It seems that everyone in the planning world is talking about a new report from the Urban Land Institute relating urban planning and land use patterns to climate change. The fundamental premise? Sprawl - and increased traffic - is a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions and human-induced global warming, and land use and urban planning policy holds one of the most important keys to staving off the ills of climate change.

From the Executive Summary:

How does a country - one with 300 million residents and another 100 million on the way by mid-century - slow the growth of vehicle miles driven? Aggressive measures certainly are available, including imposing ever stiffer fees and taxes on driving and parking or establishing no-drive zones or days. Some countries are experimenting with such measures. However, many in this country would view such steps as punitive, given the reality that most Americans do not have a viable alternative to driving. The body of research surveyed here shows that much of the rise in vehicle emissions can be curbed simply by growing in a way that will make it easier for Americans to drive less. In fact, the weight of the evidence shows that, with more compact development, people drive 20 to 40 percent less, at minimal or reduced cost, while reaping other fiscal and health benefits.

What does this mean for Central Oregon? The two obvious answers are curbing sprawl in our cities and curtailing the approval of destination resorts. Frankly, in regards to miles traveled to and from, destination resorts are probably about the worst example of urban sprawl imaginable.

Of course, solutions to the problem of global warming must reach far more broadly than this, and other mechanisms such as adopting and utilizing energy-efficient building standards for homes and buildings, dramatically increasing fuel economy in our cars, increased access to public transit, alternative energy sources, and innovative technologies - like plug-in hybrids - also hold important potential. With this research, however, ULI has demonstrated that our land use laws and growth patterns hold hold as much if not more potential than many other solutions.

How do we feel about the relationship between smart growth and climate change in Central Oregon? Well, Bend has developed a love affair with hybrid cars, so maybe there is hope. At LandWatch, this cuts to the core of our principles. We'd like to know what you think.