Climate Change and Affordable Housing: Time to Make a Strong Connection

Despite the media focusing largely on climate change strategies like ethanol and composting, combating sprawl appears to be one of the efforts offering the most bang for the buck. For starters, cars produce almost a third of the carbon emitted in America. Allowing people to live close to their jobs, grocery stores, parks and schools means dramatically shortened commute times and significantly reduced carbon emissions.

In addition, increasing density means taking advantage of public infrastructure already in place. Rather than extending sewer, water, road and electric systems farther and farther away from the city center, using the already existing systems increases their efficiency and reduces the need for more resources to expand them.

Many cities have launched anti-sprawl initiatives, establishing growth boundaries and working to make their downtowns livable places where individuals and families would want to live. It’s been an uphill battle, as city leaders faced years of neglect sparked by massive out-migration over the last 50 years to suburbs that kept expanding further and further outwards. But many cities have been extremely successful, and an increasing number of people have realized the benefits, such as reduced travel time, more cultural experiences, and strong sense of community, that moving to a city can bring.

However, for all the great work cities and sustainability advocates have done to increase density, it seems they’ve often forgotten one crucial element in their efforts – providing enough affordable housing.

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