ABSTRACT
In general, there is an inverse relation between the population densities of cities and their petrol consumption per capita: as densities decline, petrol consumption increases. But is our only choice between US suburban sprawl and the much higher density European city? The fixation on density, with little scrutiny of, for example, land use, site cover or social organisation, impoverishes the debate. Lower densities are not necessarily an impediment to creating cities with significant environmental virtues.
