citing findings by Glaeser and Kahn (Glaeser and Kahn 2004) that aggregate density at 

the metropolitan area-level does impact variations in per capita income across cities, but the degree to 

which jobs are centralized in a central business district seems to be irrelevant.

A few U.S. studies link employment density and economic activity. Using county-level data on 

employment density and state-level data on productivity, Ciccone and Hall (1996) found that workers in 

the 10 densest states produced $38,782 of value annually, while those in the 10 least dense states 

produced only $31,578 in output—about 25% less—and attribute more than half the variance to 

employment density. Cervero (2000) found that compact, accessible cities with efficient transportation 

links were more productive than areas with more dispersed populations. Carlino (2001) links denser local 

economies to increased patenting activity, finding that patenting was significantly greater during the 

1990s in regions with higher employment density (Muro and Puentes 2004). 

A recent report by Kooshian and Winkelman (2011) and various reports by Litman synthesize a 

combination of research studies and more anecdotal evidence on the relationship between smart growth

and economic development (Rodrique 2011). However, these reports are written from advocates’ 

perspectives and therefore provide a somewhat selective view on the topic. Kooshian and Winkelman cite 

evidence suggesting that smart growth neighborhoods have held property values much better than 

conventional sprawl development. For example, Cortright (CEOs for Cities 2009) finds a positive impact 

between walkability and home values in 13 of 15 U.S. markets studied. Similarly, access to transit has 

been shown to have a positive effect on property values in a number of cities. However, researchers have 

not linked smart growth or transit-oriented development to broader economic outcomes such as overall 

productivity or wealth creation, and property value impacts may reflect primarily a redistribution of value 

rather than a net increase.

From a theoretical standpoint, the effects of land-use patterns on the overall economy are unclear. These 

effects will depend on three factors:

1. Accessibility benefits – in particular, business access to workers, suppliers, and customers within 

a given travel time and the implications for business costs and productivity

2. Land costs, which affect the cost of doing business 

3. Net infrastructure and transportation costs. 

Under compact land use scenarios, land costs are likely to be higher, but infrastructure and transportation 

costs lower (as discussed below). The implications of compact land use for accessibility are not clear as 

there are two offsetting effects: greater proximity (which will increase accessibility) and greater 

congestion and lower travel speeds (which will decrease it). Overall the balance of these factors has not 

been well documented. 
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3.3. Other Factors

Energy is only one consideration in the potential impacts of built environment strategies. Many other 

factors are also influenced, and must be taken into account in assessing the costs, benefits, and viability of 

a built environment approach to energy and GHG savings. 

3.3.1. Infrastructure and Other Municipal Costs 

Urban form may affect infrastructure costs by affecting the amount of road, utility, and other public or 

private infrastructure needed. In some cases, it may also shift the balance of services provided between 

the private and public sectors. For example, some smart growth neighborhood designs provide greater 

amounts of public space (parks, play areas, etc.) at the expense of private yards.

There is good evidence that more compact development can lead to significant savings in infrastructure 

costs through reductions in the length of local roads and utility connections that must be provided (per 

dwelling unit). Burchell (2005) finds a potential 11% nationwide reduction in local road and water/sewer 

costs from a future scenario emphasizing compact development over sprawl, or $126 billion over the 

2000–2025 timeframe. Table 3.5 shows Burchell’s estimated costs for water and sewer per new dwelling 

unit by type and location of unit. Attached and multifamily units are estimated to have costs 23% to 41% 

lower than detached units, and urban units to have costs 12% to 23% lower than suburban units. Table 3.6 

shows local road costs by population density, as estimated from Burchell et al.’s (2002) 2000 cost 

functions. Costs at high urban densities (12,000 ppsm) are around one-third to two-thirds lower than costs 

at suburban densities in the range of 1,000 to 3,000 ppsm, with cost differences in the range of $600 to 

$2,000 per person.5

Table 3.5. Water and Sewer Costs per New Dwelling Unit

Percent Difference 

versus SF Detached

Location

Single-Family 

Detached

Single-Family 

Attached Multifamily

Single-Family 

Attached Multifamily

Rural (septic) $9,600

Suburban (package) $8,500 $5,755 -32%

Urban (public) $6,540 $5,050 $3,860 -23% -41%

Urban versus Suburban -23% -12%

(Source: Burchell 2005)

Finally, Burchell (2005) combines the local road and water/sewer costs with estimates of reduced land 

costs due to higher population densities. They conclude that total per unit housing development costs 

would average $154,000 under a compact growth scenario compared to $167,000 under a sprawl growth 

scenario, a difference of $13,000 per unit or 7.8%.6

 The cost difference would increase to $16,000 in the 

30 largest metropolitan areas. Nonresidential development costs would be only modestly impacted—

about $900 lower under the compact scenario, or 1.1% on a base cost of about $75,000, as lower land and 

utility costs are outweighed by higher development costs.

 

5 Local road costs were calculated based on population density rather than dwelling unit type and cannot be presented in a format 

comparable to the water and sewer costs.

6 The authors imply that part of this cost difference would be due to smaller units, but do not explicitly show the contribution of 

this factor in their estimates. Their assumption for the price of a new home, while based on 2000 data, is similar to current 

conditions – about $170,000 in 2011 (National Association of Realtors, 2011). 
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

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Table 3.6. Local Road Costs per Person

Population Density 

Range (ppsm)

Population 

Density (ppsm)

Approximate 

Units per 

Residential Acre

Developed 

Areas

Undeveloped 

Areas

500-1,999 1,250 0.6-2.5 $2,619 $3,034

2,000-3,999 3,000 2.5-5.0 $1,592 $1,782

4,000-9,999 7,000 5.0-12.5 $1,229 $1,335

10,000 or more 12,000 > 12.5 $905 $962

(Source: Cambridge Systematics, Inc.) 

Calculations based on data on road costs as a function of population density as presented in Burchell et al. (2002). 

Units per residential acre (shown for comparison purposes only) are converted from ppsm based on 2.5 persons 

per unit and approximately 50% of land in residential use.

Scenario planning studies in locations such as Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and Charlottesville, Virginia, 

have also shown a significant reduction in regional road investment needs because of reduced traffic 

associated with compact development, although these savings are partially offset by the need for 

increased transit investment. For example, Envision Utah (FHWA 2000) found that a regional “quality 

growth” scenario would add $1.5 billion over 20 years in transit costs, but save $2.6 billion in regional 

road costs, for a net savings of $1.2 billion. Additional subregional infrastructure cost savings—including 

roads, water, and other utilities—would total $3.3 billion or 26%. These figures compare with a total 

regional and subregional infrastructure cost of about $26.5 billion under the baseline scenario, yielding a 

net savings of $4.5 billion or 17%. Table 3.7 compares subregional unit infrastructure costs by 

development density and type of development. The cost differences for infill or reuse versus raw 

development are in the same range as Burchell et al.’s (2002) compact-versus-sprawl ratio estimates for 

densities of 8 to 16 units per acre, although the disparity is somewhat larger with lower density 

developments. The proportion of single-family homes would decrease from 73% to 67% under the 

“quality growth strategy” (FHWA 2000), average single-family lot size would fall from 0.35 to 0.29 

acres, and new developed area would fall by over half – from 325 to 154 square miles between 1998 and 

2020. 

Table 3.7. Unit Residential Infrastructure Costs by Density Group

Density 

(Dwelling Units per Acre) 

Development Type

Raw Infill Reuse

4 $43,145 $25,101 $23,766

8 $19,015 $11,177 $12,226

16 $12,872 $8,864 $8,496

[Source: Envision Utah (FHWA 2000)] 

The savings would accrue to local, state, and regional governments, as well as developers and consumers. 

However, some public-sector costs would increase—notably investment in transit and nonmotorized 

infrastructure. The overall impact on public infrastructure costs would depend on the specific program of 

investments in a given metropolitan area.

Achieving the benefits of infill development may in some cases involve the cleanup and reuse of 

“brownfields” sites (contaminated) or “greyfields” sites (subject to prior use). Greater short-term costs 

may be incurred by the public and/or private sectors for brownfields infill development, compared to a 

unit of “greenfields” development. Median brownfields cleanup costs run about $57,000 per acre 

according to a Center for Urban Economic Development study cited in Paull (2008). Land assembly, 

demolition of existing structures, and more involved permitting processes can also increase the costs of 
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

24

infill versus greenfields development. Cost differentials may require subsidies or tax incentives by 

government agencies to stimulate private investment in particular areas. For example, the City of 

Portland, Oregon, provides a residential tax exemption for qualifying new construction in transit station 

areas.

Research has found only very weak evidence of a connection between urban form and non-infrastructure 

fiscal costs, such as budgets for schools, trash collection, emergency services, etc. For example, Burchell 

(2005) estimated a reduction in municipal services costs of 3% nationwide for a compact growth versus 

sprawl scenario in 2025. There seem to be both economies and diseconomies in municipal services 

provision associated with density, and the variation in service costs due to other factors can overwhelm 

the small differences due to urban form when analyzed in the aggregate.

3.3.2. Housing Affordability 

Housing affordability has been an issue of interest specifically in relationship to growth management 

policies, which may attempt to direct urban form by containing urban development within a set boundary. 

To the extent that such policies constrain the supply of land, consumers and businesses may experience 

higher land costs and therefore higher home prices and rental rates. Growth management policies have 

been most strongly implemented in Oregon, which has required metropolitan areas to adopt and enforce 

urban growth boundaries for over three decades. 

Some have argued that growth management laws have had significant impacts on affordability. For 

example, Staley and Gilroy (2001) conclude that Florida’s Growth Management Act (GMA) may have 

contributed to a 15% decline in affordability between 1994 and 2000, and that Washington State’s GMA 

may have added about 0.7 percentage point to the housing inflation rate for each year that a county had a 

comprehensive plan in place. Other studies, however, have found that growth management effects are 

minor after controlling for other factors. For example, an analysis of the urban growth boundary in 

Portland, Oregon, found that the boundary has created upward pressure on housing prices, but the effect is 

relatively small in magnitude, contributing no more than $10,000 compared to an overall cost 

appreciation of $144,000 over their study period (Phillips and Goodstein 2000). A broader literature 

review concluded that market factors, including increased housing demand, increased employment, and 

rising incomes are much more significant influences; and furthermore, that policy changes to allow 

increased densities and smaller units have mitigated any affordability impacts by allowing housing supply 

to be increased within the growth boundary (Nelson, Pendall, and Dawkins 2002). 

3.3.3. Combined Housing and Transportation Costs 

The Housing and Transportation Affordability Index, developed by the Center for Transit-Oriented 

Development (CTOD) and the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), provides information on 

how the combined cost of housing and transportation varies among different neighborhoods. The index 

considers vehicle ownership, vehicle operating, and transit fare costs. Costs per household are modeled 

based on seven local built environment variables (households per residence and acre, average block size, 

transit connectivity, distance to employment centers, job density, and service job density) and two 

household variables (income and size). VMT and auto ownership are modeled as a function of these 

variables using Census and NHTS data, and costs associated per vehicle and per mile (CTOD 2006). A 

limitation of the index is that it does not take into account public sector costs for the provision of transit 

service, which are paid broadly by individuals through taxes. 

CNT notes that places with access to services, walkable destinations, extensive and frequent transit, 

access to jobs, and density have lower household transportation costs. An example from the Washington, 

D.C., region is illustrative. A central-city neighborhood (Logan Circle) has higher housing costs than 

outlying neighborhoods in Prince George’s and Loudon County, with housing costs representing 32.4% 

versus 29.6% and 28.8%, respectively, of area median income. However, household transportation costs 

are much lower in Logan Circle – 10.9% versus 18.7% or 20.8% of area median income, respectively, a 
TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES Built Environment

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savings of $5,000 to $6,000 per year. The net effect is a cost savings in the central city of over 6% of area 

median income (CTOD 2008).7

3.3.4. Traffic Safety 

Some researchers have identified safety benefits from compact growth patterns. Land-use patterns affect 

traffic safety in three primary ways: 1) overall traffic speeds (which affect the severity of crashes); 

2) street network design (which affects the opportunities for traffic conflicts which may lead to crashes); 

and 3) the amount of travel by different modes (which affects exposure to risk of a crash). More densely 

populated areas are often more congested, leading to lower traffic speeds and therefore fewer severe 

crashes. They also can result in lower VMT and hence lower motorized crash risk. On the other hand, 

they often have more interconnected street networks (creating more opportunities for conflict) and may 

have higher rates of walking and bicycling, which are higher-risk travel modes.

Transportation engineering practice in the latter half of the 20th century was to reduce the number of fourway intersections and channel traffic out of subdivisions, shopping areas, etc., onto main roads via a very 

limited number of access points. This was expected to reduce crashes by reducing the number of conflict 

opportunities, as well as congestion. However, this was done in conjunction with the establishment of

higher-speed, higher-capacity arterial roadways, which are also unfriendly to nonmotorized travel. Recent 

research, however, has increasingly questioned the benefits of conventional (post-World War II) traffic 

design practices. For example, Ewing, Pendall, and Chen (2002) find that U.S. metropolitan areas with 

high levels of sprawl have higher traffic fatality rates than nonsprawling regions. Kim and Yamashita 

(2002), examining data from Hawaii, find that higher population densities are associated with lower crash 

rates. Dumbaugh and Rae (2009), using data from San Antonio, find that neighborhoods with traditional 

design features (higher densities, pedestrian-oriented retail uses, interconnected streets) have fewer 

serious crashes than suburban neighborhoods. Marshall and Garrick (2011), using data from 24 California 

cities, conclude that denser street networks with higher intersection counts per area are associated with 

fewer crashes across all severity levels. However, increased street connectivity (as well as additional 

travel lanes along the major streets) correlated with more crashes.

3.3.5. Public Health

In addition to traffic safety, other public health benefits may be realized from due to higher levels of 

physical activity from walking, bicycling, and mass transit use. Researchers that have studied the link 

between urban design and nonmotorized or active travel have made an additional linkage with health 

benefits. Transportation Research Board and Institute of Medicine (2005) find that the built environment 

can facilitate or constrain physical activity, although the relationship is complex, with many other 

mediating factors (such as safety and security, and personal characteristics). Frumkin, Frank, and Jackson 

(2004) note higher neighborhood densities, mixed uses, and pedestrian-friendly environments as factors 

that can encourage physical activity. In a study of the Atlanta region, Goldberg et al. (2007) find that 

people who live in neighborhoods with the lowest walkability drive an average of 30% more than those 

who live in areas with the highest walkability. Residents of the most walkable areas of the region are 2.4 

times more likely to get the level of activity necessary to maintain health. People who live in 

neighborhoods with a mix of shops and businesses within easy walking distance are 7% less likely to be 

obese than those living in a mix level equal to the lower regional average. Benefits are realized from 

transit use as well as purely nonmotorized trips; for example, Morency, Trépanier, and Demers (2011) 

find that on average, a round-trip via transit in Montreal involves 2,500 steps, which account for 25% of 

the recommended volume of physical activity per day.

Access to recreational opportunities, such as trails and parks, also affects engagement in physical activity. 

For example, a statewide survey in Georgia found that people who lived within 10 minutes’ walk of a 

 

7 Median income is based on the area covering Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Built Environment TRANSPORTATION ENERGY FUTURES SERIES

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park had a 52% probability of meeting physical activity recommendations, compared to 37% for people 

without such access (Powell, Martin, and Chowdhury 2003). 

A potential negative public health effect of increased density is greater exposure to air pollution. Even if 

overall air pollutant emissions decrease because of VMT reductions, concentrated land use has the effect 

of concentrating air and water emissions in areas of potentially greater population exposure. While this 

issue has not been widely studied, an analysis in the Salt Lake City region found that a “quality growth 

strategy” reduced mobile source emissions by 7.3% and total emissions by 3.5% in 2020, yet showed a 

small negative impact on indices of the concentration of emissions and their distribution with respect to 

population (FHWA 2009). Hankey, Marshall, and Brauer (2012) examined the impacts of both physical 

activity and air pollution on the incidence of heart disease in southern California neighborhoods with 

different levels of walkability. The impacts of the two factors were both modest and roughly offsetting, 

with residents of high-walkability neighborhoods showing seven fewer deaths per 100,000 per year due to 

higher physical activity, nine more deaths per 100,000 per year due to higher levels of particulate matter, 

and three fewer deaths per 100,000 per year due to lower levels of ozone. 

3.3.6. Environmental Benefits

Regional scenario modeling has found reductions in air pollutant emissions generally consistent with the 

VMT reductions from alternative growth strategies. Compact growth patterns also should reduce land 

conversion for urban uses, helping preserve agricultural land, forests, open space, wetlands, and species 

habitat. For example, the Seattle region’s VISION 2020, adopted in 1990, was forecast to reduce loss of 

open space from 750 square miles under trend conditions to 400 square miles under a preferred alternative 

focusing growth in centers and within an urban boundary (Puget Sound Council of Governments 1990). 

Regional planning studies in other areas have found similar land preservation benefits from compact 

development scenarios. 

3.3.7. Consumer Welfare

A variety of other social benefits and ills have been assigned to sprawl versus compact land-use patterns 

(Burchell et al. 2002). For example, some have argued that land-use controls could reduce consumer 

welfare by constraining consumer choice (e.g., requiring smaller dwelling units and/or yards). To the 

extent that land-use policy changes simply accommodate latent market trends for more compact 

development, this should not be a concern. However, more aggressive policy changes that restrict where 

people live could potentially lead to welfare losses. Others have postulated that social benefits, including 

increased social capital, can result from traditional neighborhood design and walkable communities 

(Rogers et al. 2011). The factors that influence residential and neighborhood quality are complex, and 

there is not a consensus on the extent to which compact land use may increase or decrease overall social 

welfare.

A study by Rodier et al. (2010) is one of the few studies of the overall welfare impacts of urban growth 

scenarios. The study uses an integrated transportation and land-use model to evaluate the equity impacts 

(travel time and cost effects across income groups) of a business-as-usual versus “Blueprint” compact 

growth scenario in the Sacramento region. The study finds an overall 10% decrease in the percent of 

income dedicated to transportation under the Blueprint scenario, as well as a decline in average rents due 

to a greater supply of multifamily housing. The cost of living also decreases, but net wages decrease as

well.

3.3.8. Equity and Environmental Justice

To the extent that urban growth patterns support transit access and reduce vehicle trip lengths and vehicle 

ownership and use costs, low-income populations would benefit through greater access to jobs and 

services and lower transportation costs. On the other hand, low-income populations may be negatively 

impacted if housing costs are higher in more compact regions (see discussion above) or if they are priced 

out of the most accessible locations.
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Rodier’s evaluation of the Sacramento growth scenarios also examines the distribution of impacts among 

income groups. The study finds that the Blueprint scenario leads to a net increase in consumer surplus 

except for higher-income groups, who are less willing to switch to higher-density dwellings, are more 

likely to own their own homes, and more affected by wage decreases.
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4. ANALYSIS METHODS

This section reviews 11 analysis methods and ways to assess relationships between transportation and 

land use. The scope of this section was selected based on authors’ judgment and in consultation with 

stakeholders on methods of greatest potential interest, and may not be comprehensive of all potentially 

relevant methods. Assessment of methods relies upon Cambridge Systematics’ judgment and unpublished 

knowledge, as well as published literature. Most of these analysis methods are directed at measuring the 

impact of land use and the built environment on travel. One particular category (transportation–land-use 

models) is directed at measuring the impacts of transportation and land use, or capturing feedback 

relationships. While few of the methods measure energy impacts directly, travel outputs can be easily 

combined with energy and emissions models or factors to develop energy and GHG estimates. The extent 

of use of these tools and methods is summarized in Table 4.1. Each method is then described in detail, 

including: 

• Developer/owner 

• Examples of specific models

• Intellectual property and transparency 

• Contact person 

• Major inputs

• Major outputs

• Overview of methodology 

• Scope (geographic, temporal, modal, vehicle, and fuel type)

• Strengths and weaknesses for energy scenario analysis

• Additional resources. 

Table 4.1. Summary of Tools and Methods for Assessing Travel, Energy, and GHG Impacts of 

Urban Form

Tool or Method Description Best Uses Extent of Use

“Four-Step” and 

Other Travel 

Demand Models

Regional-scale network models 

used to forecast flows based on 

socioeconomic projections and 

alternative transportation 

networks 

Testing impact of regional or 

subregional reallocation of 

growth and major transportation 

network changes on travel

Providing baseline travel data 

for a particular area

In use by nearly all 

metropolitan 

planning 

organizations 

(MPOs) and some 

state departments of 

transportation 

(DOTs) 

Transportation–

Land-Use Models

Regional-scale models used to 

predict land development in a 

region over time, based on 

socioeconomic forecasts, 

transportation networks and 

accessibility, and other factors

Forecasting general effects of 

land-use policies and 

transportation investments on 

land-use patterns, and resulting 

travel impacts, at a regional 

scale

Developed and 

applied by a few 

state and regional 

transportation 

agencies and 

academics

4-D Methods Application of “4-D” elasticities 

to model changes in travel as a 

function of changes in land-use

variables

Sketch-level assessment of 

travel impacts of neighborhoodlevel built environment changes 

(often used in conjunction with 

four-step models or scenario 

planning tools)

Applied by a few 

MPOs to enhance 

four-step models
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Tool or Method Description Best Uses Extent of Use

Land-Use Scenario 

Planning Tools

GIS-based tools primarily 

designed to assist planners and 

stakeholders with development 

and analysis of alternative landuse scenarios at a site, 

community, or regional level

Sketch-level assessment of 

travel impacts of neighborhoodlevel built environment changes

Creating inputs (land-use

changes) to a regional travel 

demand model

Sometimes used by 

MPOs; more often 

applied at local level 

for community 

planning

Municipal 

Transportation and 

Greenhouse Gas 

(MUNTAG) Model

Web-based tool, based on 

aggregate data (e.g., urban 

density and infrastructure 

provision), intended to help 

Canadian municipalities 

estimate their current 

transportation emissions, set 

future targets, and run 

forecasting scenarios

Useful as a screening tool for 

strategy analysis at a municipal 

level

Unknown if applied 

in United States

Moving Cooler

Method Based on 

CUTR VMT 

Forecasting Model

Model for assessing urban form 

impacts on VMT based on 

population distribution in 

different density classes

Sketch-level assessment of 

impacts of population growth at 

different densities on overall 

travel

Used for a few 

research studies

Housing and 

Transportation 

Affordability Index

Calculator of average 

household-level travel based on 

multidimensional regression 

analysis of household and built 

environment variables

Currently available via web 

interface to examine average 

estimated household 

transportation costs, VMT, and 

GHG by census tract

Unknown

NHTS Last conducted in 2009, a 

nationwide survey that provides 

comprehensive data on travel 

and transportation patterns at 

the aggregate and household 

levels

Data source for disaggregate 

analysis of travel and vehicle 

ownership patterns in 

relationship to personal, 

household, and location 

characteristics

Widely used for 

travel analysis

Structural 

Equations Modeling

Statistical technique for testing 

and estimating causal relations 

using a combination of 

statistical data and qualitative 

causal assumptions

Can be used to examine causal 

effects/linkages among 

aggregate-level built 

environment, transportation, 

and other variables

Sometimes used for 

travel analysis

Discrete and 

DiscreteContinuous Choice 

Models

Statistical technique for 

modeling choices (vehicle 

ownership, mode choice, 

destination choice, etc.) at an 

individual or household level

Analysis technique that can be 

applied to model individual and 

household-level choices from 

disaggregate datasets

Widely used for 

travel analysis, 

especially mode 

choice

Life-Cycle 

Assessment 

Methods

Technique to assess 

environmental impacts 

associated with all the stages of 

a product or system’s life

Concept that allows expansion 

of benefits examined beyond 

transportation operating 

emissions and to include 

construction, maintenance, 

buildings, etc.

Sometimes used for 

transportation 

analysis

4.1. “Four-Step” and Other Travel Demand Models

Overview: These models are used in regional and project-level planning to forecast transportation 

network flows and traffic conditions based on socioeconomic projections (population, households, jobs 

by type) and alternative transportation networks and facility characteristics.

Developer/Owner: Typically developed and applied by state and regional departments of transportation 

(DOTs) and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) using commercially available software. All 

MPOs are required to maintain travel demand forecasting models for use in transportation planning and, if 

needed, air quality analysis.
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Examples of Specific Models: TransCAD, TP+, CUBE, EMME/2 (software platforms).

Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: Software platform is typically licensed for use by public 

agency. Input data and methods are documented in the public domain. 

Contact Person: Typically state DOT and MPO travel forecasting staff, sometimes consultants.

Major Inputs: Highway and transit networks, socioeconomic and demographic projections by TAZ, 

various behavioral parameters (e.g., trip generation rates by household type, mode choice coefficients). 

Major Outputs: Traffic volumes and speeds by network link (which can be summarized at a subarea- or 

regional-level); trips, VMT, and passenger-miles of travel by mode. VMT and speed outputs can be used 

in conjunction with emission factor models or fuel consumption rates to estimate energy and GHG. 

Overview of Calculations: “Four-step” models are commonly used: 1) trip generation (number of trips 

by time period by TAZ); 2) trip distribution (trip flows between TAZs); 3) mode choice; and 4) traffic 

assignment (assign flows to routes on network). More sophisticated models may have feedback between 

various steps, additional steps such as auto ownership, etc.

Scope: 

• Temporal – Typically run for a base year and one or more future years up to 20 to 25 years out 

for long-range planning purposes. 

• Geographic – Typically metropolitan or statewide. May be used at a smaller scale (e.g., corridor). 

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – Always highway, sometimes transit, occasionally bike/pedestrian. 

Multimodal models are more common in larger metro areas. Vehicle and fuel choices are not 

modeled. 

Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – These models are the accepted state of practice for regional transportation modeling 

at a network level. Their greatest value for land-use/urban form analysis is to test changes in 

regional land-use patterns (e.g., focus on infill, transit corridors, or activity centers), by changing 

the distribution of future population and employment amongst TAZs. Such changes can be 

analyzed in combination with alternative transportation networks. 

• Weaknesses – The capability of most models to test local-scale urban form characteristics (mix of 

uses, pedestrian design, etc.) is very limited and often nonexistent. Some models include 

nonmotorized mode choice but only a few have been enhanced to be sensitive to the effects of 

nonmotorized infrastructure improvements. However, techniques such as “4-D” postprocessors 

can be used in conjunction with travel model output to estimate the travel and resulting emissions 

impacts of changes to the various land use-related “D” metrics (e.g., density, diversity, design, 

destination accessibility). Not all models fully incorporate feedback relationships (e.g., how 

changes in transportation conditions may affect land-use patterns which then further affect 

transportation). 
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Resource Notes:

California Department of Transportation (2007). Assessment of Local Models and Tools for Analyzing 

Smart-Growth Strategies provides a discussion of travel demand model strengths, limitations, and 

enhancements specifically with respect to smart growth and nonmotorized travel. Prepared for California 

Department of Transportation by DKS Associates, University of California at Irvine et al. 

4.2. Transportation Land-Use Models

Overview: These models are used to predict land development in a region over time, based on 

socioeconomic forecasts, transportation networks and accessibility, and other factors. They are typically 

integrated with travel demand models to allow feedback between land-use changes and travel demand.

Developer/Owner: Developed and applied by a few state and regional transportation agencies (DOTs and 

MPOs) using commercially available software; applied in some areas by academics for research purposes.

Examples of Specific Models: PECAS, UrbanSim, TRANUS. 

Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: Software platform is typically licensed for use by public 

agency. Input data and methods are documented in the public domain. Some software is open-source 

(e.g., UrbanSim). 

Contact Person: State DOT and MPO travel forecasting staff, consultants, or academic (model 

developers). 

Major Inputs: Highway and transit networks, socioeconomic and demographic projections by TAZ; 

various land-use parameters (e.g., land values, land-use types, existing zoning, built densities); various 

behavioral parameters (e.g., trip generation rates by household and industry type, mode choice 

coefficients, developer choice, location choice).

Major Outputs: Future year land-use (type and intensity) by parcel or subarea; traffic volumes and speeds 

by network link; trips, VMT, and passenger-miles of travel by mode.

Overview of Calculations: Different models have been developed that operate in different ways, with the 

most significant distinction being aggregate versus disaggregate (individual-level) modeling of locational 

and development decisions. The trend is towards disaggregate modeling with very detailed land-use data 

(e.g., parcel or grid-cell). The models may have a built-in transportation network that is typically at a 

coarser level than the regional travel demand model, or they may be used in conjunction with the regional 

model. 

Scope: 

• Temporal – Typically run for a base year and one or more future years up to 20 to 25 years out 

for long-range planning purposes. Feedback often performed in 5-year increments.

• Geographic – Typically metropolitan or statewide. Outputs have not been found to be reasonably 

calibrated at less than a county level.

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – Highway and transit. Vehicle and fuel choices are not modeled. 

Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – The most sophisticated tools in existence for analyzing the impacts of transportation 

choices, as well as other policy factors such as zoning or prices, on land development patterns and 

resulting feedback to transportation conditions and impacts. 

• Weaknesses – Resource-intensive to develop and apply. Only a few areas have developed 

integrated transportation and land-use forecasting models that are highly sensitive to transportation 
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improvements as well as to a variety of land-use policies, and even these models are not fully 

developed in most cases.

Resource Notes:

Forecasting Indirect Land Use Effects of Transportation Projects, which was prepared for American 

Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, supplements National Cooperative Highway 

Research Program Report 466 by providing additional and updated guidance on the use of land-use 

forecasting methods (Avin et al. 2007). 

Land-use models to evaluate the feasibility of urban plans are being developed based on insights into the 

tradeoffs between size, shape, and functionality of urban environments. Understanding the impacts of 

climate change, managing sprawl, as well as other economic and sociological problems can be informed 

by the science of a city’s size, shape, and networks, and the effect of each of these on the underlying 

functionality of the city (Batty 2008). 

A report by Iacono et al. summarizes the history and practice of modeling the relationships between 

transportation and land-use change, with a focus on land-use models that capture the effects of 

transportation networks as well as other factors (Iacono, Levinson, and El-Geneidy 2008). 

A core practitioners’ guidance document, prepared by Louis Berger and Associates for the National 

Cooperative Highway Research Program, provides information and guidance on the various methods 

available for land-use forecasting (National Cooperative Highway Research Program 2002). 

4.3. 4-D Methods

Overview: This method applies “4-D” elasticities (travel elasticities with respect to land-use density, 

diversity, design, and destination accessibility) to model changes in travel (VMT, vehicle-trips, or mode 

shares) as a function of changes in land-use variables. Sometimes used to post-process travel demand 

model data which provides baseline information on VMT and vehicle-trips by subarea.

Developer/Owner: Reid Ewing; Fehr & Peers Associates; others.

Examples of Specific Models: An early version (using 3 Ds) was operationalized in EPA’s Smart Growth 

INDEX model. Fehr & Peers has developed a spreadsheet tool to adjust trip generation and VMT 

estimates from local or national sources to account for smart growth and sustainable development 

practices using the 4 Ds.

Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: The approach is based on publicly available data and is 

documented. 

Major Inputs: Baseline trip rates and VMT; percent changes in land-use density, diversity, design, and 

destination accessibility at a neighborhood level (census tract, TAZ, etc.) under hypothetical scenarios.

Major Outputs: Changes in trip rates and VMT as a result of changes in land-use characteristics.

Overview of Calculations: Simple application of elasticities to baseline values and percent changes input 

variables.

Scope: 

• Temporal – Can be applied for any current or hypothetical future year for which baseline travel 

and land-use changes can be provided. 

• Geographic – Intended for application at small-area level (neighborhood, tract, TAZ for use with 

travel demand models); results can be aggregated across areas.

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – Usually focused on VMT and vehicle-trips, but could be applied to 

predict transit and nonmotorized trips as well. 
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Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – Simple procedure to estimate impacts of micro-scale urban design features that are 

not captured well in regional travel demand models.

• Weaknesses – Elasticities assume that a given percent change in one variable (land use) always 

leads to the same percent change in another variable (travel). Does not account for regional 

structure, travel costs, or other contextual factors that may influence how much a local land-use 

change affects travel. The 4-D metrics (e.g., design index) can vary and the data underlying the 

elasticities is not always robust.

Resources Notes:

A presentation by Fehr & Peers et al. compares 4-D spreadsheet adjustments with other tools including 

scenario planning tools and travel demand models as described elsewhere in this review (Washington 

State Department of Commerce 2009). 

Ewing and Cervero review estimates of the 4-D elasticities from the literature (Ewing and Cervero 2010). 

4.4. Land-Use Scenario Planning Tools

Overview: These geographic information systems -based tools are primarily design to assist planners and 

stakeholders with the development and analysis of alternative land-use scenarios at a site, community, or 

regional level.

Models and Developers/Owners: Smart Growth INDEX is freely available from the EPA. PLACE3

S is 

available from the California Energy Commission. Other models can be licensed from private developers: 

INDEX (including Paint the Region and Plan Builder) from Criterion Planners, CommunityViz from 

Placeways, CorPlan from Renaissance Planning Group, Envision Tomorrow from Fregonese Associates, 

and MetroQuest from Envision Sustainability Tools Inc. 

Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: Most of these models are maintained, licensed, and 

customized by private developers for use by public agencies. Assumptions and methods are generally 

documented, although ease of obtaining documentation may vary. 

Major Inputs: Typically detailed land-use and transportation data such as existing and planned land use 

by parcel, street and sidewalk networks, locations of transit stops, etc. 

Major Outputs: A wide variety of community indicators related to transportation, land use, the 

environment, and other issues. These may include VMT per capita or household, fuel consumption, and 

GHG emissions, along with other factors such as population density, percent population within onequarter mile of transit, impermeable surface area, economic indicators such as rate of return on a parcel, 

etc.

Overview of Calculations: The models typically estimate changes in VMT based on elasticities, or 

relationships between factors such as population density, land-use mix, and pedestrian design and vehicletravel, calculated at a small-area/neighborhood level.

Scope: 

• Temporal – May be run for any base or future year for which land-use inputs are provided. 

• Geographic – Often used at a site or neighborhood level; sometimes applied at a regional scale. 

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – Produces changes in vehicle-trips and VMT; transit and pedestrian 

indicators (but not ridership forecasts). Vehicle and fuel choices are not modeled. 
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Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – These tools can be of value in creating inputs (i.e., in the form of land-use changes) to 

a regional travel demand model that can be used for GHG emissions analysis purposes. Some can 

also estimate energy use and GHG emissions from buildings as well as transportation sources, 

taking into consideration factors such as building density, orientation, floor space, and mix of 

housing types. 

• Weaknesses – They are relatively data-intensive to set up, in particular, requiring detailed landuse data, and (except for EPA’s Smart Growth INDEX) are not intended for evaluating 

transportation network changes. Estimates of VMT, transportation energy, and GHG produced 

within the model tend to be relatively simplistic because they usually do not account for the 

regional context of the development, which tends to have a greater impact on vehicle-travel and 

GHG emissions than the characteristics of an individual development.

Resource Notes:

The publication Urban Planning Tools for Climate Change Mitigation (Policy Focus Report) provides an 

overview of land-use scenario planning tools along with some case studies of their application relevant to 

GHG reduction (Condon, Cavens, and Miller 2009). 

The FHWA web site includes several case studies and examples of scenario planning and visioning 

projects using these and other geographic information system-based tools (Energy Information 

Administration 2010). 

4.5. Municipal Transportation and Greenhouse Gas (MUNTAG) Model

Overview: This model is intended to help municipalities estimate their current transportation emissions, 

set future targets, and run forecasting scenarios.

Developer/Owner: MUNTAG was developed by the Sustainable Infrastructure Group at the University 

of Toronto, Canada.

Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: Web-based “black box” tool available for use by 

Canadian municipalities. Model is documented by Derrible et al. (Derrible et al. 2010). 

Major Inputs: Gross domestic product, population density, number of vehicles, transit miles, bicycle 

lanes, financial policies including gasoline/parking prices, tolls, and taxes.

Major Outputs: Per capita travel measures and total GHG emissions from the movement of people in an 

urban municipality. The primary output is passenger-kilometers traveled (per capita), which is 

transformed into VKT (per capita) and subsequently GHG emissions. 

Overview of Calculations: The model is divided into five strategies, which are examined separately and 

then integrated to provide total GHG emissions from transportation with and without financial policies 

such as tolls or taxes. Per capita passenger-kilometer traveled in various modes is calculated. Potential 

impacts of financial policies are then calculated. Vehicle technology change can then be modeled by 

changing the emissions factors of vehicles and the results can be compared to the base case.

Scope: 

• Temporal – Can be used to address current GHG emissions and future scenarios. A Torontobased case study examined a current metro system and 15- and 25-year plans.

• Geographic – An urban municipality. 

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – Private automobiles, transit, and bike travel. Vehicle and fuel 

characteristics can be adapted to account for technological change.
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Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – Useful as a screening tool or for strategic analysis. Low input requirements and ease 

of use make it accessible to a wide range of municipalities, including small municipalities that do 

not have the data to use other methods.

• Weaknesses – Aggregation bias and need for standardization among municipalities. Only 

available for Canadian municipalities.

Resource Notes:

The “Macroscopic Model of Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Municipalities” article provides an overview 

of the scope and methodology of the MUNTAG model, as well as an application to the City of Toronto 

(Derrible et al. 2010). 

The Carbon Neutral City Planner Web Tool (2011) is available for building and assessing carbon 

mitigation strategies. 

4.6. Moving Cooler Method Based on CUTR VMT Forecasting Model

Overview: This is a sketch-level model for assessing urban form impacts on VMT at an aggregate 

(regional) level, based on population distribution in different density classes. 

Developer/Owner: C. Porter, Cambridge Systematics, Inc., using data from the CUTR VMT Forecasting 

Model (Polzin and Chu 2007). 

Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: Public data sources and documentation.

Major Inputs: Existing population and percent population growth by five density classes (census tract 

persons per square mile) consistent with density classes used in reporting NHTS survey results for 2001 

(U.S. DOT 2009). 

Major Outputs: VMT per capita.

Overview of Calculations: VMT is calculated based on VMT per capita by population size in five 

population density classes. 

Scope: 

• Temporal – Through 2050; operationalized for 2020, 2030, and 2050 time horizons. 

• Geographic – Applied at the national, state, and regional levels using census tract-level 

population distributions. 

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – On-road passenger travel only, does not address vehicle/fuel issues.

Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – Easy to use, sketch-level method; accounts for different growth rates among regions, 

as well as redevelopment.

• Weaknesses – Population density distributions are the only urban form variable affecting VMT – 

assumes that density serves as a proxy for other factors such as walkability, transit access, 

worksite accessibility, mix of uses, etc.

Resource Notes:

Porter, in a report presented at the 2009 Air Quality Conference in Denver, presents an overview of the 

modeling approach and compares results for the United States (from the Moving Cooler study), three 

states, and the southern Maine region (Porter 2009). 
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4.7. Housing and Transportation Affordability Index

Overview: The model calculates travel on the household level based on a multidimensional regression 

analysis of household and built environment variables. This model is then used to calculate a variety of 

statistics, including per acre and per household levels of GHG emissions based on household auto use. 

Users can compare region-specific versus national data on typical or moderate households using a visual 

interface tool on the CNT web site CTOD (2006). 

Developer/Owner: The Housing and Transportation Affordability Index was developed by the CNT and 

its collaborative partner, the CTOD, as a project of the Brookings Institution’s Urban Markets Initiative.

Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: U.S. Census, NHTS, and other publicly available data 

sets. Details of the models on which the interface is built are publicly available.

Major Inputs: Census block-level data on household variables such as income and size; information on 

vehicle ownership and use; and built environment variables including gross density, residential density, 

average block size, transit connectivity, and employment access. 

Major Outputs: The major output of the model is the cost of transportation, but other outputs include 

GHG emissions from transportation. 

Overview of Calculations: The household transportation model is based on a multidimensional regression 

analysis, in which a formula describes the relationship between three dependent variables (auto 

ownership, auto use, and transit use) and nine main independent household and local environment 

variables. The output is transferred to a map-based graphical interface that can be used to compare 

between output measures.

Scope: 

• Temporal – Provides a snapshot of current conditions (currently 2000 census data and 2001 

NHTS data).

• Geographic – Region-specific, within and surrounding major U.S. population centers. 

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – indicates transit and auto trips, but does not disaggregate within these 

categories.

Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – Comparison at the census block level of different factors, including factors based on 

density and factors based on household characteristics. The visual interface allows for modeling 

both dependent and output variables of the model. 

• Weaknesses – Not available for predictive modeling, or for comparison between regions. 

Resource Notes:

Haas et al. (2008) documents at a high level the process of developing the H+T affordability index, but is 

noted by the CNT to be out of date. 

4.8. Analysis of the National Household Travel Survey

Overview: The NHTS provides comprehensive data on travel and transportation patterns at the aggregate 

and household levels. Information from the survey can be transferred to a specific geographic area 

(census tract or traffic analysis zone level) using the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) NHTS 

Transferability tool. The dataset can be used to calculate and make predictions about VMT and CO2

emissions for an area of interest.
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Developer/Owner: U.S. DOT and ORNL; analysis is typically done by consultants and academics, often 

in conjunction with public agencies. 

Examples of Specific Models: The ORNL model to transfer region-specific data is publicly available on 

the NHTS web site (U.S. DOT 2009). A specific model to calculate VMT and GHG emissions at the 

household and neighborhood level was developed by Nancy McGuckin for the Pasadena DOT 

(McGuckin 2011). 

Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: NHTS and ORNL transferability data are publicly 

available, and many analysis methods are publicly documented.

Major Inputs: NHTS data at the municipality or regional level. Inputs related to the built environment 

include residential density (tract level), city size, and perceived access to transit.

Major Outputs: VMT and GHG emissions at the per capita, household, neighborhood, or municipality 

level.

Overview of Calculations: NHTS data is separated into region-specific data using the ORNL 

transferability tool and analyzed in order to calculate disaggregate VMT and GHG emissions. “What if” 

scenarios can be developed to analyze the impacts of policy change on the output measures.

Scope: 

• Temporal – Can be used to assess current impacts. 2009 NHTS data available, but currently only 

2001 NHTS data currently are available with the ORNL tool.

• Geographic – Can be applied to any U.S. region. 

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – All modes and vehicle choices included in the NHTS survey can be 

analyzed. Effects of technology change or vehicle choice can be estimated using “what if” 

scenarios.

Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – Publicly available, comprehensive data can provide information on current trends and 

VMT or emission levels at a municipality or regional level. Data has some flexibility to be 

combined with regional- or vehicle-specific emissions levels.

• Weaknesses – ORNL transferability tool currently only available for 2001 data. Difficult to 

model changes over time, or in changes to the built environment (i.e., transit-oriented 

development). 

Resource Notes:

The “Transferring 2001 National Household Travel Survey” document contains information about the 

transferability tool and the process through which this tool was developed for use with NHTS data (Hu, 

Reuscher, and Schmoyer 2007). 

4.9. Structural Equations Modeling

Overview: Structural equations modeling is a statistical technique for testing and estimating causal 

relations using a combination of statistical data and qualitative causal assumptions. It was used in the 

Growing Cooler study to examine macro-level relationships between urban form, transportation 

infrastructure, and travel, and implications for GHG emissions. Differences between municipalities/

regions and changes to a municipality/region over time are modeled with this technique. 

Developer/Owner: Structural equations modeling is a commonly used statistical method. The Growing 

Cooler study was published by the Urban Land Institute, and authored by Reid Ewing, National Center 

for Smart Growth Research and Education, University of Maryland and others (Ewing et al. 2007). 
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Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: Model and methods are documented by the author. Inputs 

are documented in the public domain, produced by the Texas Transportation Institute. 

Major Inputs: The Growing Cooler study uses four policy inputs – land use, transit service levels, 

highway capacity, and road pricing – along with VMT and socioeconomic data. Data are used from the 

Texas Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Report. 

Major Outputs: VMT, as well as elasticity of and causal relationships between VMT and other variables.

Overview of Calculations: Both cross sectional and longitudinal variables are used in structural equations 

models. A set of equations that focus on the different correlation in the data is solved. Results include 

both elasticity of and causal relationships between variables.

Scope: 

• Temporal – A longitudinal version of the model captures changes in VMT based on changes in 

parameters.

• Geographic – Multicity, and focuses on the relationships between different parameters.

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – Output is based on total VMT. Transit and rail use are considered as 

inputs. 

Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – This model indicates the relative impact of different variables (such as population 

growth) on VMT, and thus emissions. Indirect effects of each variable on the final output are also 

measurable, such as population growth’s effect on vehicle lane-miles, which thus has an effect on 

VMT.

• Weaknesses – Sole focus is on VMT. Does not account for other modes of transportation, 

technology shift, or emissions from nonvehicle sources. Assumes that key relationships can be 

captured through aggregate metropolitan-area data (e.g., metropolitan density, road supply). 

4.10. Discrete and Discrete-Continuous Choice Models

Overview: Discrete and discrete-continuous household-level models of vehicle choice have been 

developed as a function of neighborhood characteristics and other factors. Discrete choice models have 

also been used to predict residential and employer location decisions (Bhat and Sen 2006). 

Developer/Owner: An example of a vehicle choice model is provided by S. Sen and C. Bhat, at the 

University of Texas - Austin. 

Examples of Specific Models: Combined multiple discrete-continuous extreme value (MDCEV) and 

multinomial logit model.

Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: Publicly available travel survey data can be used in 

conjunction with publicly available demographic data and methodologies. 

Major Inputs: Travel survey data [Bay Area Transit Survey data used in Bhat and Sen (2006)], specific 

vehicle characteristics and purchase price, data on fuel cost and emissions factors, and census 

demographic data. 

Major Outputs: The outputs of the model include the characteristics of households, vehicle specifications, 

and the built environment that have an effect on vehicle choice, which in turn effects fuel consumption 

and emissions.
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Overview of Calculations: Multinomial logit model is used in conjunction with a MDCEV formulation to 

analyze vehicle choice. Impacts of land-use and fuel cost changes on vehicle holdings and usage are 

predicted.

Scope: 

• Temporal – Snapshot model that can be used to inform future policy. 

• Geographic – Can be applied at the municipality or regional level if data are available.

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – High level of disaggregation within the automobile mode, with the ability 

to adjust fuel and vehicle factors on an individual basis. 

Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – An in-depth method for assessing the impacts and potential impacts of parameters 

related to vehicle choice, including the built environment, on emissions and potential future 

emissions.

• Weaknesses – The specificity of the model is also a weakness, in that it only indirectly assesses 

effects of parameters or parameter change on emissions through the issue of vehicle choice. 

Resource-intensive to develop models using this approach. 

4.11. Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) Methods

Overview: LCA is a technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product 

or system’s life. These models are used to assess the environmental impacts of a variety of systems, 

including structures, vehicles, and policy decisions. Models can use project-specific data, aggregate 

economic data, or a combination of both. 

Developer/Owner: Various agencies, academics, and consultants. An on-line tool is available from the 

Green Design Institute at Carnegie Mellon (http://www.eiolca.net). 

Examples of Specific Models: LCA has been used to compare the GHG effects of residential density 

(Norman, MacLean, and Kennedy 2006) and transportation vehicles (Chester and Horvath 2009). Models 

that contain both high-level aggregate data, and region-specific project-level data are being developed by 

many researchers, including Croft McKenzie & Durango-Cohen, (2010). 

Intellectual Property Rights and Transparency: LCA is a part of ISO 14000 environmental management 

standards. Many models use publicly available data. Supplementary, region-specific data can be added if 

desired. A web-based tool for LCA using aggregate economic data is found at http://www.eiolca.net. 

Major Inputs: Direct requirements, i.e., a bill of materials for construction or manufacturing, raw material 

and supply chain data (if available), Department of Commerce data, environmental impact factors from 

the EPA, other agencies, or proprietary sources. 

Major Outputs: Environmental impacts including GHG emissions and energy use.

Overview of Calculations: Information on the requirements necessary in construction and use of 

structures or system, such as raw materials, fuel use, energy use, etc., is used to construct a model of the 

product or system’s life, including inputs and discharges into the environment. Environmental 

repercussions over the life cycle are then calculated based on these inputs and discharges.
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Scope: 

• Temporal – Can be used to assess current or future impacts. Changes can be modeled by 

comparing LCAs of current and proposed systems. 

• Geographic – Can be directed at a single piece of infrastructure, or type of development (i.e., 

high-density versus low-density residential housing) at the regional level.

• Modal, Vehicle, Fuel – Models can be adapted to account for changes in vehicle specifications 

and modes. 

Strengths and Weaknesses for Energy Scenario Analysis:

• Strengths – Useful for targeting effects of a specific structure, system, or policy. Future impacts 

or change in impacts can be easily assessed. Flexibility in temporal, geographic, and input 

parameters. Specific or aggregate data can be used as inputs. Can be used in conjunction with 

broader planning models. A technique that is particularly appropriate for examining energy use 

from buildings as well as transportation.

• Weaknesses – Model is best suited for targeted application, not a broad evaluation of GHG 

emissions, so may be most useful in conjunction with other planning models. Comparison 

between studies may not be possible when data is not standardized.

Resource Notes:

The Norman study assesses the energy use and GHG emissions associated with different types of 

residential development by evaluating the effects of infrastructure construction, building operation, and 

transportation activity (Norman, MacLean, and Kennedy 2006). 

The Chester and Horvath (2009) article details the GHG impacts of transportation modes and vehicles in 

the United States. 

The Croft McKenzie and Durango-Cohen study (2010) outlines the use of LCA models in a decisionmaking context to inform the choice between materials or policy to minimize GHG impacts.

The Economic Input-Output Life-Cycle Assessment Calculator includes an on-line tool for life-cycle 

assessment, as well as links to current research in the methodology and application of LCA 

(http://www.eiolca.net). 
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5. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE URBAN FORM

Development patterns in the United States have been shaped by the interplay between economic 

opportunities, consumer preferences, land markets, technology, and government policy. The relative 

economic strength of different regions, as well as choices about locations of activities within a regional 

economy, have changed with changes in shares and types of economic activity across farming, heavy 

industry, service, and technology businesses. Some regions of the country have faced greater economic 

challenges than others. Traditionally, jobs have been a critical magnet for different regions, with people 

moving where they could find jobs. However, in a recent counter trend, the demand for highly skilled 

employees caused some businesses to consider locations that appealed to engineers, scientists, and other 

workers with specialized skills. Land costs and availability, which are influenced by transportation 

technology, factor into both business and household locations. Government policies can have a major 

impact on all of these choices. Urban form is shaped by demand factors—social and economic measures 

that determine the need for housing, shops, and workspaces, and the changing consumer preferences for 

different types of real estate. Technology plays an important role, because each generation’s development 

is shaped by the transportation technology of the time, which affects travel costs and speeds. The 

development of land is determined by these demand factors, as well as the decision-making processes of 

private individuals and public agencies, whose control can range from highly prescriptive to 

“laissez-faire.” 

This section reviews some of these trends, provides an overview of land-use decision-making processes, 

and examines past and current experiences in setting urban planning, energy, and greenhouse gas goals at 

a local and regional level. This review is based on the published literature, with interpretations based on 

Cambridge Systematics’ expertise in the field. With the context from this review in mind, Section 6.0 

continues with a discussion of the federal role in urban form, including historical influences, current 

programs, and future opportunities. 

5.1. Demographic, Social, Economic, Technological, and Policy 

Drivers

Most of the public dialogue on urban planning is based on the period following the Second World War. 

This period followed years of war, preceded by an economic depression that stifled the economy, the 

demand for housing, and even population growth. After the war, returning veterans married and had 

children, creating the baby-boom generation. Thanks to an economic recovery and generous lending 

standards for veterans, they were able to buy into “the American Dream” and move from smaller city 

apartments to larger, single-family homes in new suburban neighborhoods. Businesses and stores 

followed, transforming the urban landscape, and challenging cities to adapt. Critics blamed these new 

subdivisions, malls, and office parks, derided as “sprawl,” for a wide variety of urban ills, including the 

decline of central cities, the atrophying of urban transit systems, growing dependence on the automobile 

and imported oil, homogeneous communities, and even the increase of obesity rates as walking declined. 

One response to these criticisms was that suburban builders and governments were simply responding to 

market demand. 

5.1.1. Today’s Urban Form and Recent Trends 

For more than 50 years, development in the United States has been characterized by low-density housing 

and dispersed workplaces. These patterns have been reinforced in recent years, but most of the indicators 

suggest a turnaround. 

• Households living in single-family housing represented about three-quarters of all housing units 

in 2003, and almost three-quarters of these live on large lots.
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• In 2000, one-third of households contained children, the primary market for detached homes, but 

this category is expected to account for only one out of eight new households in the next 25 years. 

• When preferences for different types of housing, as estimated by industry preference surveys, are 

applied to the growth in household types, Nelson (Nelson 2006) estimates that about half of the 

demand for new housing through 2025 will be for attached units, with the remainder for small-lot 

homes. He also estimates a slight decline in demand for large-lot homes compared to current 

supply. 

• A review of recent housing construction data shows similar trends. Between 2001 and 2008, the 

share of detached single-family homes declined from 73% of the national total to 59%, with 

comparable gains in townhouses, condos, and multifamily units. The geography of development 

has followed along. In 26 regions, the share of new housing in central cities has doubled or tripled 

since 2000 (EPA 2010b). 

5.1.2. A Market for Smart Growth as Well as Sprawl 

Recent trends have seen a significant change in the types of development, a response to shifting

demographics, consumer tastes, and growing expertise in smart growth among developers and planning 

officials. The American public is largely split over preferences for smart growth versus sprawl, with many 

desiring attributes of both. A survey of potential home buyers in 2011 showed changes in attitudes and 

circumstances since a similar survey in 2004 (Davis, Diegel, and Boundy 2011). 

• When asked about preferences when selecting a community, nearly half of the public (47%) 

would prefer to live in a city (19%) or a suburban neighborhood with a mix of houses, shops, and 

businesses (28%). This is slightly lower than the 50% reporting that they live in cities or mixeduse suburbs today. Another four in 10 (40%) would prefer a rural area or a small town, higher 

than the 30% currently reporting that they live in such communities. Only about one in 10 (12%) 

say they would prefer a suburban neighborhood with houses only, substantially below the 19% 

who currently reside there. These results contradict the conventional wisdom that most home 

buyers want a standalone suburban home, but also demonstrate an enduring demand for suburbs 

and smaller communities.

• When offered choices between smart growth communities and sprawling suburbs, smart growth 

won out by a 56% to 43% margin. Among those voting for sprawl—the interview did not use that 

term, which could sound pejorative, but instead provided detailed descriptions—the qualities 

respondents liked were the single-family homes on large lots (71%), proximity to services within 

a short drive (16%), and ample parking (9%). Those who picked smart growth—a more neutral 

description was offered—liked the proximity of services within an easy walk (60%), the mix of 

housing types (16%), sidewalks, and public transportation (11% each). (The sprawl community 

did not have these characteristics, and services were a short drive rather than a short walk.) When 

asked what they liked about the smart growth community, those who opted for sprawl were much 

less inclined toward walkable destinations (40% versus 60%), but actually mentioned sidewalks 

and public transportation more frequently than those who opted for smart growth. 

• The survey found a variety of responses for different demographic groups. Younger unmarried 

people preferred the convenience of smart growth, walkable communities, while subdivision-type 

communities appeal more to middle-aged married couples. Those who live in housing-only 

suburbs, small towns, and rural areas preferred more spread out, less walkable communities.

5.1.3. Fewer Families, Fewer Detached Homes 

The most fundamental factor in housing choice is the composition of the household. Families with 

children prefer, and need, larger homes, typically on larger lots, while singles and couples without 

children gravitate toward apartments and condos. For households in between these extremes, larger 
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households and those with children tend more toward single-family homes. The composition of the 

American family has changed dramatically since new suburbs grew seemingly overnight in the 1940s, 

filled with new parents of baby-boomers. Since 1980, 85% of household growth has consisted of 

households without children, and these trends are expected to continue. This dramatic change in the 

American family has important implications for housing needs. RCLCO, a leading real estate consultant, 

points out that between 2010 and 2020, population growth is expected among groups aged 25 to 39 and 

55 to 80, with declines expected for the in-between group aged 40 to 55 (Underwood 2009). 

Traditionally, the younger group represents the entry-level housing market, those between 40 and 55 

represent the traditional established suburban homes, and the older group is looking to downsize. The 

consultants suggest:

• The young cohort, in Generation Y, is expected to be looking for apartments and condos, 

townhouses, and starter (entry-level) detached homes. 

• Those between 40 and 55 years old are expected to be looking for townhomes and condos; singlefamily homes on clustered, smaller lots; and traditional single-family homes. 

• The 70 and older group provides some market for senior housing (Ducker 2010). 

These changing demographics will require major shifts in housing patterns to meet a changing market, 

which could simultaneously move toward more sustainable development patterns with lower 

environmental impacts. They also present a significant challenge for the housing market, since many 

builders lack experience with nontraditional housing products. In addition, population losses in the prime 

home-owning category suggest a shrinking market for conventional detached suburban homes, with some 

analysts predicting a glut of detached suburban homes in the future. While an extreme surplus is unlikely, 

the key point is that there has been a mismatch in the past between sustainable development supply and 

demand. Brookings fellow Christopher Leinberger pointed out in an Atlantic article that while only 5% to 

10% of households live in walkable urban places, possibly one in three households would prefer such a 

development (Leinberger 2008). 

5.1.4. What Will Generation Y Do?

The biggest question in housing demand in coming years is the housing behavior of those born between 

1979 and 1998, known as the Millennial generation, or Generation Y, a cohort even larger than the babyboom generation. A 2010 survey of members of this generation out of high school, aged 18 to 32, found 

that while 26% still relied on parents or schools for housing, a surprisingly high 36% already were home 

owners, equaling the 36% who were renters. When asked to rank the importance of eight different 

housing features in selecting a rental or ownership unit, cost ranked number one, but interior space and 

design were important as well (Lachman and Brett 2011). According to market research consultants 

RCLCO, many in Generation Y will be moving to walkable urban and “urban lite” locations, and they 

appear to be willing to eschew the single-family, large-lot homes of their parents in favor of smaller 

homes and higher densities in mixed-use locations. Baby-boomers, in contrast, appear to prefer urban 

amenities in suburban locations. While the market appears to be moving strongly toward smart growth 

and sustainability, the consultants suggest one concern is whether the market will be able to provide such 

development in adequate scale, since so many developers build primarily single-family tract homes on 

large suburban lots (Ducker 2010). 

Table 5.1 shows Underwood’s projections for Generation Y housing demand (2009) compared with 

Nelson’s (2006) projections for demand by housing type (as previously discussed). Both sources show a 

significant shift towards attached and small-lot detached homes compared to current supply. 
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Table 5.1. Projected Housing Demand and Density in 2025 versus 2003

Type

Density (Units 

per net Acre)

2003 Units 

(Percent) Preferences

2025 Demand 

(Percent)

Generation Y 

Demand

Attached 20 25% 38% 31% 34%

Small-lot detached 7 21% 37% 29% 35%

Large-lot detached 2 54% 25% 40% 31%

[Source: Nelson (2006) and Underwood (2009)]

“Small lots” are less than one-sixth acre. 2003 units from Nelson. “Preferences” are Nelson’s interpretation of 

surveys conducted between ~1997 and 2003. “2025 demand” is Nelson’s forecast for total housing demand. 

“Generation Y demand” is Underwood’s forecast for Generation Y demand consistent with Nelson’s housing 

types.

5.2. Decision-Making Processes

The critical actions that shape urban form are largely private decisions made by end users—consumers, 

businesses, and institutions—financed by private lenders and executed by real estate developers. These 

are framed and bounded within government regulations and planning policies. Understanding the real 

estate development process is important to those wishing to successfully influence urban form, especially 

in a way to make it more sustainable. Sustainable development generally comes down to a strategy of 

promoting development in established areas with a range of travel options and a diversity of nearby 

destinations, so that driving and energy consumption is substantially lower than in sprawling suburbs, 

where distances are longer and alternatives to driving are few. To switch development patterns, 

developers would need incentives to build infill development and disincentives for conventional suburban 

development. Current incentives work just the opposite way, with great burdens for building in town—

financial, environmental, and political—and few if any impediments to building subdivisions on cheap 

land on the urban fringe. In addition, for development patterns to change, the long-term benefits from 

compactness, quality communal places, and open space would need to be communicated to and valued by 

buyers, builders, and officials; a shorter-term focus on low costs is now common (Porter 2002). 

The dramatic changes in demographics discussed above are moving the housing market toward much 

smaller, more affordable products in more central locations. If governments and other stakeholders wish 

to reinforce these trends, the challenge will be to assure that local plans respond and that other 

impediments are overcome, especially in lower-income neighborhoods. There is strong built-in resistance

to change, especially in the suburbs, so a case needs to be made to existing residents about the importance 

of crafting new plans that present change as an asset to the community and a move toward a better future. 

5.2.1. Local Land-Use Regulation – Protected Provincialism

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are nearly 21,400 municipalities in the United States, 

including over 3,000 counties and over 18,000 cities, towns, and villages. Many, but not all, of these 

municipalities have comprehensive plans and zoning codes that regulate development (requirements vary 

by state). Most urban municipalities have such plans and codes, with some notable exceptions, such as the 

City of Houston, Texas. 

Zoning is a responsibility generally reserved by local governments. State agencies pressured to assess the 

potential community development impacts of their programs, such as road and transit extensions, 

agricultural policies, and business assistance, often reply, “We do not do land use.” However, the 

responsibility to regulate land use is a relatively recent one, and there is no guarantee that it will remain 

exclusively a local government activity. In fact, broad land-use issues not addressed by localities have 

resulted in some states curtailing some local authority, and broader environmental concerns, including 

climate change, have led some states to see their involvement as even more important.
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To planning outsiders, the term “zoning” is shorthand for all of the various policies involved in the 

regulation of land use. The first comprehensive zoning ordinance was adopted in 1916 in New York City, 

although Los Angeles and Boston implemented somewhat more rudimentary zoning earlier. The New 

York law divided the city into zones according to permitted uses of land, minimum lot size, and 

maximum building heights. A challenge to the segregation of single-family homes from commerce 

in Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co. was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1926, clearing the 

way for zoning codes already proliferating throughout major cities, and introducing the name “Euclidean 

zoning” (characterized by the segregation of land uses into specified districts) to the lexicon. 

In the 1920s, the U.S. Department of Commerce drafted a model Standard State Zoning Enabling Act, 

which granted cities the power to restrict building size and height, the size of yards and other open spaces, 

the density of population, and the location and use of buildings (Lamer 2003). While courts upheld the 

legitimate practice of zoning, they also protected property rights by drawing a limit on how many 

restrictions localities might impose. The U.S. Supreme Court in Pennsylvania Coal Co. v. Mahon (1922) 

stated that land-use regulation, if too onerous, constituted a taking of property without compensation, 

contrary to the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. 

Widespread zoning practices such as segregation of uses, minimum lot sizes, low density limits, large 

building setbacks, and high minimum parking capacities—established to protect neighborhoods from 

traffic, noise, large buildings, and other real or perceived detriments to property values—have been a 

major contributing factor to inefficient development patterns in the decades since the 1930s. Perhaps as 

important as zoning itself have been subdivision regulations, which include drawings of a parcel showing 

its division into individual lots, which facilitated the process of buying and selling land. Subdivision 

ordinances also established design standards, such as street widths, building setbacks, and location of 

public facilities. These ordinances prevent higher-density, mixed-use development which could serve a 

growing market demand and address sustainability goals calling for alternatives to the private automobile.

Just as states have the authority to delegate zoning powers to municipalities, they can also revoke such 

authority, and a number of states did so in the 1960s and 1970s. Some of the key reasons were a 

perception that local governments revert to parochial concerns even on issues that require a bigger 

picture: crises created when critical natural resources are vulnerable to development proposals; and the 

threatened imposition of federal land-use controls.

5.3. Historical Examples of Energy and GHG Goals and Programs for 

Urban Planning

Urban planning in the United States has evolved in response to the problems of each era. The first modern 

planning regulations emerged in the 1920s and 1930s partly as a reaction to the poor housing and 

environmental conditions of the industrialized cities. Zoning, housing, and subdivision codes were 

established by states and localities to prevent overcrowding, protect against contaminated water and air, 

and improve access to open spaces. The American suburbs as we know them were created through a 

confluence of public policies and demographic and market forces: federal government involvement 

during the New Deal of the 1930s to expand subdivision regulations and provide mortgage insurance to 

improve the often poor conditions of housing; establishment of the Interstate Highway System in the 

1950s; and the demographic push for expanded home ownership as returning veterans married and had 

children. Increasing automobile travel contributed to the rise of air pollution as a national concern, 

resulting in the Clean Air Act of 1963, which set the stage for automobile pollution control standards and 

area air quality designations beginning with the Clean Air Act amendments of 1970, and later the broader 

requirement for transportation control measures (including such things as ridesharing, transit 

improvements, bicycle facilities, and auto-restricted zones) in the amendments of 1977 and 1990.

Suburban centers became major job and retail hubs in the 1980s, as the Interstate Highway System was 

built out, and growing traffic congestion led to new growth management initiatives. These attempted to 
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place some limits on sprawl, and sought to assign responsibility to developers for mitigating traffic. By 

the 1990s, the smart growth movement was born out of contentious battles between development and nogrowth advocates. Even critics of growth recognized that growth was inevitable, and that a wiser response

than no-growth was to shape development to minimize negative impacts on traffic and the environment, 

while possibly enriching the surrounding community (TRB 2009). 

This brief review has shown that the goals for urban planning, while changing with the issues of the day,

have remained remarkably focused on protecting health and wellbeing, initially from substandard housing 

and adjacent nuisances, and potentially extending to broader regional and even global concerns. The 

federal government has explicitly left land use planning in local hands, with the singular exception of 

urban renewal, deferring land-use planning authority to states and localities. In contrast to local concerns 

such as traffic and land development, however, energy security and GHG mitigation involve the federal 

government. 

5.3.1. The On-and-Off (and On) Energy Crisis 

While affordable energy, particularly transportation fuel, was central to the development of the suburbs 

and the exponential growth of car ownership and driving, addressing the nation’s dependence on oil did 

not become a national goal until the Arab oil embargo of the early 1970s. This crisis resulted in the 

establishment of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, created by Congress in 1975, which 

established fuel efficiency standards for car manufacturers. The federal approach to reducing energy 

consumption has been largely to focus on improved efficiency, including appliances that use less 

electricity, greater insulation of buildings to reduce heating and air conditioning; and increased fuel 

efficiency of cars and trucks. Programs to decrease transportation demand, such as ridesharing and transit 

programs implemented through the Urban Mass Transit Administration’s Service and Methods 

Demonstration Program, were also implemented in the 1970s. In contrast to energy and emissions 

requirements, however, these programs were mostly voluntary and incentive-based. Also, they largely 

disappeared in the 1980s as oil prices fell and political leadership changed. Some research was conducted 

on the effects of urban form on travel in the 1970s, but the federal government did not undertake major 

policy initiatives focused on land use as an energy conservation measure. 

Since the 1970s, the political will to cut dependence on oil has risen with each spike in the price of oil, at 

least until prices fell again. However, new concerns about the threats of imported oil to the nation’s 

political and economic security have created a renewed emphasis on energy policy. The volatility of oil 

prices—crude oil prices have soared as high as $140 and dropped as low as $20 per barrel over the last 

dozen years—has contributed to these concerns. The Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank 

that promotes policy to bridge political divides, warned in a 2011 open letter that, “without question, our 

economy – in fact our way of life – is highly dependent on access to stable, affordable supplies of 

energy” (Bipartisan Policy Center 2011). The federal response has focused primarily on more efficient 

transportation and buildings, rather than addressing the connection between transportation, urban 

development patterns, and energy use. 

5.3.2. GHG as an Emerging Concern 

The current administration called for a national cap-and-trade program to reduce GHG emissions in the 

President’s first address to a joint session of Congress on February 24, 2009. Related legislation has not 

moved forward, in the midst of contentious budget battles. Meanwhile, policies to address climate change 

have been proposed and implemented in states and localities, building on their own powers, and in some 

cases relying on additional federal assistance.

Some states have also sought to establish their own energy and GHG performance standards. However, 

only California has been granted authority under the federal Clean Air Act to establish its own emissions 

performance standards for automobiles, although to do so it must obtain a waiver from EPA. Other states 

can adopt standards if they are identical to California’s. California has long established air pollution 
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control standards that are stricter than federal standards (with perhaps a dozen other West Coast and 

northeast states also adopting the California standards), and in 2009 was granted authority by EPA to 

establish its own GHG emissions standards. Any potential differences between federal and state-level fuel 

economy and GHG standards were preempted by the recent adoption of new federal Corporate Average 

Fuel Economy standards that match California standards for model years 2012 through 2016 (Federal 

Register 2010b), and proposed standards for light-duty vehicles that would extend through model year 

2025 (Federal Register 2010a). 

Emissions from vehicles and electricity for buildings are only part of the GHG equation, however. 

Numerous studies, many discussed in this report, show that the structure of communities also affects how 

people travel and the corresponding energy use and emissions from transportation sources. 

5.3.3. Urban Planning – Local, Regional, and State Initiatives 

Planning for compact communities requires more widespread use of policies and practices similar to those

of smart growth and green development. As discussed above, this new generation of planning is being 

practiced in some communities throughout the United States. Local governments are adopting smart 

growth and variants such as transit-oriented development (TOD), form-based zoning, and the supporting 

codes. In addition to code reform, local governments have also undertaken other actions to help level the 

playing field between infill and greenfield development, such as: 

• Streamlining the development permitting process or giving preferential treatment for projects 

meeting smart growth criteria

• Creating land banks to assist with land assembly, helping to overcome the problem of small, 

dispersed parcels in existing urban neighborhoods 

• Financing the reconstruction of aging infrastructure (streets, sidewalks, water, sewer, and other 

utilities) in targeted redevelopment areas

• Funding catalyst projects, such as public or nonprofit facilities to create a core of new 

development around which private developers will follow. 

While planning is still a closely guarded local function, other levels of government are also involved, 

often with competitive funding programs to provide incentives for certain characteristics in local plans. 

Within the past one to two decades, many regional agencies—including MPOs and councils of 

governments—have become increasingly concerned about the disconnect between transportation and land 

use in planning practice in the United States. Transportation planning authority often exists at the regional 

level, but land-use planning authority only exists at the local level.8

 These agencies have increasingly led 

voluntary initiatives to promote integrated transportation and land-use planning in the region. Such 

regional initiatives commonly include the following elements:

• Formation of a regional coalition, including agency heads, local elected officials, business 

leaders, advocacy groups, foundations, and others, who agree that a coordinated approach to 

regional development is important. 

• Undertaking a process with extensive public and stakeholder involvement, along with supporting 

technical analysis, to develop a vision for the region, create alternative development scenarios, 

and analyze the effects of those scenarios on various factors (e.g., mobility, infrastructure costs, 

land consumption, energy, emissions, economic vitality). 

 

8 MPOs are the federally designated transportation planning agencies for metropolitan areas of at least 50,000 population. 

Councils of governments are associations of local governments formed to work on issues of regional interest. Councils of 

governments, where they exist, often (but not always) take on the function of the MPO. In some states, nonmetropolitan 

communities are also grouped into regions with a regional planning agency. 
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• Development of an implementation plan and action steps to implement a preferred scenario. This 

will include preferred transportation system concepts (which can be incorporated in the longrange transportation plan), land-use planning principles (growth centers, preservation areas, 

design guidelines, etc.), and other factors. 

• Ongoing work with stakeholders, especially local governments and the development community, 

to implement the vision. For example, the MPO can direct transportation funding to support local 

planning activities as well as revise transportation project selection criteria. Implementation 

activities are by necessity voluntary, and this stage requires sustained action by coalition partners 

to create change at the decision-making level.

A few of the more acclaimed examples of this type of regional initiative include Envision Utah in the Salt 

Lake City region, Sacramento Blueprint, myregion.org in Central Florida (Orlando), Metro Vision 2020 

(now 2035) in Denver, and the Eastern Planning Initiative in Charlottesville, Virginia. A 2005 report for 

FHWA identified 80 scenario planning initiatives completed or in progress in 50 metropolitan areas 

(Bartholomew 2005). The Atlanta Regional Council, the region’s MPO, has created an award-winning 

Livable Centers Initiative, which has provided over $10 million in over 10 years for planning activities and 

$500 million for funding transportation projects to support such developments. Similar programs exist in 

San Francisco, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the Washington, D.C., regions, among others. 

A few states have engaged in growth management and smart growth initiatives. The best known example 

is Oregon, which established planning and growth management requirements as early as the 1960s. State 

action in the 1970s required urban areas to set growth boundaries and gave regional agencies the authority 

to develop and enforce land-use plans. Washington’s 1990 GMA represents a milder version of Oregon’s 

approach, with fewer powers for state and regional enforcement. Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey have 

also worked for over two decades to develop and implement growth management programs, although the 

states have found it an ongoing struggle to effectively enforce their programs. Wisconsin’s 1999 

Comprehensive Planning Law required local plans and provided incentives for smart growth and crossjurisdictional coordination. Other states have adopted planning requirements, although generally without 

performance standards specifically directed at smart growth (National Cooperative Highway Research 

Program 2004). 

Some states have adopted planning requirements for GHG reduction purposes. Most notably, California’s 

Senate Bill 375 calls on regional transportation planning agencies and local governments to develop 

strategies for reducing GHG emissions from passenger vehicles by reducing per capita VMT (Bedsworth, 

Hanak, and Kolko 2011). Oregon has followed with similar legislation. California’s approach, the

California’s Blueprint process is a state-led initiative that provides grants and other resources to support 

regional scenario planning throughout the state.

Another emerging trend is planning at the “megaregion” level, defined by one source as “clustered 

networks of metropolitan areas that exceed 10 million total residents.” (Lang and Dhavale 2005). Such 

planning can involve multiple sectors or issues including transportation, land use and housing, energy, 

environment, water, finance, and others (U.S. DOT 2012). Examples of megaregion planning initiatives 

include the Regional Plan Association’s work in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut (2012) and the 

Alternative Transportation Futures Project in Oregon’s Willamette Valley (Willamette Valley Livability 

Forum 2012). These efforts have been entirely voluntary and cooperative efforts of states, MPOs, and 

other entities, given that there are no federally or state mandated institutional structures at these levels. 

However, the integration of transportation and land use at the megaregion scale introduces issues such as 

intercity travel (both passengers and freight) and transit-oriented development for both high-speed rail 

and urban transit. 

Although government actions have some influence, the private market remains a driving force in 

development patterns. Zoning codes can shape how developers build, but cannot direct them to build at 
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certain densities or in specific locations. Even Portland, Oregon’s, longstanding, enforceable urban 

growth boundary has been criticized for still allowing auto-oriented (if somewhat more dense) patterns of 

development within the city boundary (Song and Knaap 2004). Changes to local ordinances can clearly 

pave the way for smart growth development where a market exists, but cannot create a market where it 

does not exist. Short of a move towards highly centralized (i.e., European-style) land-use planning, the 

extent of change that may be achieved through plan and code revision alone, or even through coordinated 

regional actions, may be limited, although as discussed in Section 5.1, still significant, in light of 

changing market trends. For that reason, it is important to engage the private sector, understand their 

motivations, and craft policies and education to gain their leadership toward consensus development 

goals. Most recent exercises to establish regional vision plans have involved the private sector, and in 

some cases have been led by business and real estate leaders. For example, the Urban Land Institute 

conducted seven reality checks in the form of one-day, participatory, regional visioning exercises to 

engage leaders in a regional dialogue on growth issues between 2005 and 2009. 

5.4. Smart Growth Opportunities

There are three significant target areas for new development: infill housing in older neighborhoods, 

redevelopment of suburban centers, and growth on suburban greenfields. This section considers trends 

and research that may inform how development in these areas can serve future community needs. A 

review of these opportunities is preceded by a brief review of local zoning and development regulation. 

5.4.1. Urban Infill and TOD

Older neighborhoods have many of the qualities admired by smart growth advocates: higher densities, 

grid streets, high-quality transit, and sidewalks. In fact, many such neighborhoods are at the forefront of 

an urban renaissance in Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Washington, D.C., and other cities. With 

market support, new development can work. Planners in such cases need to address regulations and focus 

on complete communities while preserving housing affordability. A review of housing potential near 

transit in Denver, for example, estimated that the amount of housing in rail transit station areas could 

triple, but that “there is considerable risk that virtually all new development near transit in the region will 

be unaffordable to moderate-income households, those most likely to be transit users” (Belzer et al. 

2007). The other challenge for planning in strong markets is to balance market cycles for different types 

of land uses with a long-term vision of a community with a full range of services, a comprehensive view 

that does not build simply what the market seems to desire at any given time, but promotes a longer-term 

view with improved retail services, community facilities, and opportunities for new jobs. 

While planning for infill development in strong markets (where there is greater economic growth and 

demand for housing) is complex, the challenge in weak market communities is even greater, and there are 

many such areas where development must be accommodated to meet broader TOD and sustainability 

goals. Even in the San Francisco Bay area, whose central cities and core suburbs doubled their share of 

residential building since the early 1990s (from 28% to 57% of new residential permits), financing for 

infill and TOD projects desired to meet regional goals is difficult (EPA 2010b). A study of financing in 

the Bay Area found that TOD and infill projects are more expensive because of infrastructure upgrades, 

high land costs, and complicated construction. While strong markets are able to absorb such costs “in 

most places around the region, the market is often not quite capable of covering the increased costs 

associated with infill development and TOD” (Metropolitan Transportation Commission 2008). A good 

example of such a weak market is the City Heights neighborhood in San Diego, an inner-city community 

not served by the popular San Diego Trolley, divided by an urban freeway and once ravaged by crime and 

drugs. A redevelopment plan has gradually added community and retail services, including a new police 

substation, a library, and a grocery store, with housing rehabilitation and development planned, as well as 

a bus rapid transit connection to enhance transit. This redevelopment project has required strong planning 

as well as financial support from government and nonprofits. 
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5.4.2. Redeveloping Suburban Centers 

Many suburbs, especially the oldest, or “first ring” suburbs around central cities which grew up as “street 

car suburbs,” have excellent transit connections and compact pedestrian patterns, and are ideal targets for 

regional smart growth development. Some of this is happening through normal market forces, such as in 

the Bay Area, described above. Sensitive planning is needed to allay local concerns about development 

and change. An especially complex issue is what to do about suburban centers developed around 

freeways, divided by main roads, not served by transit, clustered into malls and office parks, and cut off 

from pedestrian access to the housing in surrounding neighborhoods. From a compact growth perspective 

that seeks alternatives to automobile travel, such segregated uses are held up as the worst transgressions 

to wise planning, but they are also pervasive. Some communities now seek to address this enormous 

planning challenge, requiring virtually a complete do-over in some cases, to change these factors, by 

adding: 

• A grid system to improve connectivity, replacing divisive superblocks 

• Expanded housing to create street life and support local merchants 

• Integrated retail, office, and housing 

• Attractive central amenities and pleasant pedestrian corridors rather than mall-style retail

• Extensive transit choices 

• Parks and civic institutions to add to the sense of community 

• Shared, fee-based, smaller-scale parking. 

There are a growing number of examples of these retrofits, typically in upscale neighborhoods. One of 

these, the Kendall area south of Miami, the community surrounding the Dadeland Mall, had long been 

considered a quintessential piecemeal suburban development, economically successful, but low-density 

and car-dependent, despite having two stations on Miami’s Metro system. A plan adopted in 1999 called 

for creating a street grid, higher densities, more housing, a mix of uses, enhanced architectural style, and 

pedestrian improvements. The plan shaped development in the early 2000s, until the housing bubble 

burst. The expectation is that eventually Kendall will be transformed into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly 

TOD.

5.4.3. Better Greenfield Development

To critics, conventional greenfield developments in fringe neighborhoods are the embodiment of sprawl, 

while developers of large-scale master-planned communities claim they actually include many positive

environmental and planning features, at an affordable price. The momentum may be changing, at least for 

now, with experts in the Urban Land Institute’s latest survey of development outlook finding that “the 

overall residential tide is moving from fringe suburbs to urbanizing suburban nodes, and 24-hour 

downtown cores gain momentum. You can live more efficiently with less environmental impact in infill 

areas” (Miller 2012). However, there is still a market for suburban homes on large lots, so for those 

markets the primary challenge is how to create better suburban greenfield developments. This may 

include paying special attention to environmental protection and preservation, beginning with the 

importance of natural surroundings and features, as well as historic structures and elements. Such a broad 

approach protects places that should not be developed, and helps head off growth/no-growth battles early, 

rather than triggering a contest over each development proposal. In addition to making the environment a 

central focus, it also creates a diversity of housing, a mix of uses, and a range of densities. Such planning 

also paves the way for future transit opportunities, by creating transit-ready communities with the mix of 

uses and densities appropriate to future transit corridors, and assurance that growth patterns will create 

support for future transit extensions (Corrigan et al. 2007). 
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6. FEDERAL ACTIONS THAT MIGHT INFLUENCE URBAN FORM

This section summarizes the history of federal actions that have influenced urban form, reviews current 

actions, and describes additional actions that could be undertaken if the federal government seeks greater 

influence on urban form to reduce energy use and GHG emissions. This report does not advocate for or 

discourage such federal involvement. This section includes information from the literature, as well as 

assessments and information that are based on Cambridge Systematics’ judgment and unpublished 

knowledge of the field. It is focused on potential actions directed at transportation, land use, and 

community development, rather than on broader economy-wide actions such as energy or carbon pricing, 

or on indirect influences, such as those resulting from technological changes to vehicles and fuels. 

6.1. Historical Influences

The most significant federal influences on urban form have been largely indirect rather than direct. For 

example, the Interstate Highway System is widely regarded as one of America’s greatest achievements, 

not only by construction and engineering groups, but by the wider public. In 1999, to commemorate the 

turn of the century, U.S. News and World Report (1999) included the Interstate system among “25 

Shapers of the Modern Era.” That same year, a survey by the Fannie Mae Foundation listed the Interstate 

Highway System, along with the dominance of the automobile, as the number one influence on the 

American metropolis over the last 50 years (Fishman 2000). Also on the list of top influences were 

federal housing mortgages and subdivision regulation (number 2), and urban renewal originated by the 

1949 Federal Housing Act (number 4) (see Table 6.1) (Weingroff 2000). 

Table 6.1. The Top 10 Influences on the American Metropolis of the Past 50 Years

1. The 1956 Interstate Highway Act and the dominance of the automobile

2. Federal Housing Administration mortgage financing and subdivision regulation

3. De-industrialization of central cities

4. Urban renewal – downtown redevelopment and public housing (1949 Housing Act)

5. Levittown (planned communities and the mass-produced suburban tract housing)

6. Racial segregation and job discrimination in cities and suburbs

7. Enclosed shopping malls

8. Sunbelt-style sprawl

9. Air conditioning

10. Urban riots of the 1960s

[Source: Weingroff (2000)]

These three programs combined to provide urban renewal, mortgages for suburban housing, and a new 

system of superhighways to connect them all, a comprehensive approach to linking urban development 

and transportation. All three were conceived during the Great Depression, and their political history 

illustrates how transportation and land-use planning have played a role in the longstanding national debate 

about the appropriate role of the federal government. 

6.1.1. Prospects for National Planning 

Fishman (Fishman 2004) reviews two bold examples of national planning that changed the direction of 

the country, one in 1808, and another a century later. The 1808 Gallatin Plan, according to Fishman, 

“embodied perhaps the most revolutionary vision of any national plan: the creation of a truly democratic 

society through the planned settlement of a whole continent.” The sale of federal lands would be 

organized to produce a society dominated by independent farmers, and this new continent of citizenfarmers would be connected to thriving cities and their worldwide markets by a federally financed 

network of roads and canals to form the world’s most productive economy. The Report on Roads and 
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Canals by Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury under Jefferson, had two main components: plans 

for a set of roads and canals to improve transportation along the Atlantic coastline, and the plans for more 

difficult, expensive, but vitally necessary canal and road systems over the Alleghenies. This vision 

dominated land and transportation policy of the 19th century, reaching its climax during the Civil War 

years, when Lincoln definitively linked the Jeffersonian ideal of the citizen-farmer to the new technology 

of the railroad. The fulfillment of Jefferson’s idea came in the form of the Homestead Act of 1862 that 

awarded 160 free acres of federal land to any family that would claim and farm it. Jefferson’s goal of 

creating a society of citizen farmers had been united with Washington’s need to link the new territories 

with the original 13 colonies. Moreover, Lincoln tied this new settlement to federal support for a new 

transportation technology, the railroad. 

By the end of the 19th century, however, this original vision had been lost. The railroads controlled the 

land grants and exploited resources, consuming whole forests, damaging prairies, and polluting rivers. A 

1908 Preliminary Report of the Inland Waterways Commission given by the President to the Senate of the 

60th Congress set the stage for a new vision for the 20th century (U.S. Inland Waterways Commission 

1908). This report emphasized river navigation, power, irrigation, and conservation. Dams would protect 

downstream communities, ensure safe navigation, and generate cheap power, as well as provide irrigation 

for millions of arid acres. Watersheds and upland forests would be protected by an early form of regional 

planning, that promoted sustainable farming and prevented soil erosion in the agricultural plains, and 

improved sewage treatment for the industrial cities. Rivers would also serve as transportation corridors, 

which offered alternatives to the railroads with their monopoly rates. This report served as a key resource 

for a White House “Conference of the Governors of the United States” convened by President Theodore 

Roosevelt. Implementation of the plan was thwarted for the next quarter century, however, by battles over 

the balance between private and public enterprise. Implementing Roosevelt’s National Conservation plan 

fell to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, spurred by Great Depression workforce needs and the environmental 

crisis of the Dustbowl. The Tennessee Valley Authority made coordinated conservation/development 

planning a keynote of New Deal policy, the model for a national effort of forest and farmland 

preservation and rivershed planning.

By the 1930s, the alternative to a transportation system dominated by railroad monopolies was touted as

“superhighway” system, a national highway plan, first published in 1939 under the title “Toll Roads and 

Free Roads” (U.S. Public Roads Administration 1938). The Interstate Highway System adopted under 

Eisenhower became a major framework for federal transportation and land use influence, similar to the 

transcontinental railway plans and land grants of the Lincoln years. 

6.1.2. Command, Control, Collaboration? 

This brief look back helps reinforce the notion that bold national land use and transportation strategies are 

not new to the United States. Even the Interstate Highway System, blamed by critics for a single-minded 

focus on road building that often cut through urban communities, was originally part of a broader 

program to revitalize cities. A collaboration was envisioned in which the highway program would quickly 

eliminate “thousands of substandard houses,” while the Public Building Administration, the federal 

government’s housing agency, would redevelop civic centers in many cities, and the Bureau of 

Community Facilities, another Federal Works subagency, would loan funds for additional public 

buildings. New express highways were viewed as “the framework of the redeveloped city” (Weingroff 

2000). 

There is certainly strong precedent for a coordinated federal program that links transportation investments 

and growth in support of a broader national agenda, but what are the possible roles for today’s federal

government? Federal government involvement raises concerns if it is perceived to encroach on local or 

state prerogatives. However, there is ample historical precedent for a collaborative federal role. During 

the canal era, the emphasis was on supporting private companies to build the canals, a model followed 

with the transcontinental railroad. Even in the case of the Interstate Highway System, the model most 
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recognized by a generation of transportation engineers and drivers, primary responsibility for building and 

operating routes fell to the states. By picking up a very generous share of the costs, the federal program 

was able to engage states to carry out the plan. Creating such collaboration through federal spending, 

however, may raise concerns about federal budget growth. If those concerns can be addressed, federal 

directions consistent with this approach might include: 

• Reinforce existing investment and communities. Maintaining a good state of infrastructure is a 

prudent, fiscally conservative concept that reinforces existing communities in efforts to initiate

new sustainable development. A considerable level of transportation investment will be required 

to maintain the Interstate Highway System, and to address ongoing transit system rehabilitation 

needs. Such investments could be used to reinforce sustainable development.

• Support sustainable regional visions. There are a growing number of initiatives to address growth, 

environmental, and even economic development needs of the nation’s major regions. Such 

visioning exercises use tools ranging from simple to sophisticated, but they engage a much wider 

range of local civic, business, and government leaders. As indicated above, there is existing 

U.S. DOT funding for these visioning exercises, as well as examples of direct involvement of the 

federal government. The Interagency Transportation, Land Use, and Climate Change Pilot Project 

is a collaboration among 13 federal agencies and state and local governments to develop a multiagency transportation and land-use strategy for Cape Cod, Massachusetts, focused on GHG

emissions and sea level rise (Rasmussen et al. 2011). 

• Recognize that land resource decisions shape regional development. Environmental, natural 

resource, and infrastructure agencies can have a powerful impact on local development, 

especially in the West, where federal lands are so extensive. Sensitivity to local authority over 

land-use regulation leads federal agencies to limit their involvement in land-use policy issues. 

Infrastructure investments can change property values and land acquisitions to remove property 

from private use are significant land-use actions. Enhanced federal collaboration on smart growth 

would emphasize the importance of such decisions, reinforcing local and state smart growth 

policies. Officials can recognize that “if you are in the infrastructure business, you are in the landuse business.” The Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA’s) New Starts program has integrated 

land-use considerations, but similar considerations do not exist with respect to highway funding, 

which is allocated to states to use at their discretion.

• Link infrastructure expansion to sustainable development. Past decisions on infrastructure have 

often contributed to sprawl by creating opportunities for more for development. Expanded roads 

and transit lines in greenfield locations should be clearly linked to the locations and patterns of 

desired future growth, ideally through a regional vision defining corridors for growth and areas 

for preservation. New developments would include plans for a mix of housing, jobs, and retail, 

and a mix of densities to support affordable housing and future transit. 

• Leverage real estate revenues to support transportation. Localities have become increasingly 

dependent on real estate exactions to pay for local infrastructure growth, but neither states nor 

federal agencies have taken advantage of this opportunity, perhaps due to limited jurisdiction. A 

good case can be made that major extensions of road and transit systems should be financed by 

the development they serve. Costs could be assessed on property owners or developers if a 

regional vision can fairly allocate such costs to planned corridors. Funding facilities in this 

manner also helps assure that effective projects will be built, because developers are both the 

beneficiaries and have a stake in the costs. 

• Focus federal assistance. A collaboration between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 

Development (HUD), U.S. DOT, and EPA has expanded to a wide group of agencies with similar 

interest, and now includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of 
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Agriculture, the Department of Defense, the Department of Education, DOE, the Department of 

Health and Human Services, the Economic Development Administration, the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Endowment for the Arts, 

and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This growing federal collaboration 

has the potential to create a focus on capital investments and federal assistance in support of 

better development patterns.

6.2. Current Federal Actions

Federal policies to assist urban development during the last two decades have included direct funding for 

projects, technical assistance, awards, and comprehensive planning requirements. The rise and fall of 

planning requirements reflect the ebb and flow of federal involvement in land use. The Intermodal 

Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 required MPOs to consider 15 interrelated factors in the 

development of metropolitan transportation plans, one of which was the consistency with land-use and 

development plans. Just having the MPOs involved in local land-use plans was considered controversial

and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century of 1998 (U.S. DOT 1998) reduced the number of 

planning factors to nine and dropped land use. It reappears in the fifth planning factor in the Safe, 

Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) of 

2005, which reads in full, “Protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve 

the quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation improvements and state and local 

planned growth and economic development patterns.” SAFETEA-LU also requires that transportation 

agencies consult with land-use agencies when developing statewide and metropolitan transportation plans. 

Federal agencies play a direct role in the use of land as owners and regulators, including agriculture, 

national parks and other federally-owned properties, but their role in an urban context is relatively 

limited. Agencies that have support for better urban planning as part of their mission include: EPA; U.S. 

DOT, including FHWA and FTA; and HUD. Existing programs by these agencies include: 

EPA Brownfields Program. This program assists states, communities, and other stakeholders in cleaning 

up and reusing brownfields (properties contaminated by hazardous substances or pollutants). Such 

properties are often located in disadvantaged communities of major cities that present opportunities for 

promoting more sustainable development. However, the stigma of contamination has often prevented 

such sites from redevelopment even when the contaminants had been successfully remediated. Federal 

grants are provided for assessment, cleanup, workforce development, job training, technical assistance, 

and revolving loan funds. In 2010, the new Areawide Planning Pilot Program provided about $4 million 

in grant funding and direct assistance to 23 communities to plan, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield 

properties and promote areawide revitalization (EPA 2010a, Brownfields Areawide Planning Pilot 

Program).

9

 As of November 2011, the Brownfields Program had prepared more than 25,000 acres on 672 

sites for reuse, with more than $900 million in EPA program funds leveraging $17.6 billion in additional 

public and private cleanup funding (EPA 1995, Brownfields Program Benefits.).

10

EPA Smart Growth Program (EPA Smart Growth 2010)11. This program was established in 1996 and 

funds a network of smart growth organizations, a sustainable development awards program, and direct 

technical assistance to communities to help overcome barriers. The program currently is operated through 

EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities. In addition to promoting smart growth, EPA has established 

the following funding and recognition programs:

• The Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program is an annual, competitive solicitation 

open to state, local, regional, and tribal governments (and nonprofits that have partnered with a 

 

9 $4 million estimate based on $175,000 per recipient. 10 Estimate of program funds is based on $17.6 billion leveraged and $18.29 leveraged per EPA dollar spent. 11 Funding levels for this program could not be identified but are probably on the order of a few million a year.
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governmental entity) that want to incorporate complex or cutting-edge smart growth techniques in 

future development. EPA typically helps three to five communities each year through the Smart 

Growth Implementation Assistance program and about two dozen projects have been completed 

since 2005. 

• Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities provides quick, targeted technical assistance to 

communities using a variety of tools that have demonstrated results and widespread application. 

In spring 2011, EPA selected 32 communities from two sources to receive Building Blocks 

assistance.

• Through the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, EPA recognizes and supports 

communities that use innovative development policies and strategies to strengthen their 

economies, provide housing and transportation choices, bring benefits to a wide range of 

residents, and protect the environment. This program has provided annual awards since 2002. 

FTA New Starts Program. This program provides funding for major transit capital investments. Among 

other criteria, project sponsors applying for funds are evaluated based on transit-supportive existing land 

use and policies. The program has been funded at a level of about $1.65 billion per year under 

SAFETEA-LU.

FHWA/FTA Transportation Capacity Building Program. Created in 2001 with a focus on the MPO 

planning process, the Transportation Capacity Building Program provides information, training, and 

technical assistance to metropolitan transportation planning professionals and officials. Transportation 

Capacity Building Program activities are funded through a variety of sources, including the Surface 

Transportation Environment and Planning cooperative research program, FTA Section 5314-Research, 

and FTA Section 5327-Oversight (U.S. DOT 2008). 

FHWA Transportation and Community and System Preservation Program. This program, initiated in 

1998, supports innovative strategies that use transportation to build livable communities by improving 

efficiency, environmental performance and accessibility, while “examining development patterns and 

identifying strategies to encourage private-sector development patterns that achieve these goals.” A 

number of projects focusing on transportation and land-use planning integration were funded in the first 

two to three years of the program, but Congressional earmarking soon tilted the balance of projects to 

focused capital investments such as bicycle and pedestrian improvements. The Transportation and 

Community and System Preservation program was authorized at a level of $61.5 million per year in 2006 

and beyond under SAFETEA-LU.

HUD HOPE VI Program. This program was developed to help eradicate severely distressed public 

housing. The program provided a total of $6.7 billion from FY 1993 through FY 2010 (an average of 

$372 million per year), for revitalization, planning, demolition, and grants for smaller communities to 

develop affordable housing (HUD HOPE VI undated). 

HUD Choice Neighborhoods Program. This is a new program that awards grants to transform distressed 

neighborhoods and public and assisted projects into viable and sustainable mixed-income neighborhoods 

by linking housing improvements with services, schools, public assets, transportation, and access to jobs. 

Five cities were awarded a total of $122 million in FY 2011. The program is a centerpiece of the current

Administration’s interagency Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative – a collaboration between the 

Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Education, Justice, Treasury, and Health and Human 

Services in support of local public- and private-sector leaders in attracting the investments needed to 

transform distressed neighborhoods into sustainable, mixed-income neighborhoods with affordable 

housing, safe streets and good schools (HUD Choice Neighborhoods undated). 

Partnership for Sustainable Communities. This joint effort of the U.S. DOT, HUD, and EPA was initiated 

in 2009. The partnership has adopted joint livability principles, and its member agencies are working to 

coordinate investments to support communities that want to improve housing, transportation, and 
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business opportunities. In its first year, the program awarded transportation planning and integrated 

planning grants; revised policies to simplify development of Federal Housing Administration-insured 

multifamily housing on former brownfield sites; provided guidance on state water grants that discourage 

expanding infrastructure to accommodate growth; developed a guide to help planners implement mixedincome, transit-oriented development; and selected participants for a pilot program with five 

communities to clean up and reuse contaminated and vacant properties. In October 2010, the Partnership 

announced the award of $100 million of HUD funding to 45 regions through the Sustainable 

Communities Regional Planning Grant program; $40 million of HUD funding in Sustainable Community 

Challenge Grants for local planning; and $28 million in U.S. DOT Transportation Investment Generating 

Economic Recovery (TIGER) II Planning Grants to implement localized plans. Funding was not provided 

in FY 2012 and future funding is uncertain.

To put the scale of the program funding levels in context, the entire federal aid highway program is about 

$38 billion per year (authorized at $193 billion between FY 2005 and 2009 under SAFETEA-LU and 

continued at a similar level under extensions to the bill). This includes federal funds for transportation 

system planning, construction, and maintenance. Some of the funding categories under this program may 

be used for purposes other than highways, including bicycle, pedestrian, and transit projects, at the 

discretion of states and MPOs to which the funding is distributed.

6.3. Potential Federal Opportunities

This section discusses and evaluates some specific actions that the federal government could potentially 

take to promote more energy-efficient transportation, land use, and development. This report does not 

propose or promote such actions. These actions may take a variety of forms, including:

• Technical and planning assistance to states, regional planning agencies, and local communities, 

e.g., through the publication of resource documents, tool kits, case studies and models, or 

conducting peer exchanges 

• Marketing and outreach – provision of information directly to the general public 

• Funding directly targeted at efficient growth, including funding for integrated planning; 

transportation infrastructure to shape growth patterns in desired ways, and other projects and 

activities, awarded based on criteria related to the effect on growth patterns

• Tax policy that may influence land development

• Regulations that apply to federal agencies, states, and/or local communities. 

Table 6.2 reviews examples of existing federal actions that fall within each category. Many of these 

programs are funding programs that are described in more detail in Section 6.2. Additional actions listed 

in this table include:

• The Brownfields Tax Incentive encourages the cleanup and reuse of brownfields. Under the 

Brownfields Tax Incentive, environmental cleanup costs are fully deductible in the year incurred, 

rather than capitalized and spread over time.

• Federal land development and disposal policies – The federal government is a major landowner in 

certain regions of the country, especially the Rocky Mountain and intermountain west. Bureau of 

Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and Department of Defense policies towards land 

development and disposal can have a significant impact on urban growth in some western cities. 

For example, Bureau of Land Management land surrounding Las Vegas, Nevada, may be a 

contributing factor to relatively compact (high-density) development patterns in this city. Military 

base realignment and closure and redevelopment of other major federal facilities represent 
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opportunities in other parts of the country, and some ongoing or completed redevelopment 

projects (such as the Lowry Air Force Base in Denver) already reflect smart growth principles.

Table 6.2. Examples of Existing Federal Actions

Type of Action Examples

Technical and planning 

assistance

EPA Smart Growth Implementation Assistance

FHWA/FTA Transportation Capacity Building Program – e.g., peer 

exchanges and other resources on scenario planning

Marketing and outreach EPA Smart Growth Achievement Awards

EPA Smart Growth program information and resources

Funding and funding criteria for:

• Planning HUD/EPA/DOT Sustainable Communities Planning and Challenge Grants

EPA Brownfields Areawide Planning Pilot Program

• Transportation infrastructure FTA New Starts Program

FHWA Transportation and Community and System Preservation Program

• Development EPA Brownfields Program

HUD HOPE VI and Choice Neighborhoods

Tax policy Brownfields Tax Incentive

Regulation Federal land development and disposal policies (e.g., Bureau of Land 

Management, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Defense/Base 

Realignment and Closure) 

Table 6.3 lists additional strategies that could be employed by the federal government to encourage more 

efficient development patterns. These strategies are described in more detail following Table 6.3. Some of 

these represent expansions of existing programs, and therefore have clear federal authority and precedent, 

but expansion would require a Congressional funding decision. Others represent new initiatives, or 

revocation of existing programs, that would in most cases need to be authorized by Congress. 

Table 6.3 assesses the following factors:

Potential Payoff – The extent to which the action will encourage more efficient development patterns or 

overcome barriers to such patterns. Available data do not allow us to directly quantify the effects of 

specific federal policies on urban form patterns or provide an evidence-based quantitative assessment of 

payoff. The following definitions are provided for benchmarking purposes, and categorization is based on 

judgment of the authors within these benchmarks: 

• High – The strategy could potentially influence or shape at least 20% of new development. 

• Medium – The strategy could potentially shape in the range of 5% to 20% of new development. 

• Low – The strategy could potentially shape less than 5% of new development.
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Table 6.3. Strategy Assessment for Federal Policy and Program Options

Strategy Type Federal Policy and Program Options

Potential 

Payoff

Factors Affecting

Potential Payoff

Federal 

Implementation 

Authority

Technical assistance Expanded Smart Growth or other federal technical 

assistance programs

Model planning ordinances and zoning codes

Low-Medium High

Marketing and outreach Promote cost calculator/comparisons (such as Housing 

and Transportation Affordability Index) to potential 

homebuyers 

Low High

Information to advise developers on the financial 

performance of low-income housing projects near transit

Low High

Funding for:

• Planning Increased funding for regional and community-level 

integrated planning

Medium Amount of funding High

• Transportation 

infrastructure

Increased funding for urban road and transit to facilitate 

development in urban locations

Medium-High Amount of funding; whether linked with 

funding for land-use planning

High

Increased funding for high-speed rail Low-Medium Amount of funding; whether land-use

planning criteria or funding also attached

High

• Other implementation Increased funding for brownfields cleanup and public 

housing renewal

Low Amount of funding High

Tax and lending policy Eliminate home mortgage deduction High High

Location-efficient mortgages Low Medium

Tax credits for brownfields, TOD, other infill/

redevelopment

Low Amount of credits and criteria for 

application

High

Regulation Location-related funding criteria for federally funded 

programs 

Low-Medium Specific criteria and extent of application High

Requirements for regions to conduct integrated planning Medium Incentives or disincentives to enforce 

requirements

Medium

Requirements for local comprehensive planning and 

zoning

Low-High Extent to which requirements are 

performance-based

Low

Regulations related to value capture, e.g., TOD
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Factors Affecting the Potential Payoff – Payoff can vary depending on how the strategy is implemented

Federal Implementation Authority 

• High – Clear authority exists. 

• Medium – The extent of federal authority is unclear or limited. 

• Low – Authority may not currently exist. 

A brief discussion of each of the strategies shown in Table 6.3 follows, including how the strategy is 

intended to affect urban form.

Expanded federal funding and technical assistance programs directed at regional and community 

integrated planning for smart growth. Many communities would like to adopt smart growth practices

(e.g., overhauling zoning codes), but do not have the in-house know-how or the financial resources to hire 

an expert consultant. At a regional scale, institutional structures and funding mechanisms to support 

integrated planning may be tapped out by responding to required activities, such as developing 

transportation and air quality plans. Increased funding can help communities at all scales move beyond 

required planning activities. Technical assistance is especially useful for helping smaller communities that 

may not have planners on staff. Undertaking planning activities or zoning reforms does not guarantee 

more efficient future development patterns, but it is an important step in laying the framework and 

clarifying options for elected officials and for the public. 

Model planning ordinances and zoning codes. The Federal Housing Administration’s model subdivision 

ordinance, created in the 1930s, has contributed to suburban sprawl and disconnected transportation 

networks. Recently, the EPA Smart Growth and HUD sustainable communities programs have attempted 

to provide alternatives to this approach by offering resources for smart growth plans and zoning. Small 

towns and rural communities have a particular need for technical assistance to help manage the interface 

with urban areas. 

Marketing and outreach. Federal lending agencies (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) could take a more 

proactive role in helping buyers understand total occupancy costs, including housing and transportation. 

In addition, HUD could provide better data on costs, activity, absorption, and outcomes of affordable 

housing near transit, to assist investors and lenders who may perceive such projects as risky.12

Increased funding for urban transit and/or high-speed rail. Shifting national infrastructure funding 

priorities towards transit would not directly create more efficient urban patterns, but would support a 

movement in this direction. The risk is that transit alone may not be a significant factor shaping growth 

patterns in many areas. Infrastructure investment will be most effective if implemented via criteria that 

reward land-use planning (such as FTA’s New Starts criteria), or if the provision of planning funds is 

coordinated with infrastructure investment.

Increased funding for brownfields cleanup and public housing renewal. While the geographic scope of 

these programs is limited, they can act as catalysts, overcoming fiscal and social barriers to make 

neighborhoods attractive for infill and provide more alternatives to greenfield development.

Eliminate home mortgage deduction. The existing home interest mortgage deduction is an example of a 

current federal program that may contribute to inefficient urban form. This tax deduction, which provides 

a financial advantage to ownership versus renting, encourages the financing of single-family homes. As 

was seen in the recent housing boom and subsequent bust, other home mortgage lending policies may also 

affect the ability to finance and construct new single-family housing. Development of new single-family 

homes, especially large homes on large lots in greenfield areas, contributes to urban sprawl.

 

12 For example, a recent report notes that the Qualified Census Tracts and Difficult Development Areas designations by HUD are 

generally not supportive of locating affordable housing near transit (HUD, 2010, Policy Paper 2, Financing Tools and Strategies). 
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Location-efficient mortgages. The idea behind the location-efficient mortgage is that homeowners can 

afford a higher mortgage payment in transportation-efficient locations where household transportation 

costs are less (for example, as measured through the Housing and Transportation Affordability Index). 

While location-efficient mortgages were implemented on a pilot basis in a number of cities, they have had 

little impact and have not gained widespread appeal among lenders or buyers. In part this may be due to 

adding complexity to the already complicated home buying and mortgage approval process. Federal 

lending agencies can support location-efficient mortgages but need the cooperation of private mortgage 

providers. In addition to providing information on housing and transportation costs, HUD could begin to 

develop studies of differences in foreclosure rates between areas with different housing and transportation 

costs, and incorporate these into mortgage qualifications if a significant difference is found. 

Tax credits for brownfields, TOD, other infill/redevelopment. Tax credits currently are available for 

brownfields redevelopment. These credits could, in theory, be expanded to support other forms of smart 

growth, such as development near a transit station. The goal of such credits is to help make developments 

feasible by overcoming cost differentials, so they primarily assist development of properties that deliver

marginal return on investment. Decisions about the extent of crediting would balance program benefits 

against the potentially significant revenue losses.

Requirements for regions to conduct integrated planning. The federal government could require regions 

to develop integrated transportation and land-use plans as a condition of transportation (or other) funding. 

Such a requirement would not be popular, however, and would run the risk that plans would be developed 

simply to fulfill the requirement, and not implemented effectively due to lack of local buy-in. The 

effectiveness would also depend on penalties for noncompliance and performance standards.

Requirements and support for local comprehensive planning and zoning. Similarly, the government could 

require and/or support municipalities to develop local comprehensive plans and zoning codes. Currently, 

this issue is left to the states, and the federal government may not have the constitutional authority to 

intervene. However, a collaborative federal role could support dissemination of effective methods. 

Whether such a requirement would lead to more efficient development practices would also depend on 

the extent to which performance-based standards are applied (e.g., minimum zoning densities) and 

compliance with adopted regulations is actually enforced. Any federal action perceived as intrusion into 

local planning authority would most likely encounter resistance. A variation on this strategy would be to 

empower regional agencies to conduct land-use planning with authority to approve or reject plans, as well 

as to monitor and enforce compliance.

Location-related funding criteria for federally funded programs. The federal government funds many 

transportation, housing, economic development, environmental cleanup, schools, and public facility 

programs. Funding could be contingent on meeting siting criteria, such as siting schools in locations with 

a minimum population within walking distance, or prioritizing transportation projects serving existing 

communities. This has been done on through the new HUD/U.S. DOT/EPA partnership (e.g., TIGER 

funding criteria that relate to livability criteria), and could be expanded. If expanded to encompass the 

majority of federal funding, it would likely encounter strong political resistance from communities whose 

proposals do not meet siting criteria.

Direct federal planning. The federal government could take a direct role in conducting land-use planning. 

Within the existing legal and regulatory framework, this is only feasible for land under federal ownership, 

which represents only a small fraction of land in or adjacent to most urban areas. However, the 

government could still establish more specific criteria related to transportation and energy-efficient 

growth and redevelopment principles for these areas.

Table 6.4 presents the strategies listed in Table 6.3 in the form of an opportunity matrix. Strategies are 

arrayed according to the level of federal authority versus potential payoff. Those with higher levels of 

both authority and payoff represent the greatest potential opportunity areas. This table does not reflect the 

political feasibility of the strategies, which may change over a short timeframe.
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Table 6.4. Opportunity Matrix for Built Environment Strategies

Federal 

Authority

Potential Payoff

Low Medium High

High Marketing and outreach

Funding for brownfields cleanup 

and public housing renewal

Tax credits for brownfield, TOD

Funding for planning

Technical assistance

Funding for transit 

infrastructure (without 

planning requirements)

Location-related criteria for 

federally funded programs

Eliminate home mortgage 

interest deduction

Funding for transit 

infrastructure (with planning 

requirements)

Medium Location-efficient mortgages Requirements for regional 

integrated planning

Low Requirements for local 

comprehensive planning 

and zoning

Direct federal planning

It is clear from the discussions in Section 2.0 and 3.0 that the built environment can have a significant 

effect on transportation energy use (as well as other social and environmental outcomes), and therefore 

may be of interest to the DOE. Few of the strategies listed in Tables 6.3 and 6.4, however, appear to 

currently fall under DOE’s jurisdiction. One option for DOE involvement would be to direct departmental 

funding into planning and technical assistance programs, further supporting the activities already 

undertaken by EPA, HUD, and U.S. DOT. This would logically be done by working as part of the 

Partnership for Sustainable Communities. Another role for DOE could be to support applied research and

the development and improvement of analysis tools to help inform decision-making regarding the built 

environment. Needs and opportunities for research and development in this area are discussed in the next 

section.
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7. ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS

This section describes additional analysis that would help improve understanding of the effects of changes 

in urban form and potential federal actions on energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. It includes 

research on technical issues in an effort to understand the interactions between built environment and 

travel; modeling and assessment tool improvements; and the potential effects of federal action. Selection 

of these topics for additional analysis is based on consultation with stakeholders and Cambridge 

Systematics’ expertise. This report does not advocate for or against filling these research gaps, but intends 

only to identify them. 

7.1. Technical Issues

Many issues about the interactions between the built environment and travel are not well understood. Key 

technical issues that may warrant further research include: 

Interactions between urban form and other transportation strategies, including pricing, transit 

investment, nonmotorized travel, and travel demand management. Many transportation GHG-reduction 

assessments have taken individual strategies and calculated the cumulative benefits, with no or limited 

consideration of synergistic or antagonistic effects. Regional modeling studies have accounted for 

interactions among land use, transit, and sometimes pricing and nonmotorized travel. However, in most 

cases the scenarios have not been constructed in a way that can demonstrate (or refute) the existence of 

synergistic effects, and the few that have done so have produced mixed results. Evidence on the extent of 

interactive effects and the potential implications for long-term VMT and GHG reduction remains limited.

Impacts of urban form on accessibility, productivity, agglomeration, income, and economic growth. Key 

questions include: 1) For a given metro area population, how do different combinations of urban form 

and transportation networks affect accessibility, with resulting business/economic and consumer/traveler 

benefits? 2) To what extent do TOD, higher densities, etc., lead to agglomeration benefits? and 3) How 

does urban form affect land prices, affordability, and consumer and producer welfare (including 

equity/benefits across income levels)?

Impacts of land use/urban form on goods movement and travel by service trucks. To what extent does 

smart growth reduce truck travel by reducing trip distances? Can local and regional land-use strategies 

make goods movement more efficient, either by locating freight destinations in closer proximity or 

facilitating mode-shift through rail-oriented development? (Note: The TRB Committee on Land 

Development is developing a research needs statement on this topic.) 

Can we reduce travel while also maintaining personal automotive mobility? New developments—

especially in the high-growth south and west—are increasingly adopting traditional design practices that 

include a mix of uses and a pedestrian-friendly environment. However, these communities are often 

isolated and interconnected by wide high-speed arterial streets, limiting the potential for mode shift and 

vehicle trip reduction. How do the benefits of smart growth vary across different implementation scales 

and contexts? 

Benefits of retrofitting suburbia. Much of the United States already is developed in auto-oriented patterns 

of segregated, low-density uses. Various retrofit strategies have been proposed, such as infill and 

redevelopment of shopping malls and office parks, and creation of interconnected pedestrian and bicycle 

links. What is the potential extent of such retrofit strategies (both technically and politically), where are 

the potential markets, and what transportation impacts might result?

Current and future market for smart growth development in different regions of the country. The current 

land-use planning framework and political climate in the United States generally allows for changes to 

policy and regulations to facilitate higher-density development (and even require certain design features), 

but unless strict growth controls (such as Oregon’s urban growth boundaries) are widely implemented or 
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minimum density requirements are established (unlikely in most areas), developers cannot be required to 

build at high densities. Policy actions to reform land-use regulations will therefore only result in changes 

that the market supports. This in turn will depend on regional demographics and constraints on land 

values. Especially in smaller and lower-density urban areas, what is the potential market for smart growth

development that can reduce travel significantly, and how might this change as demographics, energy 

prices, or other factors shift in the future? 

7.2. Modeling and Assessment Tools

Opportunities also exist for improving the ability of modeling tools to assess energy impacts. For 

example:

• There is limited understanding within the transportation and land-use planning community of how 

urban form affects nontransportation energy use, and how to model the nontransportation energy 

effects of alternative growth scenarios. Some sketch planning tools (such as PLACE3

S, developed 

by the California Energy Commission) do include built environment energy factors. Sketch tools, 

however, include only rudimentary transportation relationships (e.g., elasticities of VMT with 

respect to the 3 Ds). A set of factors and methods that could be integrated with transportation and 

land-use models and scenario planning tools would be useful. 

• A more comprehensive assessment of energy use as it relates to both buildings and transportation 

could also be used to improve environmental rating systems, such as the Leadership in Energy 

and Environmental Design (LEED) – Neighborhood Development. EPA has funded research to 

incorporate transportation into this index, but more information would be helpful. 

• There are many needs for improving travel demand modeling, and integrated transportation-landuse modeling, which are critical to accurately assessing transportation energy use from future 

scenarios. For example, most modeling systems in use today do not fully incorporate feedback 

between transportation investments and growth patterns, meaning that induced demand effects of 

investments are not fully captured. This is an area of ongoing activity through the U.S. DOT’s 

Travel Model Improvement Program (in partnership with EPA), but it is possible that DOE could 

contribute resources to this effort. A major challenge is that advances in modeling techniques 

have outpaced the ability of resource-constrained metropolitan planning organizations to 

implement them.

• Emissions modeling tools, including EPA’s MOVES model and the California Air Resources 

Board’s EMFAC model, have very limited ability to account for alternative fuel vehicles. DOE’s 

GREET model is useful for developing energy and emission factors for a wide range of vehicle/

fuel types, but does not provide output consistent with MOVES or EMFAC (e.g., energy and 

emissions in GREET are not speed-based and are provided for only three classes of light-duty 

vehicles). This is perhaps an area where DOE could collaborate with EPA to better integrate 

future versions of these models, given the rising interest in alternative fuel vehicles. This issue is 

not specific to modeling urban form, but does affect the ability to accurately model the effects of 

urban form strategies.

• There is a lack of sketch-level tools that can be applied to analyze the impacts of future land-use/

urban form scenarios, when resources do not permit the use of a full-scale model. Methods are 

generally developed ad hoc, but assumptions vary widely. This was demonstrated in the recent 

development of Climate Action Plans for a number of states, where land-use strategies were 

estimated to have widely varying, and in some cases quite unrealistic, effects on GHG reduction 

over the next 10 to 15 years. The Built Environment Energy Analysis Tool being developed for 

the current project represents an important step in filling this need.
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7.3. Effects of Federal Policy on Urban Form

It is somewhat more difficult to identify key uncertainties regarding the effects of federal policy on urban 

form. The challenge is that the federal government has historically chosen to play a hands-off role in land 

use and urban development, ceding authority to the states (with the exception of the urban renewal 

programs of the mid-20th century). Without a major shift in federal policy, to what extent can federal steps 

such as planning and implementation grants, technical assistance, etc., affect local and regional land-use 

planning? As discussed in Section 4.0, the federal government’s existing authority is primarily through 

transportation funding, environmental regulatory authority under the Clean Air Act, housing programs, 

and economic development initiatives. The extent of impact on planning practice will be related to the 

size of the financial incentive or disincentive offered. What is not known is the extent to which actual 

development will be affected; this will vary locally depending on whether a market exists for such 

development (see Section 5.1). 

The federal government could clearly take much stronger action in determining urban form, requiring 

growth boundaries and smart growth zoning, or making transportation funding contingent on land-use 

policy actions and outcomes. European national and regional governments take a much more active role 

in planning. Without a major shift, however, it appears unlikely that the U.S. government would begin to 

play a much more active role in land use, and the question of the potential impacts of a far more active 

federal role on land use outcomes may not be relevant. 
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8. CONCLUSIONS

Policy Leading to Potential Energy and GHG Benefits

A number of recent studies have attempted to use modeling approaches to estimate the nationwide VMT, 

energy, and GHG emissions reductions possible through land-use changes through the year 2050. The 

built environment has an important effect on travel, with higher densities, a mix of uses, and walkable 

neighborhoods contributing to lower vehicle travel and energy use. Urban form has evolved in response to 

a variety of demographic, social, economic, technological, and policy drivers. Although most authority 

for regulating land resides with local governments, federal policy has indirectly had a major influence on 

urban form, through transportation investment (especially the Interstate Highway System) and housing 

and urban development policy (e.g., mortgage financing and subdivision regulation). 

Through most of the 20th century, local land use and zoning policy has favored segregating different uses 

and developing at low-density. Recently, suburbanization has shown signs of slowing or reversing, as 

demographic, economic, and cultural changes create renewed interest in smaller homes in urban settings. 

The American public is largely split over preferences for smart growth versus sprawl, with many desiring 

attributes of both. 

Local governments are increasingly implementing smart growth policies in attempts to constrain sprawl 

through overhauls to zoning codes and permitting processes, and through redevelopment initiatives 

focusing on infill and revitalization of existing neighborhoods. State and federal governments can support 

such initiatives through funding, technical assistance, transportation policy, and other voluntary means. In 

formulating these policies, it is crucial for government agencies to weigh the key factors of density, 

diversity, design, and accessibility.

Impacts of Urban Form

Density has important effects on travel. Higher densities contribute to shorter trip lengths (since origins 

and destinations are closer together), and make transit and nonmotorized modes more viable. Gross 

neighborhood densities in the range of at least 4,000, and more significantly at 7,000 to 10,000 persons 

per square mile, seem to represent a threshold over which the largest reductions in automobile travel may 

occur. One widely cited study concluded, based on a review of literature, that residents of compact, 

walkable neighborhoods have about 20% to 40% lower VMT per capita, on average, than residents of 

sprawl neighborhoods (Ewing et al. 2007). 

The effects of density, however, are difficult to capture through simple metrics such as average 

neighborhood or regional density. For example, the Los Angeles urbanized area has a higher average 

population density than the New York metropolitan area, yet has higher VMT per capita and much higher 

automobile mode shares. This is because the New York region contains a high-density core with a large 

fraction of population and employment that can be readily served by transit and walking, whereas Los 

Angeles is more uniformly distributed at moderate densities best served by the automobile. Los Angeles 

does have significantly lower trip lengths and VMT per capita, however, than large cities with much 

lower regional average densities, such as Atlanta.

In other instances, the effects of the density of the built environment on travel are indirect. For example, 

high densities lead to greater traffic congestion, as well as higher parking costs due to competition for 

land – both factors which discourage automobile travel and make alternatives more attractive.

Effects of Diversity, Design, and Accessibility

While the effects of diversity and design are modest (a doubling of various metrics typically results in a 

VMT change in the range of 5% to 10% or less), they are still important complements to density, at least 

at higher densities. At lower densities, even bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly design will be insufficient to 
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make travel by transit or walking competitive. Regional accessibility is an important factor. For example, 

people who live closer to the center of a region tend to travel shorter distances than those who live in 

outlying areas, even if neighborhood design and composition are similar. 

Despite numerous studies of the built environment’s effects on travel, researchers still disagree on the 

extent to which the built environment itself, versus other factors such as income, demographics, and 

preferences, accounts for differences in travel behavior among neighborhoods and regions. 

Impacts of the Built Environment on Other Outcomes 

Economic growth – Very little research has related economic outcomes to measures of urban form. While 

there is general agreement on the phenomenon of economies of agglomeration (greater proximity to 

workers, suppliers, customers, etc., that increases productivity), there is some disagreement as to whether 

city size or density is the primary driver. 

Infrastructure and other municipal costs – Evidence suggests that compact development can lead to 

savings in infrastructure costs through reductions in the length of local roads and utility connections. 

Housing affordability – There are limited data on this factor, and opinions differ on whether growth 

management results in higher housing costs. Some authors have suggested that even if housing costs are 

higher in higher-density neighborhoods, these prices are offset by lower transportation costs. 

Traffic safety – Smart growth development exhibits characteristics that may both support improved traffic 

safety (such as lower traffic speeds and VMT) and not support it (such as more four-way intersections). 

The net effect is challenging to estimate, but one study found that U.S. metropolitan areas with high levels 

of “sprawl” have higher traffic fatality rates than “nonsprawling” regions. 

Public health – Limited evidence suggests that physical activity benefits related to an increase in walking 

and bicycling in smart growth neighborhoods are at least comparable to, and may outweigh, health costs 

from increased air pollution exposure and safety risks. 

Environmental benefits – Compact growth patterns have been demonstrated to reduce land conversion for 

urban uses, supporting preservation of agricultural land, forests, open space, wetlands, and wildlife 

habitats.

Consumer welfare – A variety of other social benefits and ills have been assigned to sprawling versus 

compact land-use patterns. However, there has been little quantitative analysis of such outcomes.

Equity and environmental justice – Compact development can benefit low-income populations by 

supporting transit access and reducing vehicle costs. On the other hand, such populations may be 

negatively impacted if housing costs are higher, or if they are priced out of the most accessible locations.

Tools for Measuring the Impacts of the Built Environment 

Most tools used to assess relationships between transportation and land use, ranging from simple 

spreadsheet-based sketch methods to complex network-based travel demand and integrated land-use 

models, are not ideally suited for measuring all aspects of the built environment’s effects on travel. The 

best for this purpose are probably the more well-developed regional travel demand models that 

incorporate transit and nonmotorized mode choices, as well as factors that reflect built environment 

variables, such as the quality of the pedestrian environment and mix of uses. While travel demand models 

are used for metropolitan transportation planning throughout the United States, they are resource intensive 

to apply, and few have benefited from the enhancements required to adequately model built environment 

factors. Sketch-level tools are more widely used, but primarily account for neighborhood-level factors 

rather than regional patterns of accessibility. New and enhanced tools are needed to accurately and 

comprehensively model these complicated relationships. 
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These new tools might include: 

• Incorporating nontransportation energy use into transportation scenario planning tools 

• Improving the state of practice in travel demand modeling and integrated transportation land-use 

modeling to better incorporate built environment factors. Developing improved sketch-level tools 

that can be applied to analyze the impacts of future land-use/urban form scenarios when resources 

do not permit the use of a full-scale model. 

Federal Policy Options

Changes to the built environment could result in U.S. transportation energy and GHG emission reductions 

of 1% to 10% by 2050, the equivalent of a reduction of up to 16% to 18% in the urban light-duty-vehicle 

travel subsector. However, the higher end of the range is based on very optimistic assumptions (e.g., the 

location of 75% to 90% of new development between now and 2050 in compact, walkable 

neighborhoods) that are unlikely without aggressive policy action and supportive market forces.

Federal actions that could drive such changes can take a variety of forms, including:

Technical and planning assistance to states, regional planning agencies, and local communities, (e.g., 

through the publication of resource documents, tool kits, case studies and models, or the hosting of peer 

exchanges) 

Marketing and outreach campaigns providing information directly to the general public

Funding directly targeted at efficient growth, including monies for integrated planning, transportation 

infrastructure, and other projects and activities, awarded based on criteria intended to shape growth 

patterns in desired ways

Tax policy that may influence land development

Regulations that apply to federal agencies, states, and/or local communities, such as requirements to 

consider land use effects in transportation funding decisions 

Few strategies that directly affect the built environment currently fall under the DOE’s jurisdiction. One 

direct action the DOE could consider would be directing departmental funding into planning and technical 

assistance programs, further supporting the activities already undertaken by the EPA, HUD, and the U.S. 

DOT.

Additional Research Opportunities

Much is still not understood about the interactions between the built environment and travel. Key 

technical issues that may warrant further research include:

• Interactions between urban form and other transportation strategies 

• Impacts of urban form on accessibility, productivity, agglomeration, income, and economic 

growth

• Impacts of land use/urban form on goods movement and travel by service trucks 

• Benefits of retrofits to establish more smart growth features in suburban locations

• Current and future market demand for smart growth development in different regions of the 

country. 
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The Potential for Significant Impact

Changes to the built environment, such as higher densities and mixed-use, walkable communities, have 

the potential to impact transportation energy and GHG emissions significantly over the long term, 

reducing total national transportation energy use by up to 10 % by 2050, and complementing the results 

of other travel reduction and energy efficiency strategies. Although estimates of potential impacts vary 

widely depending on the context of the changes and the aggressiveness of implementation, DOE actions 

could help better understand these relationships and inform decision making, leading to implementation 

of built environment strategies that more dramatically reduce energy use, GHG emissions, and petroleum 

dependence.
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APPENDIX. LITERATURE REVIEW

This annotated literature review is organized according to the topics covered in the remaining sections of 

this report. There have been numerous studies of some of the topics covered in the review (such as the 

influence of the built environment on travel). This review focuses on key studies that summarize the 

weight of evidence or otherwise represent landmarks on the topics covered, based on Cambridge 

Systematics’ knowledge of the field. Resources on tools and methods are listed separately in Section 4.0 

for each tool or method discussed. 

A.1. Measuring Urban Form

Cervero and Kockelman (1997). Travel Demand and the 3 Ds: Density, Diversity, and 

Design. Transportation Research D, 2(3), 199–219. 

This study introduced the concept of the “3 Ds” as metrics of urban form and examined the link between 

these metrics and travel behavior.

Eidlin (2010). What Density Doesn’t Tell Us About Sprawl. Access Magazine, 37, pages 2–9. 

Sprawl is generally measured by either VMT or population density metrics, but cities with high average 

density can also have high levels of VMT. This report finds that urban areas with relatively high 

population density evenly distributed over a wide area can experience the negative effects of both 

urbanism and sprawl. For example, Los Angeles has many characteristics associated with sprawl 

(including low rates of walking, bicycling, and transit ridership) yet has the highest average density of any 

metropolitan area at 59 persons per acre. Measures of weighted density or a density gradient have a much 

stronger association with use of non-auto modes. Location of density and arrangements of the built 

environment and perception of density may be more helpful to policy-makers attempting to reduce auto 

dependence and sprawl.

Ewing, Pendall, and Chen (2002). Measuring Sprawl and Its Impact. Smart Growth America.

This report creates a sprawl index based on four factors that can be measured and analyzed: residential 

density; neighborhood mix of homes, jobs, and services; strength of activity centers and downtowns; and 

accessibility of the street network. It then compares 83 U.S. metropolitan areas on various measures of 

performance, including driving rates, vehicle ownership, ozone pollution, fatal accidents, rates of walking 

and alternative transport use, and congestion delays.

Galster et al. (2001). Wrestling Sprawl to the Ground: Defining and Measuring an Elusive 

Concept. Housing Policy Debate, Volume 12, No. 4. 

This article presents a conceptual definition of sprawl based on eight dimensions: density, continuity, 

concentration, clustering, centrality, nuclearity, mixed uses, and proximity. Each dimension is 

operationally defined and tested in 13 urban areas. The approach is found to be useful to developing 

objective measures of sprawl for different urban areas. Measurement was performed based on aggregation 

of census data for one-half-mile and one-mile grid cells.

Karathodorou and Graham (2011). The Measurement of Land Use Mixing, Presented at 2011 meeting of 

Transportation Research Board.

This report finds that few studies have looked at the measurement of land-use mix per se, and reviews the 

land-use mix measures that have been used in the literature and uses simulations to illustrate that the use 

of alternative measures seldom produce equivalent results.
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Kirk et al. (2010). Design of a Framework for Measuring Sustainable Regional Development. University 

of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies. 

The proposed framework includes a set of sustainability principles, indicators, measures, and 

accompanying data sources. The study team built on the livability principles established by the EPA, 

HUD, and the U.S. DOT. Using input from a focus group event, the research team assessed the quality, 

reliability, validity, scale, and availability of the identified data sources and proposed an analysis plan for 

future development of baseline measures.

Pidot and Sommer (1974). Modal Cities. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA-600/5-74-027. 

This report used principal components analysis to categorize 224 standard metropolitan statistical areas

according to 48 variables representing demographic housing, income, labor force, and business 

characteristics. Variables related to urban form included population per square mile, percent urban 

population, and percent single-family housing units. The analysis yielded 14 principal components, of 

which seven explained 67% of the variance. The groupings had a distinct regional character.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2011). Guide to Sustainable Transportation Performance 

Measures. EPA 231-K-10-004 (EPA, 2011). 

This document describes opportunities to incorporate environmental, economic, and social sustainability 

into transportation decision-making through the use of performance measures. Measures directly 

describing urban form include transit accessibility, mixed land uses, and land consumption. Other 

measures may be related to urban form (e.g., bicycle and pedestrian mode share, VMT per capita, carbon 

intensity, transit productivity).

Other references relevant to this topic: Ewing and Cervero (2010). 

A.2. Travel, Energy, and GHG Impacts

U.S. Studies 

Arrington and Cervero (2008). Effects of Transit-Oriented Development on Housing, Parking, and 

Travel. TCRP 128, Transportation Research Board. 

Results of this research show that TOD housing results in fewer trips than conventional development in 

the four urbanized areas that were studied, roughly half the rate estimated by typical Institute of 

Transportation Engineers trip generation rates. Parking ratios for residential TODs may be overstated by 

the same order of magnitude. (Note: Part of this effect is likely due to the smaller average dwelling unit 

sizes in the TOD housing samples versus traditional housing, reflecting the different demographics of 

TOD.)

Barnes (2001). Population and Employment Density and Travel Behavior in Large U.S. Cities. Center for 

Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota.

This report sought to determine whether high population density or some other aggregate land-use 

characteristic can be used to create beneficial effects on travel behavior for urbanized areas. The research 

also looked at variations in travel behavior across large U.S. cities. A variety of urbanized area-level landuse measures were tested, including average population density, perceived population density from 

residential locations (i.e., zonal density weighted by residents), perceived job density from work 

locations, and residential and job concentration. The study found that while VMT per capita showed a 

variation of about 25% across most cities, even large differences in the land-use metrics—spanning across 

the range of cities in the United States—had very little impact on travel behavior as measured by VMT 

and travel time per capita, mode shares, or travel speeds. One exception was that transit use was primarily 

explained by job perceived density and residential concentration. The authors also note that regressions 
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on density alone overlook effects of access, and that in the Twin Cities, the effect of local density 

disappeared entirely when access to jobs was accounted for.

Bartholomew (2005). Integrating Land Use Issues into Transportation Planning: Scenario Planning. 

University of Utah; Prepared for FHWA. 

This report reviews over 80 regional transportation and land-use scenario planning efforts, comparing 

lead agencies, archetypal forms, analysis tools, and performance metrics. Evaluation results show a 

median reduction in VMT for alternative versus trend scenarios of 2.3% over a 20-year timeframe, 

ranging from an increase of 7% to a decrease of 17% across 31 projects.

Urban Land Institute (2009). Moving Cooler: An Analysis of Transportation Strategies for Reducing 

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Urban Land Institute, Washington, D.C. 

This report presents an analysis of the nationwide GHG reduction benefits and costs of system efficiency 

and travel behavior/VMT reduction strategies, including land use. Cumulative benefits and costs over the 

2010-2050 time period are estimated for each strategy and snapshot results are provided for 2020, 2030, 

and 2050. Three levels of implementation aggressiveness are evaluated. The study found that U.S. 

transportation GHGs could be reduced by 2% to 3.4% below baseline in 2050 if 43% to 90% of new 

urban development occurred in areas of 4,000 persons per square mile or more. GHG reductions are based 

on the differences in VMT by density from the 2001 NHTS, and modeled by CUTR. Costs and equity 

implications are also assessed.

Ewing et al. (2007). Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, report 

to the Urban Land Institute.

This report summarizes the evidence on the impacts of smart growth on vehicle travel and makes some

sketch-level calculations of the potential nationwide impacts of focusing urban growth in compact 

neighborhoods as contrasted with sprawl trends. The study estimated that changes in land-use patterns to 

focus most new development into compact, walkable, transit-accessible communities could reduce total 

U.S. GHGs from transportation sources by 7% to 10% from forecast levels by 2050, or urban VMT by 

12% to 18%. The estimates were based on the assumption of 60% to 90% of new development being 

located in compact neighborhoods, along with findings from a literature review and structural equations 

modeling suggesting that compact development can reduce VMT per capita by about 20% to 40% relative 

sprawl, with an average reduction of 30%. 

Ewing and Cervero (2010). “Travel and the Built Environment,” Journal of the American Planning 

Association Volume 76, No. 3, Summer 2010. 

This article is a meta-analysis of the built environment-travel literature existing at the end of 2009. It 

summarizes and synthesizes elasticities of travel (VMT, walking, transit use) with respect to built 

environment variables such as density, diversity, and design.

Guo et al. (2011). The Intersection of Urban Form and Mileage Fees: Findings from the Oregon Road 

User Fee Pilot Program. Mineta Transportation Institute.

This report analyzes data from the 2006-2007 Oregon Road User Fee Pilot Program to assess if and how 

urban form variables correlate with travel behavior changes that participants made in response to the 

mileage fee program. The study tested the impact of two fee structures, a variable charge and a flat rate, 

on seven types of VMT, and finds that charging a noticeably higher fee for driving in congested 

conditions can successfully motivate households to reduce their VMT. It also finds that a mileage fee 

program that charges a high rate during the peak hour is likely to strengthen the underlying influence of 

urban form on travel behavior, making land use matter more to transportation planning. This finding 

about the link between land-use patterns and travel behavior in response to a mileage fee suggests that 

program designers will need to carefully consider both current and future land-use patterns when 
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estimating the likely revenues collected from mileage fees and also the impact the fees could have on 

congestion levels.

Hankey and Marshall (2010). “Impacts of Urban Form on Future U.S. Passenger-Vehicle Greenhouse Gas 

Emissions.” Energy Policy, doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2009.07.005. 

This study uses Monte Carlo simulation to develop future scenarios of urban form in the United States, as 

measured through distributions of population density and linear population density (persons in a onemeter linear transect of the area), for two groups of cities by size. Future VKT is predicted based on 

historical relationships with density. The study estimated the following annual VKT growth rates for 

different scenarios for the 2000-2020 period: complete infill: -0.22%; constant density: 0.05%; three 

scenarios from the Monte Carlo simulation: 0.12% to 1.02%; “suburban nation”: 1.59%. Annual 

emissions in 2020 ranged from 0.66 gigatons CO2e under the complete infill scenario to 0.94 gigatons 

under the suburban nation scenario, meaning that the infill scenario would reduce CO2e by about 30% 

compared to suburban nation. The authors also examined the impacts of urban form combined with 

different vehicle and fuel technology scenarios. An interesting aspect of the research may be the approach 

to generating future density distributions. 

Kuzmyak et al. (2003). Land Use and Site Design: Traveler Response to Transportation System 

Changes. Transit Cooperative Research Program Report 95 Chapter 15. 

This report is an at-the-time comprehensive summary of the state of knowledge of the impacts of land-use 

patterns and urban design on travel behavior. The report summarizes research information in a way that 

can be used by practitioners to understand the impacts of various factors such as density, land-use mix, 

and site design characteristics.

Litman (2011b). Land Use Impacts on Transport: How Land Use Factors Affect Travel Behavior. 

Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Victoria, British Columbia.

This report examines how land-use factors such as density, regional accessibility, roadway design, and 

smart growth programs effect transportation. Land-use factors have cumulative effects on outcome 

measures such as vehicle trips and use of nonmotorized transportation. Understanding the individual and 

cumulative effects of these factors is important in evaluating land-use policies targeted at reducing fuel 

consumption or emissions reductions. 

Mees (2009). “The Density Delusion? Urban Form and Sustainable Transport in Australian, Canadian, 

and U.S. Cities.” World Transport Policy and Practice Volume 15, No. 2. 

This report reexamines the relationship between population density and transport mode choice, taking 

another look at the ideas that have come to be known as the “compact city.” It begins by reviewing the 

origins of the view that density determines mode choice, and that viable public transport cannot be 

provided below a density threshold variously estimated at 30 to 100 persons per hectare. The claim has 

been widely made, but an examination of its basis reveals multiple layers of citation ultimately deriving 

from a single source, the Chicago Area Transportation Study (1956). The author asserts that the Chicago 

Area Transportation Study analysis erroneously attributed poor suburban public transport to low densities, 

when the real causes were failures of planning and policy. The report then reviews the more recent data 

provided by Newman and Kenworthy, who found a similar relationship to that reported in the Chicago 

Area Transportation Study. According to the author, use of the most recent census data from Australia, 

Canada, and the United States suggests the existence of errors and inconsistencies in the estimation of 

urban densities. When these are corrected, the results reveal only a very weak correlation between density 

and public transport use, and no correlation at all with walking and cycling. The report concludes that the 

“compact city” notion is not substantiated by evidence. 
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Melia, Parkhurst, and Barton (2011). “The Paradox of Intensification.” Transport Policy, 18(2011), 

pages 46-52. 

This article examines the problem of traffic generation caused by urban intensification by reviewing the 

evidence from recent studies. Increasing density is usually accompanied by a reduction in car use, 

benefiting the overall environment, but evidence suggests the effect is less than proportional. “Smart 

growth” is possible if measures to combat traffic increases are combined with increases in density of the 

built environment. 

Litman (2011a). Critique of the National Association of Home Builders’ Research on Land Use Emission 

Reduction Impacts. National Association of Home Builders. 

This report summarizes the findings of five background studies conducted for National Association of 

Home Builders as, “[f]indings indicate that the assumption that higher density equals fewer GHG 

emissions is not based in fact. Instead, multiple factors involving density, vehicle miles traveled, market 

forces, and demographics are what determine the overall impact of land use on climate change.” Litman 

offers a critique of this study, claiming that the summary understates the effects of land use on travel.

Norman, MacLean, and Kennedy (2006). Comparing High and Low Residential Density: Life-Cycle 

Analysis of Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 

March 2006. 

This study provides an empirical assessment of energy use and GHG emissions associated with high and 

low residential development. It is unique in that three major elements of urban development are 

considered: construction materials for infrastructure (residential dwellings, utilities, and roads); building 

operations; and transportation (private automobiles and public transit). The results show that low-density 

suburban development is more energy and GHG intensive (by a factor of 2.0 to 2.5) than high-density 

urban core development on a per capita basis, although the differences decrease to a factor of 1.0 to 1.5 

per unit of living space. The Toronto study relied on Canadian travel survey data to estimate differences 

in vehicle-travel for people living in high-density core urban areas (6 vehicle-kilometers per person per 

day) versus low-density suburban areas (22 vehicle-kilometers per person per day, or 3.7 times higher). 

Emissions from transit were also considered but only accounted for 2% to 5% of transportation energy 

use. Transportation accounted for 40% to 60% of life-cycle energy and emissions in residential 

development. 

Polzin (2004). The Relationship between Land Use, Urban Form and Vehicle Miles of Travel: The State 

of Knowledge and Implications for Transportation Planning. Prepared for the Florida Department of 

Transportation, Report No. BC 353: RPWO: 46. 

This white paper provides a review of the literature and a synthesis of findings regarding the relationship 

between land use and urban form and personal VMT. The report discusses drivers of VMT growth, 

presents a summary of knowledge about land use, urban form, and VMT, and identifies policy 

implications. Conclusions are presented qualitatively rather than quantitatively. 

Rodier et al. (2010). Equity Analysis of Land Use and Transportation Plans Using an Integrated Spatial 

Model. Report presented at the 2010 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting.

The researchers use the PECAS activity allocation module to evaluate the equity impacts (travel time and 

cost effects across income groups) of a “business as usual” versus “Blueprint” compact growth scenario 

in Sacramento. The authors find an overall ~10% decrease in the percent of income dedicated to 

transportation under the Blueprint scenario, as well as a decline in average rents due to greater supply of 

multifamily housing. The cost of living also decreases, along with net wages. There is a net increase in 

consumer surplus except for higher-income groups, which are less willing to switch to higher-density 

dwellings, are more likely to own their own home, and are more affected by wage decreases.
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Safirova, Houde, and Harrington (2007). Spatial Development and Energy Consumption. Resources for 

the Future, Washington, D.C. 

This report discusses the potential effectiveness of urban policies in improving energy efficiency. Several 

abstract scenarios are analyzed to see whether making a previously dispersed city more compact would 

result in improved energy efficiency. Then “realistic” transportation and land-use policies – a “live near 

your work” program, inclusionary zoning, and a VMT tax of 10 cents per mile – are modeled for the 

Washington, D.C. region. Land-use policies are also modeled in conjunction with pricing policies. The 

analysis includes transportation-related and building heating/cooling-related effects, and also measures 

welfare changes. The authors conclude that land-use changes would result in only small changes in VMT 

and vehicular and residential energy use (less than 1%), and that VMT pricing would be much more 

effective at reducing travel.

Transportation Research Board (2009). Driving and the Built Environment: The Effects of Compact 

Development on Motorized Travel, Energy Use, and CO2 Emissions. TRB Special Report 298, National 

Academy Press, Washington, D.C. (TRB 2009). 

This report assesses the link between development patterns, VMT, and energy and GHG emissions. The 

report illustrates the potential effects of conservative and aggressive changes in land-use patterns, as 

measured by the fraction of new and redeveloped housing occurring in “compact communities” in 2030 

and 2050. The report estimated that the reduction in VMT, energy use, and CO2 emissions resulting from 

more compact, mixed-use development would be in the range of less than 1% to 11% by 2050. This is 

based on 25% to 75% of new residential development taking place at double the average density of new 

acres developed between 1987 and 1997. 

Transportation Research Board (2011). Policy Options for Reducing Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas 

Emissions from U.S. Transportation. Transportation Research Board Special Report 307, National 

Academies Press, Washington, D.C. (TRB 2011). 

While this report contains only a brief summary (see pages 115–116) of the effects of land use/urban form 

on travel, primarily citing TRB Special Report 298, it does contain a useful discussion of factors driving 

modal energy use and emissions, including VMT growth (Chapter 4).

U.S. Department of Transportation (2010). Transportation’s Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas 

Emissions. Report to Congress (U.S. DOT 2010). 

This report presents a comprehensive summary of existing literature, and some original analysis, on the 

GHG impacts and cost-effectiveness of a full range of transportation strategies for all transportation 

modes. The chapter on reduction in carbon-intensive travel activity includes a section on land-use 

strategies. Some individual study results are presented, and summary ranges (low-high) of nationwide 

effectiveness (expressed in million metric tonnes CO2e in 2030) and cost-effectiveness (dollars per tonne) 

are presented for each strategy. The report also discusses co-benefits of each strategy as well as issues 

affecting feasibility.

Weisel and Schofer (1980). The Effects of Nucleated Urban Growth Patterns on Transportation Energy 

Consumption. Research and Special Programs Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. 

This report continues the exploration of energy consumption on urban passenger travel, land use, and 

transportation system characteristics begun in a first volume by Peskin and Schofer. Findings are based 

on 88 policy experiments using an integrated land-use model incorporating mode choice determination, 

network flow equilibrium and generalized cost as the travel impedance measure. The effects of 

decentralized nucleated growth nodes, in the form of residential, retail, basic employment, and integrated 

land-use clusters, were tested in detail. Results suggest that centralized growth is more energy efficient 

than decentralized development; off-center basic employment nodes were least efficient; similarly located 

population and retail clusters were more efficient than off-center employment, but not as efficient as 
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centralized development. Edge-clusters are inclined to encourage sprawl. Guidelines for encouraging 

more energy-efficient land-use patterns are presented, and likely obstacles associated with these 

guidelines are discussed.

Other references relevant to this topic: Burchell et al. (2002). 

A.3. International Studies

EPA (2003). Simplified Travel Demand Forecasting for Developing Countries, Phase I Findings. 

Prepared for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

This report includes an analysis of the Millennium Cities Database (compiled by Newman, Kenworthy 

and colleagues), which contains data on metropolitan population, density, highway and transit 

infrastructure supply and costs, and travel patterns from cities throughout the world. Simple correlations 

are performed and regression models developed to evaluate relationships among the various factors.

Mindali, Raveh, and Salomon (2004). “Urban Density and Energy Consumption: A New Look at Old 

Statistics.” Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Volume 38 No. 2. 

This study uses an innovative multivariate statistical technique called Co-Plot to crystallize some of the 

relationships between urban density and energy consumption in cities in developed countries. The 

method is applied on Newman and Kenworthy’s (1989) data, leading to the conclusion that there is no 

direct impact of total urban density. However, there are correlations between energy consumption and 

several aspects of density. For example, inner area and central business district levels of employment 

density appear to have the potential to reduce energy consumption. This relationship, as well as the strong 

negative correlation between energy consumption and the level of use of public transportation, 

emphasizes the relative advantages of radial transit trips mainly for work purposes.

Kenworthy et al. (1999). An International Sourcebook of Automobile Dependence in Cities 1960-1990. 

University Press of Colorado.

This book represents an update and extension of the data and analyses component of Cities and 

Automobile Dependence: An International Sourcebook by Peter Newman and Jeffrey Kenworthy. That 

original book contained an extensive set of land use, transportation, and energy data on 32 major cities in 

North America, Australia, Europe, and the more developed part of Asia for the years 1960, 1970, and 

1980. It provides a basic set of data that gives an insight into the extent of commitment to the car within 

many cities, and the associated land-use patterns. The present book updates all the data for the original 

cities to a 1990 or 1991 base year (depending on the year of the national census in each country), and 

extends the coverage of cities to 46 major global metropolitan areas.

Rodier (2009). “A Review of the International Modeling Literature: Transit, Land Use, and Auto Pricing 

Strategies to Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” Transportation Research 

Record 2132. 

This report reviews and summarizes the findings of regional scenario modeling studies that compare the 

VMT and/or GHG impacts of alternative long-term regional growth scenarios. Models suggest that landuse changes, combined with supportive transit investments, could reduce metropolitan VMT by a median 

of 8% below forecast levels over a 20-year horizon or 16% over a 40-year time horizon. 

van de Coevering and Schwanen (2006). “Reevaluating the Impact of Urban Form on Travel Patterns in 

Europe and North America.” Transport Policy Volume 13, No. 3. 

The work by Newman, Kenworthy and colleagues on the link between land use, transportation systems, 

travel patterns, and energy use has been received enthusiastically but also criticized strongly. In this 

report, concerns are expressed about the role accorded to individual travelers and the wider space-time 

context of cities in the empirical-analytical work by Kenworthy and colleagues. To investigate the 

seriousness of these concerns, the data collected by Kenworthy and colleagues for European, Canadian, 
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and U.S. cities in 1990 have been augmented with information on housing, urban development history, 

and the sociodemographic situation. Regression models are described in which the role of urban form is 

investigated while account is taken of other relevant factors. The empirical analysis suggests that the 

space-time context of cities should be taken into account in aggregate-level comparisons of the relations 

between urban form and transport. Policy recommendations based on the original data may be 

reconsidered and tailored to the space-time context and population characteristics of cities. 

A.4. Other Social, Economic, and Environmental Outcomes

Burchell et al. (2002). The Costs of Sprawl – 2000. Transit Cooperative Research Program Report 74, 

National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.

This extensive research project defines sprawl; addresses sprawl and its historical context in the United 

States; presents analysis results regarding the incidence of sprawl and the potential for its control through 

a controlled-growth scenario; models land conversion, water and sewer infrastructure, local road 

infrastructure, local public-service costs, and real estate development costs; and examines the personal 

costs of sprawl, including its impact on individual travel costs (for both privately operated vehicles and 

transit), quality of life, and the livability of cities. The costs of sprawl are calculated from 25-year growth 

projections where resulting impacts are recorded in each of 3,100 counties nationwide.

Burchell (2005). Sprawl Costs: Economic Impacts of Unchecked Development. Island Press.

This book summarizes research presented in Burchell et al. (2002) in a format oriented towards the lay 

reader. The study concluded that the cost of required future water/sewer and local road infrastructure in 

the United States under a sprawling growth scenario would be about $21,000 per unit, compared to 

$18,750 per unit under a compact growth scenario, a savings of $126 billion or almost 11% for growth 

between 2000 and 2025. The compact scenario is based on a redirection of growth to more urban counties 

at somewhat higher densities, shifting where a total of 4.4 million people would live.

Kahn (2006). “The Quality of Life in Sprawled versus Compact Cities.” Tufts University.

This report does not refute findings of earlier work addressing the travel and energy impacts of sprawl but 

rather discusses some of the benefits of sprawl. By merging American Housing Survey data with the 

sprawl indices developed by Ewing, Pendall, and Chen (2003), the author finds that home ownership rates 

are 8.5 percentage points higher in the most sprawled cities relative to the most compact cities, and 

houses and lots are larger. Despite having commutes that are 1.8 miles longer, the journey to work is 4.3 

minutes shorter in sprawl cities. Access to cheap retail and lower local government service costs are also 

postulated as benefits, although not substantiated with data. 

Kooshian and Winkelman (2011). Growing Wealthier: Smart Growth, Climate Change and Prosperity. 

Center for Clean Air Policy. 

This report summarizes theory and evidence from the literature on the economic benefits of smart growth, 

as evaluated against 10 smart growth principles. While written with a particular agenda in mind, it 

provides some useful references ranging from anecdotal examples to rigorous academic studies.

Nelson, Pendall, and Dawkins (2002). The Link between Growth Management and Housing Affordability: 

The Academic Evidence. Discussion Report prepared for The Brookings Institution Center on Urban and 

Metropolitan Policy. 

This literature review evaluated the impact of growth management policies on housing and land prices. 

The authors concluded that market factors, including increased housing demand, increased employment, 

and rising incomes are much more significant influences than growth management policies; and 

furthermore, looking at the Portland, Oregon region in particular, that policy changes to allow increased 

densities and smaller units have mitigated any affordability impacts by allowing housing supply to be 

increased within the growth boundary. 
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Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2007). Conclusions of Round Table 137: 

Transport, Urban Form, and Economic Growth. European Conference of Ministers of Transport (OECD 

2007). 

Round Table participants discussed effects of sprawl on commuting, productivity, growth, and social and 

environmental costs. The discussion identified two main benefits to be drawn from current trends towards 

suburbanization (an increase in city size, and a decreasing housing and population density in urban areas): 

lower commuting times and lower land rents, resulting in higher rates of home ownership and land 

consumption, particularly benefiting low-income households. On the other hand, to the extent that the 

ease of interaction between individuals who transmit or jointly produce knowledge depends on density, 

urban sprawl might negatively affect growth. Other economic costs of sprawl include loss of prime 

farmland, higher infrastructure costs, and worsened air pollution. 

Phillips and Goodstein (2000). “Growth Management and Housing Prices: The Case of Portland, 

Oregon.” Contemporary Economic Policy, Volume 18, No. 3, July 2000.

The authors conduct an econometric analysis of housing prices, designed to separate the effects of the 

Portland, Oregon, urban growth boundary from other impacts including a bull market in housing. The 

authors find that the boundary has created upward pressure on prices, but the effect is relatively small in 

magnitude, contributing no more than $10,000 compared to an overall cost appreciation of $144,000 over 

their study period. 

Staley and Gilroy (2001). Smart Growth and Housing Affordability: Evidence from Statewide Planning. 

Reason Foundation, Policy Study 287. 

The authors examine the impact of statewide comprehensive planning policies on housing affordability. 

They conclude that Florida’s GMA may have contributed to a 15% decline in affordability between 1994 

and 2000, and that Washington State’s GMA may have added about 0.7 percentage points to the housing 

inflation rate for each year the county had a comprehensive plan in place.

Other references relevant to this topic: U.S. DOT (2010). 

A.5. Factors That Influence Urban Form

Historical Technology and Policy Forces

Fishman (2004). “The American Metropolis at Century’s End.” In Shrinking Cities: Complete Works 

1, Büro Philipp Oswalt, Eisenacher Straße 74, D-10823 Berlin. 

This chapter reports on a survey that asked scholars to rank the key influences shaping the past and future 

American metropolis. Among past influences, three of the top four were federal policies; the 1956 

Interstate Highway Act (as well as the dominance of the automobile), Federal Housing Administration 

mortgage financing and subdivision regulation, and urban renewal. Among the 10 most likely influences 

in the future, the only one in the top 10 related to the federal government was the expectation of 

“expanded outer beltways to serve new edge cities,” which presumably would be supported by federal

funding. 

Fishman (2007). 1808-1908-2008: National Planning for America, America 2050, Regional Plan 

Association, New York City.

This article discusses the two great “campaigns” of national planning that have profoundly shaped this 

country: the 1808 “Gallatin Plan” of roads and canals whose themes guided long-term federal policy 

through the 19th century, and Theodore Roosevelt’s 1908 set of conservation and transportation initiatives 

that guided the 20th century. The author’s intent is not merely to challenge the idea that national planning 

in this country is “un-American,” but also to explore elements in our tradition of national planning that 
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are still valuable and powerful, and that a new national vision could build on the achievements of 1808 

and 1908 to reshape the nation over the next century.

Hall (1988). Cities of Tomorrow. Blackwell, Oxford, UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

This book reviews the planning and evolution of cities since the late 1800s. It examines successive eras in 

planning and development, including mass transit suburbs, garden cities, the birth of regional planning, 

the City Beautiful movement, the automobile city, and other developments. The book covers the 

influences of technology, policy, and social factors. 

Recent Demographic, Economic, and Cultural Trends 

Baldassare (2004). PPIC Statewide Survey: Special Survey on Californians and Their Housing. 

This report was based on a survey of Californians’ views on housing, at a time of skyrocketing cost 

increases. Californians expressed grave concerns about the cost of housing and saw little upside to the 

run-up in housing prices, with about one in four saying the cost of housing in their region was forcing 

them to consider moving elsewhere in the state or away from California altogether. There were questions 

on satisfaction with commuting – three out of four were satisfied – and tradeoffs between housing and 

commuting. Over half (53%) said they would choose to live in a small home with a small backyard if it 

meant a shorter commute to work.

National Association of Realtors (2011). The 2011 Community Preference Survey: What Americans Are 

Looking for When Deciding Where to Live. Prepared for National Association of Realtors by Beldon 

Russonello & Stewart.

This report presents the findings of a survey on Americans’ preferences regarding the communities in 

which they live. When selecting a community, nearly half of the public (47%) would prefer to live in a 

city (19%) or a suburban neighborhood with a mix of houses, shops, and businesses (28%). Another 4 in 

10 (40%) would prefer a rural area (22%) or a small town (18%). Only about 1 in 10 (12%) say they 

would prefer a suburban neighborhood with houses only. After hearing detailed descriptions of two 

different types of communities, 56% of Americans select the smart growth community and 43% select the 

sprawl community. While walkability is seen as a desirable attribute by most, majorities of Americans are 

willing to live in communities where they have to drive most places if it means they would have larger 

lots with more distance from neighbors, and 8 in 10 (80%) would prefer to live in single-family, detached 

houses over other types of housing such as townhouses, condominiums, or apartments. Younger people 

who are unmarried tend to prefer the convenience of smart growth and walkable communities. 

Subdivision-type communities appeal more to middle-aged, married couples. 

Center for Transit-Oriented Development (2004). Hidden in Plain Sight: Capturing the Demand for 

Housing Near Transit (2006), and Preserving and Promoting Diverse Transit-Oriented Neighborhoods 

(CTOD 2004, 2006)

These reports examine the existing and potential future demand (through 2030) for housing near transit, 

based on demographic characteristics compatible with TOD. They provide a look at demographic trends 

affecting the market for different types of urban development. The 2004 study finds there is likely to be 

significant demand for housing within a half-mile radius of fixed guideway transit stations – areas called 

“transit zones” for the purposes of this study – over the next 25 years. A market assessment shows that at 

least a quarter of all new households – 14.6 million households – could be looking for housing in these 

transit zones, compared to 6 million households currently living within a half-mile of transit stations. 

While most of the demand will occur in the five metro regions that have mature and extensive transit 

systems – New York, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, and Philadelphia – and in Los 

Angeles, regions that are expanding their systems have the potential for high rates of growth in demand, 
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especially regions like Denver, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. The reports also include policy 

recommendations. 

Hewlett (2010). Demographic Drivers and Consumer Preferences: Shaping the Future of Housing. 

Future of Housing Symposium, Washington, D.C. 

This is a presentation of key factors in housing demand including the estimate that 85% of net household 

growth between now and 2025 is projected to consist of households without children. Generation X and 

Generation Y are compared in terms of housing preferences, especially the potential for mixed-income 

housing in walkable communities. 

Karash et al. (2008). Understanding How Individuals Make Travel and Location Decisions: Implications 

for Public Transportation. TCRP Report 123, Transportation Research Board. 

This report explores the broader social context for individual decision-making related to residential 

location and travel behavior. Because residential location and travel behavior have a large effect on 

society’s consumption of energy, on levels of pollution, and on health, better understanding of consumer 

choices can inform better policy on creating compact neighborhoods to serve the demand. The research 

provides additional evidence for the debate on whether encouraging people to locate in compact 

neighborhoods with transit service would actually result in their using transit more and driving less. It 

also suggests that automobile availability and orientation may play a larger role than either values or 

urban design.

Lachman and Brett (2011). Generation Y: America’s New Housing Wave. Urban Land Institute, 2011.

This report studies the likely housing choices for Generation Y, aged 15 to 32 years old, which at nearly 

78 million is now the largest generation in the United States. It includes survey research showing that 

Generation Y holds a high view of the American Dream, with the majority of respondents expecting to 

own homes within five years. Their choices will have enormous influence on the development patterns in 

the United States, the real estate industry, and the economy in general. The report features the results of a 

nationwide survey, conducted during the summer of 2010. 

Litman (2011c). Where We Want to Be – Home Location Preferences and Their Implications for Smart 

Growth. Victoria, BC: Victoria Transport Policy Institute.

This report surveys the literature on consumer housing location preferences and their relationship to smart 

growth. It demonstrates the support for accessible locations, land-use mix, and diverse transport options. 

The role of demographic and economic trends in supporting such housing, and shifting away from 

conventional large-lot suburban development is explored. Estimates of a shortage of such housing by 

2025 are presented. 

Nelson (2006). “Leadership in a New Era.” Journal of the American Planning Association, Volume 72, 

No. 4. 

The study examines the potential to reshape development, considering both demand and supply factors. 

More than half of the built environment of the United States we will see in 2025 did not exist in 2000, 

giving planners an unprecedented opportunity to reshape the landscape. Current demand for development 

that could be compact in nature (attached and small-lot detached) is estimated at 46% of the market and 

could increase to 60% in 2025. The report also presents a concise summary of the history of federal

activities influencing urban development. 

Robert Charles Lesser & Co. (RCLCO). (2008). Generation Y. Presented to Urban Land Institute Young 

Leaders’ Panel.

This presentation compares the views of Generation Y with Generation X, on a variety of attitudes on 

housing, including their support for mixed-use, compact, neighborhoods, which are a central element of 

smart growth policies to encourage more transit and walking and less driving. While the vast majority of 
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Generation Y are renting, they will increasingly become homebuyers after 2012. Desired areas are intown areas, close to work, and in mixed-use environments. Although 66% prefer single-family homes, 

70% do not believe they have to move to the suburbs once they have kids, and most prefer a smaller lot if 

that means they can live in a walkable community.

Underwood (2009). Generation Y in the Marketplace. Presentation Robert Charles Lesser & Co.

This presentation includes information similar to that contained in RCLCO (2008) and also includes 

projections of housing demand by type for Generation Y people, consistent with Nelson’s (2006) housing 

type categories and projections.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2010). Residential Construction Trends in America’s 

Metropolitan Regions: 2010 Edition. (EPA 2010b). 

This working report reviews U.S. Census residential building permit data for the 50 largest metropolitan 

regions over a 19-year period and compares trends in permits for central cities with core suburban, 

suburban, and exurban communities. 

Metropolitan Transportation Commission (2010). Choosing Where We Live: Attracting Residents to 

Transit-Oriented Neighborhoods in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

This “briefing book” summarizes the results of a study that examined what attracts home-seekers to TOD 

in the San Francisco Bay Area, and how to improve TODs to better attract these groups. A survey of 

recent movers was conducted to determine their interest in living in high-quality transit communities and 

regional centers as opposed to the convenience of driving. Case studies of neighborhoods were then 

examined in terms of how well they related to the transit preferring characteristics and potential strategies 

to improve their attractiveness to the key target group.

Federal Policy Options 

Bedsworth, Hanak, and Kolko (2011). Driving Change: Reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled in California. 

Public Policy Institute of California.

This report assesses how well California’s local and regional governments are positioned to meet the 

targets set under Senate Bill 375, the 2008 law that aims to reduce passenger vehicle use. SB 375 calls for 

the State’s major metropolitan areas to reduce per capita emissions from driving about 7% by 2020 and 

about 15% by 2035. The Public Policy Institute of California analysis draws on a survey of local 

governments, interviews with land-use and transportation planners, and other data sources. It reveals 

reasons for optimism that the State can achieve its goals – but also warning signs, especially resistance to 

the use of pricing tools, like higher fuel taxes and road use charges, to discourage solo driving. 

Brown, Southworth, and Sarzynski (2008). Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America. 

Brookings Institution. 

This report quantifies transportation and residential carbon emissions for the 100 largest U.S. 

metropolitan areas, showing that metro area residents have smaller carbon footprints than the U.S. 

average, although metro footprints vary widely. It identifies the limits of existing federal policy and 

suggests areas in which federal policy could play a powerful role in helping metropolitan areas shrink 

their carbon footprint further. These include promoting more transportation choices to expand transit and 

compact development options; introducing more energy-efficient freight operations with regional freight 

planning; requiring home energy cost disclosure when selling and “on-bill” financing to stimulate energyefficient retrofitting of residential housing; and using federal housing policy to create incentives for 

energy- and location-efficient decisions.

Dawkins and Buehler (2010). Promoting Affordable Housing Near Public Transit: The Role of Planning. 

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 
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This report discusses the role of federal, state, and local strategies in the preservation and expansion of 

affordable housing opportunities near transit. The role of local and regional plans, local inclusionary 

zoning regulations, and financing streams tied to specific planning requirements is discussed, as well as 

how the different actors involved in TOD planning coordinate their efforts. Three case studies 

(Washington, D.C., Denver, and San Francisco) are included. While federal requirements do not 

explicitly require the integration of planning for affordable housing and TOD, possibilities for indirect 

links between planning for transportation and affordable housing are identified. 

Federal Highway Administration (Energy Information Administration 2010). 

This tool kit provides a web-based source of methods, strategies, and procedures for integrating land-use 

and transportation planning, decision-making, and project implementation, directed especially at state and 

regional transportation agencies. The tool kit includes examples of planning activities, public involvement 

methods, analysis methods, project funding, and design guidelines to integrate transportation and land 

use.

Lubell and Salomon (2010). How Transportation Reform Could Increase the Availability of Housing 

Affordable to Families with a Mix of Incomes Near Public Transit, Job Centers, and Other Essential 

Destinations. Center for Housing Policy and Metropolitan Planning Council. 

This report argues that to make substantial progress in addressing these difficult challenges of affordable 

housing and affordable transportation, the housing community needs to look beyond the normal housing 

policy levers to seek reform of the federal transportation funding system. It suggests that transportation 

funding be allocated to provide strong financial incentives for states, metropolitan areas, and local 

communities to increase the compactness of residential development; expand the availability of mixedincome housing near public transit; and better coordinate affordable housing, transportation, and 

workforce policies.

McIlwain and Gupta (2007). “Urban Place Remaking: Point of View.” Multifamily Trends, May/June 

2007, Urban Land Institute. 

This article offers a brief review of attempts at urban revitalization, beginning with federally supported 

urban renewal and the adaptation of urban neighborhoods to new roads and auto-oriented development. 

Recent successes are seen as more holistic, back-to-basics approaches targeted on basic strengths of 

cities; a kinder, gentler, and more equitable urban revitalization tool kit – in most cases locally driven 

without federal support. 

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complete streets and off-street trails as part of a program to increase walking and exercise.

Other references relevant to this topic: Bartholomew (2005); CTOD (2006, 2004); Nelson (2006); U.S. 

DOT (2010). 
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