The Brookings Institute just released a report titled The State of Metropolitan America; which discusses the changes happening in cities across America related to commuting, income and poverty, work, households and family, among others. North Carolina has been growing rapidly. The population is expected to double by 2020. This report shed light on an interesting perspective of how all of this growth affects individuals and families’ quality of life.
The current trend to manage growth has been to expand or ‘sprawl’ outward away from city centers like Raleigh, Charlotte, and the Triad. However, with the lack of convenient public transportation, this has led to an increase in one-driver commuting. The Brookings Institute found that the Triad and Charlotte areas had the largest increase in one-driver commuters in North Carolina, an increase of between 1 and 5.3% between 2000 and 2008. Not only does the rise in one-driver commuting affect the environment with the increase in carbon gases emitted into the atmosphere, but it impacts the quality of life of residents. Long commutes mean less time spent with family and friends before and after work. In addition, long commutes require more money to maintain upkeep on vehicles, car payments, and gas.
There are some possible solutions that would decrease extensive commutes. Municipalities should adopt smarter growth patterns when planning for new development. By smarter growth, we mean more ‘compact’ communities where housing, transportation; jobs and recreational activities are all combined to make more accessible districts. HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) has caught on to this idea and recently launched the Partnership for Sustainable Communities with collaboration from DOT (Department of Transportation) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). This new interagency partnership will funnel federal resources and support local planning through the Office of Sustainable Communities. The office’s mission is to create strong communities by connecting housing to employment, fostering local innovation, and contributing to a clean energy economy. We believe this is a great step forward and continue to support the coordination of these efforts.
To read the full report by the Brookings Institute, click here.
To Join Us, Become a Member and receive more housing related updates, click here.
The current trend to manage growth has been to expand or ‘sprawl’ outward away from city centers like Raleigh, Charlotte, and the Triad. However, with the lack of convenient public transportation, this has led to an increase in one-driver commuting. The Brookings Institute found that the Triad and Charlotte areas had the largest increase in one-driver commuters in North Carolina, an increase of between 1 and 5.3% between 2000 and 2008. Not only does the rise in one-driver commuting affect the environment with the increase in carbon gases emitted into the atmosphere, but it impacts the quality of life of residents. Long commutes mean less time spent with family and friends before and after work. In addition, long commutes require more money to maintain upkeep on vehicles, car payments, and gas.
There are some possible solutions that would decrease extensive commutes. Municipalities should adopt smarter growth patterns when planning for new development. By smarter growth, we mean more ‘compact’ communities where housing, transportation; jobs and recreational activities are all combined to make more accessible districts. HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) has caught on to this idea and recently launched the Partnership for Sustainable Communities with collaboration from DOT (Department of Transportation) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). This new interagency partnership will funnel federal resources and support local planning through the Office of Sustainable Communities. The office’s mission is to create strong communities by connecting housing to employment, fostering local innovation, and contributing to a clean energy economy. We believe this is a great step forward and continue to support the coordination of these efforts.
To read the full report by the Brookings Institute, click here.
To Join Us, Become a Member and receive more housing related updates, click here.
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