At the 2008 American Planning Association conference, climate change was the prevailing - and timely -theme.  Congress is scheduled to begin discussion this month on proposed legislation to deal with fossil fuel dependence, climate change and green house gas emissions.  As you listen to these discussions and learn about the issues and concerns, one message keeps emerging - we are in a critical century where average temperatures are predicted to rise by 1 degree per decade.   If something is not done to reverse this trend, by 2100 we won’t be talking global warming, we’ll be there.  

Many of the issues and trends we deal with daily in transportation planning and land use planning are directly and intricately connected to climate change.  We get caught up in meeting so many requirements, deadlines and daily crises that we forget the bigger picture.  And that is how the built environment and human behaviors affect the world on which we live.

Many of the current BMP’s and hot topics like context sensitive design, green infrastructure and Transit Oriented Development have an effect on climate change.  Trees and green infrastructure in general help reduce emissions.  TOD’s, bicycle and pedestrian systems that truly provide transportation options, and mass transit all serve to reduce our use of fossil fuels.  Reducing your carbon footprint can be everyone’s individual contribution, however, we should take note and have a certain level of satisfaction that our profession can actively influence this bigger climate change picture.  And we shouldn’t lose sight of that.

As Transportation Plans and Comprehensive Land Use Plans are updated, I believe our goals and objectives should reflect the larger, global vision.   The connection between transportation and land use is now strong and solidly recognized.  As we move forward, I also believe the connections between energy and health will become just as strong.   Health Impact Assessments could become as important as an EIS. 

There is a wealth of information out there and one of the best places to help bring it all together  is your next transportation plan document.

FYI Websites:

www.cnt.org – the Center for Neighborhood Technology

www.3degreesinc.com/carbon_calculator - one of many carbon footprint calculators

www.planning.org/forestry  - planning the urban forest

www.tpl.org – parks and recreation info from the Trust for Public Land