Sprawl leads to more emissions, but the economic costs are also high. Policies and strategies that ensure compact growth are essential.

Catlyne Haddaoui considers the implications of an August 2018 report from The New Climate Economy that says more sustainable, compact urban development will lead to global economic savings of up to $17 trillion by 2050. “Compact cities produce fewer emissions because they tend to offer better access to public transit and cycling and walking paths, have greater energy efficiency, have lower environmental costs for infrastructure, and allow for more green spaces.”
She reports that infrastructure is less costly to build and maintain in compact cities, and residents in these cities do not have to travel as far or deal with congestion and air pollution, which then boosts GDP. In addition, says Haddaoui, compact cities bring people together, spur innovation, and increase productivity.
Strategies for compact growth need to stop sprawl, which promotes auto dependence, single-family homes, and low-density development. Haddaoui says shifting people from driving to sustainable modes of travel is crucial, and this change will happen through transportation infrastructure investments.
She adds that these investments need to be coupled with national policies that further support compact development. “Governments will need to reform spatial plans, building codes and tax incentives to discourage sprawl. And they’ll need to do this while avoiding the displacement of low-income or other marginalized urban residents as inner-city areas become more attractive,” says Haddaoui.
FULL STORY: Cities Can Save $17 Trillion by Preventing Urban Sprawl

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

U.S. Miles Driven Rose by 1 Percent in 2024
Americans drove a total of 3.279 trillion miles in 2024, but per capita VMT stayed the same.

Seattle Recorded Zero Bike Deaths in 2024, per Early Data
The city halved the number of pedestrian deaths compared to 2021.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research