Thursday, May 28th, 2009
On May 27, the Illinois Legislature took a significant step toward statewide sustainable water policy by passing the Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act, SB 1489. The bill sets the state on a path toward more effective and sustainable urban stormwater management by directing the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to consider standards that prioritize natural drainage approaches known as green infrastructure.
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Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Natural Resources, Policy | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
Study compares emissions of city, suburban households
[Chicago, IL] At first glance, cities may appear to be a big source of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. But new research by the nonprofit Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), which compares greenhouse gas emissions of city and suburban households, yields some surprising results.
CNT looked at emissions of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas, stemming from household vehicle travel in 55 metropolitan areas across the U.S. When measured on a per household basis, it found that the transportation-related emissions of people living in cities and compact neighborhoods can be nearly 70% less than those living in suburbs. See how this compares in your region.
“Cities are more location-efficient – meaning key destinations are closer to where people live and work,” said Scott Bernstein, CNT’s President. “They require less time, money, fuel and greenhouse gas emissions for residents to meet their everyday travel needs. People can walk, bike, car-share, take public transit. So residents of cities and compact communities generate less CO2 per household than people who live in more dispersed communities, like many suburbs and outlying areas.
“If you’re deciding where to live, consider moving to an urban area. You’ll help fight global warming by emitting less CO2. And you’re likely to drive less, so you’ll spend less on transportation, saving up to $5,000 annually.”
CNT’s research shows that average transportation costs vary greatly depending on location, from a low of 14% of area household median income in transit-rich, compact communities, to highs of 28% or more in exurban areas where employment, retail, and other amenities are more dispersed.
CNT focused on vehicle travel as a source of emissions, since research shows that transportation accounts for 28% of all greenhouse gases in the U.S.1 Its work compares the conventional per-acre analysis of greenhouse gas emissions due to vehicle travel with a new per-household view in each metropolitan area it studied. The results suggest that, due to their density and transportation alternatives, cities are a central part of the climate change solution.
The research is an outgrowth of CNT’s Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, which examines several aspects of location efficiency. One is the true cost of housing when household transportation costs are factored in, which vary widely by location. Together, transportation and housing can account for more than 60% of annual household expenses for some working families living in outlying areas – significantly impacting their cost of living and quality of life. The site also illuminates the environmental cost of housing location, which includes impacts like household carbon dioxide emissions.
Since its launch a year ago, the H+TTM Affordability Index has been expanded to show current CO2 maps, as well as the impact of location and gasoline costs on household budgets between the years 2000 and 2008. It has also been redesigned and enhanced for ease of use and data access.
Founded in 1978, CNT (www.cnt.org) is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that works nationally to advance urban sustainability by researching, inventing and testing strategies that use resources more efficiently and equitably. Its programs focus on climate, energy, natural resources, transportation, and community development. CNT is one of eight nonprofits selected from around the world to be recognized by a 2009 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
12007 data per the U.S. EPA National Greenhouse Gas Inventory
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Posted in Press Releases | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
At first glance, cities may appear to be a big source of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. But new research by CNT, which compares greenhouse gas emissions of city and suburban households, yields some surprising results.
CNT looked at emissions of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas, stemming from household vehicle travel in 55 metropolitan areas across the U.S. When measured on a per household basis, it found that the transportation-related emissions of people living in cities and compact neighborhoods can be nearly 70% less than those living in suburbs. See how this compares in your region at our newly redesigned Housing + Transportation Affordability Index site.
Read the full Press Release or try out the new site.
Posted in Climate, Featured Portfolio News, Location efficiency | No Comments »
Monday, May 18th, 2009
CNT’s Natural Resources program launched the “Super Barrel” movement (part of our Green Affordable Housing project, funded by the Home Depot Foundation) last weekend at Oak Park’s “What’s Blooming on Harrison” event. Attendees were drawn to the area behind the multi-family housing unit at 301 Harrison, to see the debut of what CNT’s Natural Resources Director Steve Wise calls “cubist water harvesting”.
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Posted in Green Affordable Housing Project, Natural Resources | 1 Comment »
Monday, May 18th, 2009
In response to recent developments in local transportation politics, CNT is reviving the TransitFuture coalition. Created in March 2007 to rally local support to avert the ‘Doomsday’ de-funding of public transportation in Northeastern Illinois, the TransitFuture’s organizing efforts paid off, and the crisis was averted. With the current funding crunch, that victory has revealed itself to be temporary, and the TransitFuture coalition is back in action to organize against the latest batch of harmful budget threats. Stay tuned to our website and listserv to learn how you can help stop Illinois’ budget crisis from doing irreparable damage to the public transportation system.
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, TransitFuture, Transportation and Community Development | No Comments »
Friday, May 8th, 2009
Sprawl has been a fascination with urban planners and historians alike, and is now gaining a heightened awareness due to the many linkages that can be drawn between the higher transportation costs one incurs to their ’sprawled out’ distance from an urban core. Current legislative initiatives like the partnership between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation, mean that policymakers are taking notice of the implications of where we live.
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Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Transportation and Community Development | No Comments »
