It has often been written that compact, very dense cities
consume less energy and produce less pollution that the less dense suburbs and
residential areas dominated by single family homes. However, new research shows
that may not be true.
Researchers from the universities of Cambridge ,
Newcastle , and Leeds in the UK published a paper in the spring 2012
issue of the Journal of the American
Planning Association that showed that the urban form may have very little
impact on energy use and sustainability. An article in Atlantic Cities on
July 24, 2012 discussed the findings.
One of the authors, Cambridge Prof. Marcial
Echenique, told Atlantic Cities: “To our surprise, if you compare the compact
form versus the current trend, the difference in reduced transport by
automobile is very minor. And if you allow the city to expand, the increase in
the use of the car is only marginal.”
Echeniques continued: "If you make the city
more compact, it doesn't mean that people will abandon their car. Only 5
percent of people abandon the use of the car. Ninety-five percent carries on
using the car, which means there are more cars on the same streets, therefore
there is much more congestion and therefore there is much more pollution and no
great increase in the reduction of energy."
There are several limitations to the study. It
was done in England , and may
or may not apply to the United
States
