ABSTRACT
Although this may be hard to believe, New York State is second in the US (after balmy Hawaii) in its efficient use of energy. This remarkable situation is due to a single circumstance: the very high rates of public transportation use in New York City, greater by far than anywhere else in the country. That such a single factor should – in a place of demanding climate and profligate levels of consumption – be so influential is hugely suggestive. Urban sustainability requires thinking at appropriate scales.
