It's About How and Where We Build: Connecting Energy and Smart Growth

In recent years, energy issues have become a growing concern for Americans. Largely missing from present energy discussions, however, is the role that land-use practices have on energy consumption and the use of alternative energy resources. By efficiently locating development, we can reduce the amount of energy needed for transportation and for other infrastructure as compared with spread-out, suburban development. Moreover, by including greater use of energy efficient design, these "smart growth" land-use practices could become even smarter -- and better achieve their goals of environmental protection, economic prosperity, and community livability. The smart growth land-use and energy efficiency movements are intrinsically linked, yet these two fields have mostly operated in separate worlds. Greater coordination between these two professions is warranted, yet substantial barriers exist. A recent survey reveals that planners' technical knowledge of energy issues is limited, as is their inclusion of energy factors in comprehensive planning, zoning, and development review. Heightened concern about foreign oil dependence, climate change, and the other ill effects of fossil fuel usage makes the energy-land-use collaboration especially important. Recently, there have been some hopeful signs of collaboration between energy professionals and community developers.