Source: With Gas Over $4, Cities Explore Whether It’s Smart to Be Dense; Sacramento’s ‘Blueprint’ for Growth Draws National Attention, Ana Campoy. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern Edition). New York, N.Y.:Jul 7, 2008. p. A.1
Since 2004, the price of fuel, the housing bust, and global warming concerns have forced urban planners in Sacramento to adopt a plan that would concentrate growth more densely in certain areas in order to keep jobs closer to homes. In the 1990s, there was heavy growth in single-family homes in suburban areas. In response, traffic rose 66% from 1990 to 2003. By 2007, gas prices were the primary issue in the area, leading 12% of respondents to change jobs to shorten commute time. The Sacramento plan, dubbed “Blueprint” expects to reduce driving per household by 8% and global warming per household by 12% by 2035. This plan seems to be making sense according to current housing trends–from 2004-2007 the number of apartments, condos and town house projects increased 533% while the number of subdivision projects have decreased by 21%.
