Effects of the Built Environment on Transportation: Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Other Factors

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. The objective of the report is to inform national policy experts and decision-makers about how changes to land use and the built environment could reduce transportation energy use, and about the feasibility and possible impacts of potential federal actions to affect the built environment. Key findings of the research are as follows: 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 that 1% to as high as 10% by 2050; 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; and The relationships among built environment metrics, transportation systems, and travel are nonlinear and interactive, indicating that network-based models are best suited to assess these relationships.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/55634.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Cambridge Systematics, Incorporated

  100 Cambridge Park Drive, Suite 400
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02140

  National Renewable Energy Laboratory

  Golden, CO  United States  80401
• Authors:
  • Porter, Christopher D
  • Brown, Austin
  • 0000-0002-5454-1465
  • Vimmerstedt, Laura
  • Dunphy, Robert T
• Publication Date: 2013-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 106p
• Serial:
  • Transportation Energy Futures Series
  • Publisher: Department of Energy

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Built environment; Decision making; Economic growth; Energy consumption; Greenhouse gases; Land use planning; Literature reviews; Policy; Quality of life
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Transportation (General); I15: Environment; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01483371
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOE/GO-102013-3703
• Contract Numbers: DC-A36-08GO28308; DE-AC02-06CH11357
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 6 2013 11:58AM