Tackling Climate Change with Land Use Planning

Amidst all the recent discussions around resilience, the proactive role of action on climate change cannot be forgotten. And for Emily Wier and Alisa Zomer, the role played by land use planning in a city's defense against climate change is a critical one.

Above zoning ad behavioural-based policies, Wier and Zomer identify transportation planning at the single most effective tool available to cities to mitigate emissions associated with urban form. In the U.S., transportation contributes to nearly one third of carbon emissions and up to more than 50% of all emissions in some cities. Unfortunately while many cities are reducing their carbon emissions, transport-related emissions continue to increase in many cities. Weir and Zomer identify provision of a rail system, commuting distances, connectivity of transit options and a planned mix of commercial and residential development as contributing factors in a city's total transport emissions. Transport planning needs to be addressed on two fronts. The first is through promotion of alternative modes of transport through the provision of public transport to reduce the reliance on private motor vehicles. Secondly, by reducing the physical distance required for residents to commute through smart land use planning. 

The article highlights a number of methods that can be utilised to help achieve better land use planning to reduce carbon emissions. These include:

* Provision of bicycle lanes

* Electric vehicle charging stations

* Bike and car sharing programs

* Zoning to encourage housing and jobs in close proximity

* Setting clear goals and tracking progress toward these

* Linking policies to mitigation measures

* Making data transparent and available to the public

Macquarie Park Station

Source: Ing, D 2010, 'Sydney-Macquarie Park: planes, trains and buses', Blog: Distractions, Reflections, 31 July 2010, accessed 12 May 2016, <http://daviding.com/blog/index.php/archive/yyz-yvr-sydney-macquarie-park-planes-trains-and-buses/>.

Thinking all the way back to Tone Wheeler's lecture in week 2, all of Sydney's smart solutions and climate change action plans will be useless if we don't first tackle the serious problem of poor land use planning inherent in rapid urban sprawl. Very little of the new suburbs being created in Sydney's far west are supporting the principles of sustainable transport plans listed above. They are not providing public transport infrastructure or bicycle lanes nor are they accommodating a variety of uses to allow job opportunities nearby the residential development. No matter how many "zero-carbon" buildings we build, emissions associated with our transport is only growing and the land use planning solutions required to put an end to this need to be implemented fast. 

Source: Wier, E & Zomer, A 2016, 'Land Use Planning: The Critical Part of Climate Action Plans that Most Cities Miss', The Nature of Cities, 13 March 2016, accessed 12 May 2016, <http://www.thenatureofcities.com/2016/03/13/land-use-planning-the-critical-part-of-climate-action-plans-that-most-cities-miss/>.