More Center For Neighborhood Technology Righteousness

CNT had already developed a model for predicting vehicle miles traveled (VMT) for their Housing and Transportation Affordability Index, so it was pretty much a plug and chug to get the household greenhouse gas emissions produced by driving, as mapped in the image above.  The relationship is clear:  more urban = less driving = less CO2 emissions.  And the difference in emissions can be significant:  as much as a factor of two or more depending on where you are in the Puget Sound region.

The inputs to the VMT model include: density, average block size, distance to employment centers, job density, access to amenities, and “transit connectivity index.”  These factors pretty much cover the basic ingredients for a complete, compact, and connected urban neighborhood–the kind of urban built environment that makes sense for the future.

(via Sightline)