ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by looking at the larger planning, financing, and infrastructure issues that relate to creating the framework for greener communities, and at what makes communities vibrant, equitable, and livable. Just as sprawl was the result of a series of decisions that stemmed from a suburban view of the world, so people need to organize their decisions around a new green-community view of the world. Sprawl has economic costs: lower-income residents now spend as much on transportation as they do on housing costs. The solution to sprawl is to develop and redevelop compact, green mixed use mixed income transit-oriented development (TOD) communities. Every Housing and Urban Development and Federal Highway Administration program needs to be reviewed and either made location neutral or refocused to support TOD and urban infill. Many of the characteristics that make urban-infill projects appealing to the market are the very characteristics that also make the pursuit of them sound public policy.
