Comp Plan Citizen Advisory Committee Packet 2007 12-20-07 o=•A.�D c1 T�,T United City of Yorkville
County Seat of Kendall County
EST. 1838 800 Game Farm Road
Yorkville,Illinois,60560
Telephone: 630-553-4350
<LE �VV
Comprehensive Plan Citizen Advisory Committee
AGENDA
Natural Resource Meeting
Thursday December 20, 2007
Yorkville Public Library
902 Game Farm Road
Meeting Called to Order: 5:30 p.m.
Roll Call:
New Business:
1. Welcome and Introduction of Members (Anne Lucietto,Chair of Yorkville Plan Commission)
2. United City of Yorkville Comprehensive Plan Website(Stephanie Boettcher, Senior Planner)
http://www.yoi-kvi Ile il.us/depts commDev CompPlan cfin
A. How to access meeting schedule, agendas,minutes, and reference materials
3. Overview of Goal and Objective Formulation (Anne Lucietto,Chair of Yorkville Plan Commission)
4. Meeting Tasks (Citizen Advisory Committee Discussion Groups)
A. SWOT Analysis(45 minutes)
B. Break(5 minutes)
C. Goals and Objectives (45 minutes)
D. Discussion Groups report back to Citizen Advisory Committee(15 minutes)
5. Questions/Comments
6. Pickup Infrastructure Background Materials Handout
7. Adjourn
NEXT MEETING:
Infrastructure Discussion
Thursday,January 17,2008
5:30—7:30 PM
Yorkville Public Library
902 Game Farm Road
Attachments:
I. Stormwater Best Management Practices
2. Executive Summary Conservation Design Resource Manual
3. Framing Chicago's Climate Change Actions:Building Off of Experience
4. Executive Summary Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate
Change
Best Management Practices (BMPs) Guide
Agricultural BMP's
Conservation Tillage — The practice of reducing the amount of tillage prior to seeding or
after harvesting to increase the amount of ground cover. This decreases the amount of
evaporation of soil moisture and protects the soil from erosion during precipitation
events.
Contour Farming — The practice of planting row crops across the slope (instead of
up/down the slope) to prevent runoff from transporting soil down slope and infiltration.
Heavy Use Area Protection — The practice of adding stone or rip-rap to areas of heavy
use or potential mud tracking. This prevents soil from being transported onto road ways
or other areas where it can be transported by run-off into streams and other water
ways.
Stream Bank Fencing — The practice of fencing off water ways where cattle or other
livestock may wander. This prevents the deposition of fecal matter either directly or
through contaminated run-off.
Planning BMP's
Open Space Development Planning — This practice involves planning development
projects to protect natural resources such as forests, wetlands, and open space. This
includes creating smaller size lots, creating streets to follow natural contours, and to
minimize grading.
Protection of Natural Features — This practice includes providing naturalized buffers
between the development and natural resources so that they are not as severely
impacted during construction and after the development has been established.
Eliminating Curb and Gutter — This practice involves the design of new subdivisions to
not include curbs and gutters to manage stormwater run-off from streets and parking
lots. This design encourages stormwater run-off to travel off the roadways into
drainage swales where vegetation can filter contaminants out of the water during
infiltration rather than run-off carrying pollutants directly to streams and lakes.
Minimize Grading / Sequencing — This practice implores the developer to design and
sequence the project so that there is a minimum of grading necessary, thus exposing
minimal areas of ground. This reduces the amount of sediment that is carried into the
storm sewers and waterways by erosion.
Construction BMPs
Construction Entrances — This practice is similar to the Heavy Use Area Protection
practice where stone is placed at the entrance of the construction site to eliminate the
tracking of sediment from the site onto public roads.
Permanent Diversions — This practice entails the creation of swales to carry stormwater
run-off to designated areas on-site to be treated to remove sediment or contaminants
prior to discharging off-site.
the velocity of the water coming out of the pipe and spreads it over a larger horizontal
area to reduce the erosion around an outlet.
Bioswales — This practice creates a specialized waterway with native vegetation which
will allow filtering of contaminants by the plants and promoting infiltration of
stormwater.
Rain Gardens — This practice includes creating specialized gardens into which
stormwater is routed to in order to provide a water source for the plants. The native
vegetation is chosen specifically so that the collected stormwater is dispersed through
evaporation rather than being outlet into a storm sewer system.
Infiltration Gallery — This practice involves installing a sub-surface groundwater
collection system, typically shallow in depth, constructed with open-jointed or
perforated pipes that discharge collected water into a watertight chamber from which
the water is pumped to treatment facilities and into the distribution system. These are
usually located close to streams or ponds.
P:\CBBEL WEST Projects\2006\06-993\stormwater BMPs 06993120407.docx
Christopher B. Burke Engineering West, Ltd. 3
06-993 Aux Sable Watershed Plan Update
Executive Summary
Conservation Design Resource Manual :
Language and Guidelines for
Updating Local Ordinances
March 2003
Introduction
In partnership with Chicago Wilderness, the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission has developed the
Conservation Design Resource Manual: Language and Guidelines for Updating Local Ordinances. The resource
manual is designed to help, communities effectively update local plans and ordinances to be more amenable to
conservation design practices.
The development of this resource manual is in support of Chicago Wilderness's Biodiversity Recovery Plan for the
northeastern Illinois region, published in 1999. With the importance of local government participation in mind,
the Biodiversity Recovery Plan states the following goal for local governments:
Local and regional development policies should reflect the need to restore and maintain natural areas and biodiversity.
What is Conservation Design?
Conservation design is a design system that takes into account the natural landscape and ecology of a develop-
ment site and facilitates development while maintaining the most valuable natural features and functions of
the site. Conservation design - includes a collection of site design principles and practices that can be
combined to create environmentally sound development. The main principles for conservation design as defined
by the project are:
1 . flexibility in site design and lot size,
2. protection and management of natural areas,
3 . reduction of impervious surface areas, and
d. sustainable stormwater management.
There are many community, environmental, and economic benefits to using conservation design. The most
effective way to encourage conservation design is to update local comprehensive plans, codes, and ordinances
to reflect the community's commitment to conservation . Most importantly, conservation design should be allowed
by right and should be the preferred option for many development projects.
Benefits of Conservation Design
• Reduces construction and infrastructure costs by 11 % to 66% (see
Chapter 2-Economic Benefits—for full discussion and citations.)
• - Preserves natural resources and features.
• Reduces the costs of municipal stormwater management.
• Allows connections to existing natural areas, open space, greenways, and trails.
Principle A Principle C
Develop Flexible Lot Design Standards Reduce Impervious Surface Areas
Practice 1 Practice 8
Lot Size, Density, and Suggested Open Space Roadway Design
Eliminate minimum lot size requirements; rather, regu- Enact flexible standards for road length, width, right-
late overall density of development. of-way, and design. Require the minimum amount of
paved surface area while maintaining safe and suffi-
Practice 2 cient support of travel lanes, on-street parking, and
Arranging the Development Site emergency and support vehicle access.
Maintain critical natural areas. Group buildable lots
together to maximize the area of undisturbed land. Practice 9
Parking Lot Design
Practice 3 Enact flexible standards for parking lot design in multi-
Building Setbacks family housing developments, commercial, and busi-
Eliminate setback requirements for the interior of devel- ness areas. Require stormwater treatment for parking
opment sites while maintaining expectations on the lot runoff using bioretention areas, filter strips, and/or
perimeter. Maintaining standard setback requirements other practices that can be integrated into required
on the perimeter of the development site eases concerns landscaping areas and traffic islands.
of neighboring residents and community leaders.
Practice 10
Vegetated Swales
Principle B Encourage the use of vegetated swales in street rights-
of-way, parking lots, and other paved areas to convey
Protect and Create Natural Landscapes and treat stormwater runoff.
and Drainage Systems
Practice 11
Practice 4 Walkways
Natural Area Protection and Conservation Establish flexible design standards for walkways that
Update ordinances to substantially restrict develop- connect residential and natural areas on the interior of
ment on or near natural areas, and require or encour- the development site.
age undeveloped buffers around these areas.
Practice 12
Practice 5 Driveway Design
Natural Landscape Sensitivity Update ordinances to eliminate length and width
Encourage developers to design sites to fit the topog- requirements for driveways, and to permit alternative
raphy, features, and soils of the natural landscape. driveway surfaces and shared driveways that connect
two or more homes together.
Practice 6
Natural Landscaping Practice 13
Update landscaping ordinances to encourage the use Roof Runoff Management
of plant materials native to northeastern Illinois. Discourage discharge of rooftop runoff into storm sew-
Require natural landscaping in and around stormwa- ers. Require or encourage alternative roof runoff man-
ter facilities, wetlands, lakes, and streams. agement techniques. Encourage green roof designs.
Practice 7
Natural Area Management
Require clear specification of how natural areas will
be managed, and designate a legal entity responsible
for maintenance for all natural areas.
IN
Framing Chicago's Climate Change Actions:
Building Off of Experience
Through the leadership of Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicago has been the U.S. leader in
green initiatives, long ago recognizing that reducing energy usage was a critical factor in
ensuring a livable, affordable city. Leading by example and working with others on
regional, national and international efforts ensures that Chicago's quality of life remains
high and competitive advantage remains strong in the coming years.
Using the research and experience developed on climate change, quality of life and
energy efficiency, for the past decade Chicago has worked to find solutions to
environmental challenges that are practical, cost-effective and accessible to all sectors
Addressing Chicago's energy consumption and green house gas emissions, Chicago has
initiated a series of programs to encourage energy efficiency in buildings, increase clean
and renewable energy sources, improve transportation and mobility, and decrease waste
and pollution. Among its `firsts, Chicago has introduced:
Building Energy Efficiency
Energy consumption in buildings accounts for 60% of the CO2 emissions in the city of
Chicago through buildings' consumption of natural gas and electricity. In addition to
decreasing CO2 emissions, making buildings more efficient will save us all money—
government, residents and business owners-- and create jobs.
• Green Building Permits and Economic Development Support- Chicago is the
first city in the nation to offer an expedited building permit to green projects to
engage business in green building. By reducing permitting time and waiving
consultant review fees, we have encouraged hundreds of projects, representing
over 2 million square feet, to build green. Chicago also requires that green
building strategies be integrated into any construction project funded or supported
by the city. These requirements include LEED certification, green roofs and
effective storm water management. As a result of these programs, there are
currently over 250 buildings in Chicago working toward LEED certification,
more than any city in the US. Chicago is also the only city in the world to have
four LEED platinum buildings.
• Energy Service Companies Chicago is a prime partner in the Clinton Climate
Initiative' s Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program. This program brings
together eight of the world's largest energy service companies (ESCOs), five of
the world's largest banks, and seventeen of the world' s largest cities in a program
designed to reduce energy consumption in existing buildings. Several major
Chicago commercial and institutional property owners have already agreed to
engage with Energy Service Companies, for instance the Merchandise Mart is
negotiating an energy performance contract for four million square feet.
12/10/07
Program, which awards $5,000 grants for green roof projects on residential and
small commercial projects
• Cooling the City Chicago is currently a leader in urban forestry and heat island
mitigation through tree planting. Utilizing advanced satellite images an urban
heat island map was created for the city. This map identifies hot spots in the city
where green strategies can be utilized to provide passive cooling capacity. Over
the last 15 years, Chicago has planted over 500,000 trees and achieved a City-
wide tree count of 4. 1 million trees.
Transportation
Transportation accounts for 21 % of the CO2 emissions in the city of Chicago, and a
larger percentage regionally. Efficient and convenient neighborhoods and transit reduce
driving, improve our health, reduce congestion and increase quality of life.
• Promoting Alternative Fuel Use. As part of its ongoing effort to improve air
quality, the City of Chicago is working with its partners in the Chicago Area
Clean Cities (CACC) coalition and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus to promote
the use of alternative fuel vehicles in municipal fleets. These vehicles are
powered by "clean" fuels such as compressed natural gas, propane, and biodiesel.
Seven alternative fuelling stations have been built to serve hundreds of city
vehicles with E85 and CNG and CTA is currently testing 20 hybrid busses.
• Air and Related Vehicle Travel. Extensive efforts have been made to reduce the
negative environmental impact of Chicago's airports. Efforts to date include the
use of over 800 electric vehicles, the installation of electric power sources at gates
(thereby reducing fuel burned by aircrafts' auxiliary power units), and the
utilization of biodiesel in parking lot shuttles.
• Transit and Neighborhoods Chicago's Bike 2015 plan sets aggressive goals and
builds upon the extensive bike infrastructure already in the city, including over
120 miles of on-street marked bike-ways, 35 miles of off road bike paths, 11 ,000
bike racks, and a bike commuter station including 300 bike parking spaces,
shower/locker facilities, and bike repair facilities. By providing alternatives to the
automobile, we help people stay healthy and fit, while reducing their emissions.
Alternative Energy Use & Infrastructure Modernization
Renewable energy use in Chicago creates new jobs while achieving a cleaner, healthier
environment and keeping more dollars in the Chicago economy. Infrastructure
modernization to maintain our 100+-year old systems is part of keeping the city running
smoothly
• Clean and Efficient Energy: Solar Power. By utilizing our purchasing power,
we have attracted solar panel companies to Chicago. Currently manufacturing in
12/10/07
Growing Cooler
The Evidence on Urban development and Climate Change
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Reid Ewing, Keith Bartholomew, Steve Winkelman,
Jerry Walters and Don Chen
with Barbara McCann and David Goldberg
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Minstitute Urban Land S rt Gronth
tiri Center for
Better cna..s For Our c>mm„mti., Clcan Air Policy
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Executive Summary
The phrase "you can't get there from here" has a new application. For climate stabilization, a commonly
accepted target would require the United States to cut its carbon dioxide (CO) emissions by 60 to 80 percent as of
2050, relative to 1990 levels, Carbon dioxide levels have been increasing rapidly since 1990, and so would have to
level off and decline even more rapidly to reach this target level by 2050. This publication demonstrates that the U.S.
transportation sector cannot do its fair share to meet this target through vehicle and fuel technology alone. We have
to find a way to sharply reduce the growth in vehicle miles driven across the nation's sprawling urban areas, reversing
trends that go back decades.
This publication is based on an exhaustive review
of existing research on the relationship between urban The Basics
development, travel, and the CO2 emitted by motor
Scientific consensus now exists
vehicles. It provides evidence on and insights into how much that greenhouse gas accumulations due
transportation-related CO, savings can be expected with to human activities are contributing
compact development, how compact development is likely to global warnung with potentially
to be received by consumers, and what policy changes will catastrophic consequences (IPCC
make compact development possible. Several related issues 2007). International and domestic
are not fully examined in this publication. These include the
climate policy discussions have
energy savings from more efficient building types, the value gravitated toward the goal of limit ng
of preserved forests as carbon sinks, and the effectiveness the temperature increase to 2°C to PC
of pricing strategies—such as tolls, parking charges, and by cutting greenhouse gas emissions
mileage-based fees—when used in conjunction with compact by 60 to 80 percent below 1990
development and expanded transportation alternatives. levels by the year 2050. The primary
The term "compact development" does not imply greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide,
high-rise or even uniformly high density, but rather higher and every gallon of gasoline burned
average "blended" densities. Compact development also produces about 20 pounds of CO2
features a mix of land uses, development of strong population emissions.
and employment centers, interconnection of streets, and the
design of structures and spaces at a human scale.
Driving Up CO2 Emissions
The United States is the largest emitter worldwide of the greenhouses gases that cause global warning.
Transportation accounts for a full third of CO2 emissions in the United States, and that share is growing as others
shrink in comparison, rising from 31 percent in 1990 to 33 percent today It is hard to envision a "solution" to the
global warming crisis that does not involve slowing the growth of transportation CO, emissions in the United States.
The Three- Legged Stool Needed to Reduce CO. from Automobiles
Transportation CO2 reduction can be viewed as a three-legged stool, with one leg related to vehicle fuel
efficiency, a second to the carbon content of the fuel itself, and a third to the amount of driving or vehicle miles
traveled (VMT). Energy and climate policy initiatives at the federal and state levels have pinned their hopes almost
exclusively on shoring up the first two legs of the stool, through the development of more efficient vehicles (such as
hybrid cars) and lower-carbon fuels (such as biodiesel fuel). Yet a stool cannot stand on only two legs.
I
finds that CO, emissions will continue to rise, despite technological advances, as the growth in driving overwhelms
planned improvements in vehicle efficiency and fuel carbon content. The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy
Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that driving will increase 59 percent between 2005 and 2030 (red line,
Figure 0-2), outpacing the
projected 23 percent increase
in population. The EIA also FIGURE o-2
forecasts a fleetwide fuel
economy improvement of PROJECTED GROWTH IN CO2 EMISSIONS FROM CARS AND LIGHT TRucxs
12 percent within this time 170%
frame, primarily as a result 160%
150%
of new federal fuel economy a�
140%
standards for light trucks 130%
(green line, Figure 0-2). 120%
110%
Despite this improvement 2005 = 1 0%
100%
in efficiency, CO, emissions 90%
would grow by 41 percent 90%
(dark blue line, Figure 0-2). 70%
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
U.S. fuel economy has SOURCE: FIA n007.
IF WIT Ck"sn"ftw
been flat for almost 15 years,
as the upward spiral of car
weight and power has offset
the more efficient technology. Federal and state efforts are underway to considerably boost vehicle efficiency and
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In June 2007, the U.S. Senate passed corporate average fuel economy (CAFE)
standards that would increase new passenger vehicle fuel economy from the current 25 miles per gallon (mpg) to 35
mpg by 2020. (As of this writing, the House has not acted.). California plans to implement a low carbon standard for
transportation fuels, specifically a 10 percent reduction in fuel carbon content by 2020.
Even if these more
stringent standards for FIGURE O-3
vehicles and fuels were to
PROJECTED GROWTH IN CO2 EMISSIONS FROM CARS AND LIGHT TRUCKS
go into effect nationwide, ASSUMING STRINGENT NATIONWIDE VEHICLE AND FUEL STANDARDS`
transportation-related *WITH SENATE CAFE LEVELS -- NEw PASSENGER VEHICLE FUEL ECONOMY OF 35 MPG IN ZOZO
emissions would still far AND CALIFORN Low CARBON FUEL STANDARD OF -10 IN 2020 APPLIED NATIONALLY.
exceed target levels for 170%
stabilizing the global climate 190%
(see Figure 0-3). The rapid 140%
increase in driving would 130%
overwhelm both the increase 120%
110% �—
in vehicle fuel economy 2005 = 1 0%
100%
(green line) and the lower 90%
carbon fuel content (purple e0% I `O �, �
line). In 2030, CO, emissions 70%
would be 12 percent above
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
f� Sources: VW: EIA w;tb 10% rebound MPG: US Senate, Fuels: C.
the 2005 level, and 40 °'° ° a'r
C4va A;r Pali v
percent above the 1990 level
3
This type of development has seen a resurgence in recent years, and goes by many names, including
"walkable communities," "new urbanist neighborhoods," and "transit-oriented developments" (TODs). "Infill"
and "brownfield" developments put unused lots in urban areas to new uses, taking advantage of existing nearby
destinations and infrastructure. Some "lifestyle centers" are now replacing single-use shopping malls with open-air
shopping on connected streets with housing and office space as part of the new development. And many communities
have rediscovered and revitalized their traditional town centers and downtowns, often adding more housing to the
mix. These varied development types are collectively referred to in this publication as "compact development" or
"smart growth."
How We Know that Compact Development Will Make a Difference: The Evidence
As these forms of development have become more common, planning researchers and practitioners have
documented that residents of compact, mixed-use, transit-served communities do less driving. Studies have looked at
the issue from varying angles, including:
• research that compares overall travel patterns among regions and neighborhoods of varying compactness and
auto orientation;
• studies that follow the travel behavior of individual households in various settings; and
• models that simulate and compare the effects on travel of different future development scenarios at the regional
and project levels.
Regardless of the approach, researchers have found significant potential for compact development to reduce the
miles that residents drive.
A comprehensive sprawl index
developed by coauthor Reid Ewing of
the National Center for Smart Growth FIGURE 0-5
at the University of Maryland ranked
83 of the largest metropolitan areas in AVERAGE DAMS VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED
the United States by their degree of 30
sprawl, measuring density, mix of land
uses, strength of activity centers, and
zs ,-
connectedness of the street network
(Ewing, Pendall, and Chen 2002 , 2003). 20 �� s( , FP' +
Even accounting for income and other p t 21
r
socioeconomic differences, residents ;
drove far less in the more compact is At
regions. In highly sprawling Atlanta, F r
vehicles racked up 34 miles each day 10
for every person living in the region. + {`e
Toward the other end of the scale, in ver ge Daily MT per Capit'
5 �
Portland, Oregon, vehicles were driven T vt t
fewer than 24 miles per person, per day. 4
0
This relationship holds up in 10 Most Sprawling Metropolitan 10 Most Compact Metropolitan
studies that focus on the travel habits of Areas Areas
individual households while measuring SOURCE: EWING, PENDALL, AND CHEN 2002, P. 18.
the environment surrounding their
5
What Smart Growth Would Look Like
How would this new focus on compact development change U.S. communities? Many more
developments would look like the transit-oriented developments and new urbanist neighborhoods
already going up in almost every city in the country, and these developments would start filling in vacant
lots or failing strip
shopping centers, or
would revitalize older M `
town centers, rather
than replacing forests
AV
or farmland. Most
developments would " *`
no longer be single-use
subdivisions or officea ` r
parks, but would mix
r
shops, schools, and
offices together with
homes. They might a
feature ground-floor
stores and offices with
living space above, or
townhomes within
walking distance of
a retail center. Most
developments would
be built to connect E '"
seamlessly with the
external street network.
The density JACOBY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
increases required to ATLANTIC STATION TODAY.
achieve the changes
proposed in this publication would be moderate. Nelson's work shows that the average density of
residential development in U.S. urban areas was about 7.6 units per acre in 2003 . His predictions of
shifting market demand indicate that all housing growth to 2025 could be accommodated by building
condominiums, apartments, townhomes, and detached houses on small lots, while maintaining the current
stock of houses on large lots. Under this scenario, while new developments would average a density of 13
units per acre, the average density of metropolitan areas overall would rise modestly, to about nine units
per acre. Much of the change would result from stopping the sprawling development that has resulted in
falling densities in many metropolitan areas.
Several publications provide a glimpse of what this future (night look like. Images of compact
development are available in This is Smart Growth (Smart Growth Network 2006) and Visualizing
Density (Lincoln Institute of Land Policy 2007).
7
Total Estimated VMT Reduction and Total Climate Impact
When viewed in total, the evidence on land use and driving shows that compact development will reduce
the need to drive between 20 and 40 percent, as compared with development on the outer suburban edge with
isolated homes, workplaces, and other destinations. It is realistic to assume a 30 percent cut in VMT with compact
development.
Making reasonable assumptions about growth rates, the market share of compact development, and the
relationship between CO, reduction and VMT reduction, smart growth could, by itself, reduce total transportation-
related CO2 emissions from current trends by 7 to 10 percent as of 2050. This reduction is achievable with land-use
changes alone. It does not include additional reductions from complementary measures, such as higher fuel prices
and carbon taxes, peak-period road tolls, pay-as-you drive insurance, paid parking, and other policies designed to
make drivers pay more of the full social costs of auto use.
This estimate also does not include the energy saved in buildings with compact development, or the CO,-
absorbing capacity of forests preserved by compact development. Whatever the total savings, it is important to
remember that land use changes provide a permanent climate benefit that would compound over time. The second
50 years of smart growth would build on the base reduction from the first 50 years, and so on into the future. More
immediate strategies, such as gas tax increases, do not have this degree of permanence.
The authors calculate that shifting 60 percent of new growth to compact patterns would save 85 million
metric tons of CO, annually by 2030. The savings over that period equate to a 28 percent increase in federal vehicle
efficiency standards by 2020 (to 32 mpg), comparable to proposals now being debated in Congress. It would be as
if the fteetwide efficiency for new vehicles had risen to 32 mpg bV 2020. Every resident of a compact neighborhood
would provide the environmental benefit expected from, say, driving one of today's efficient hybrid cars. That effect
would be compounded, of course, if that person also drove such an efficient car whenever he or she chose to make a
vehicle trip. Smart growth would become an important "third leg" in the transportation sector's fight against global
warming, along with more efficient vehicles and lower-carbon fuels.
A Climate= Sparing Strategy with Multiple Payoffs
Addressing climate change through smart growth is an attractive strategy because, in addition to being in line
with market demand, compact development provides many other benefits and will cost the economy little or nothing.
Research has documented that compact development helps preserve farmland and open space, protect water quality,
and improve health by providing more opportunities for physical activity.
Studies also have confirmed that compact development saves taxpayers money, particularly by reducing the
costs of infrastructure such as roads and water and sewer lines. For example, the Envision Utah scenario planning
process resulted in the selection of a compact growth plan that will save the region about $4.5 billion in infrastructure
spending over a continuation of sprawling development.
Finally, unlike hydrogen-fueled vehicles and cellulosic ethanol, which get a lot of attention in the climate-
change debate, the "technology" of compact, walkable communities exists today, as it has in one form or another for
thousands of years. We can begin using this technology in the service of a cooler planet right now.
9