Transpo Troubles Rise From Choices About How and Where We Build
| | No Comments
Transpo troubles rise from choices about how and where we buildThis comes from a larger infographic about sustainable transportation – see the full image (from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) at the bottom of this page. The gist of it: the further we have to drive to jobs, the more money we spend on transportation costs. Putting jobs and homes closer together – or at least connected them with alternatives like public transportation and cycling – is better for the economy overall.As I wrote recently, the hidden costs of transportation in Atlanta’s car-centric sprawl are
considerable. The region draws people to its suburbs by way of home prices
that are relatively affordable. But when you factor in transportation
costs, the Atlanta region is one of the least
affordable places in the US for moderate-income households.We need to make good choices about both how and where we build. It’s obvious that doing the right thing continues to be a struggle for the Atlanta region – even projects that appear to have components of urbanism on the surface can be troublesome when you look at the big picture. Consider the new Mercedes-Benz headquarters coming to Sandy Springs (just north of the City of Atlanta). According to this news piece, it will be part of a mixed-use development that has some good features in itself:The Sandy Springs development will include more than 1,000 housing units, 30 acres of greenspace and the future headquarters for Mercedes-Benz.Density of housing, mixed uses, greenspace – it all sounds like good urbanism expect for one crucial factor…how do people get there? Michael Hadden of New Urban Roswell points out the failure of the project to be truly sustainable: Hadden says his biggest critique of the new project in Sandy Springs is that it’s not close to public transit.I guess it’s not entirely surprising that a car company would end up locating in a spot that embraces drive-to urbanism. But it’s also indicative of the poor choices we make about where we build. Though a mixed-use project like this will probably result in fewer car trips overall, if it is reachable only by car then it is, 1.) not doing all it should to be truly sustainable; 2.) not part of an equitable built environment – people who can’t afford to own cars aren’t invited to this party.
