CSG Report, Cool Communities: Identifying Climate Friendly Developments in the Washington D.C. Region

Cool Communities

Identifying Climate Friendly Developments in the Washington D.C. Region

Report Makes Head-to-Head Comparisons of New and Proposed Developments

When you think of cool communities, you might think of vibrant neighborhoods with great streets and parks, coffee shops, bars and restaurants, a variety of stores and other activities. But these communities also offer the opportunity to help reduce the warming of our climate, while reducing oil consumption and transportation costs.

“The D.C. region’s ‘coolest’ communities don’t just have coffee shops, bars, restaurants, great parks and great transit -- they also offer the biggest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” said Cheryl Cort, Policy Director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth. “Mixed-use, walkable communities with high frequency transit offer the opportunity to drive less. As a result, they generate fewer CO₂ emissions -- that’s the finding of our first-ever report on greenhouse gas emissions from new and proposed development projects.”

Over the last decade, a consensus has emerged in the Washington D.C. region about the importance of focusing a significant share of our region's job and population growth in compact, mixed-use places around transit, especially our Metrorail system. Doing so reduces traffic congestion, lowers household transportation costs, cuts air pollution, reduces loss of forests, farms and natural habitats, and improves health and access to jobs. The threat of climate change now looms, but smart growth policies can also contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

“The core finding for our elected officials and private developers is that where we build and how we build our neighborhoods will make a real difference in the amount we have to drive and the amount of greenhouse gas pollution we generate from driving,” said Cort.

The report analyzes the travel characteristics and greenhouse gas emissions from eleven development projects in the Washington metropolitan region.

Download the Executive Summary here.

Download the full report here.

Head to head comparisons include:

Braddock Metro compared to Lorton
Gaithersburg West (“Science City”) compared to White Flint Metro
Upper Wisconsin Avenue, D.C. (5220 Wisconsin) compared to a site in Gaithersburg West
MetroWest at Vienna Metro compared to Arcola in Loudoun
One Loudoun Center compared to future Route 772 Dulles Rail Station

Major Findings:

Mixed-use walkable developments with a well-connected street grid and frequent transit perform much better than indicated by the standard traffic estimates. Reductions in CO₂ emissions range from 10 to 35 percent.
Total CO₂ reductions from developments that combine on-site design and regional accessibility -- transit-oriented development sites -- were substantial, ranging from eight to over 40 percent.
This assessment demonstrates that there is great potential to reduce the carbon footprint of future growth while simultaneously improving access to jobs, increasing transportation choices and offering better housing opportunities for households throughout the region.
The region’s officials should update their transportation analysis tools and conduct in-depth assessments of transportation and emissions from proposed development projects.

On-site interviews available at the following study sites: