Washington, D.C. — Public policies that support sustainable development patterns and building practices can have a substantial impact on curbing climate change, according to Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, a new book from the Urban Land Institute (ULI).

“The key to making substantial greenhouse gas reductions and stemming global warming is to encourage smarter development patterns rather than sprawl,” says Growing Cooler lead author Reid Ewing, academic fellow for ULI and a research professor at the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland. In the book, Ewing and his co-authors make an argument for sustainable growth as a central component of a national strategy to combat climate change by reducing the number of vehicles miles traveled (VMT) in the United States. Meeting the growing demand for conveniently located homes in walkable neighborhoods could significantly reduce the growth in the number of miles Americans drive, shrinking the nation’s carbon footprint while giving people more living options, the book says.

Growing Cooler presents a comprehensive review of studies on this subject by leading urban planning researchers, including Ewing; Keith Bartholomew of the University of Utah; Steve Winkelman of the Center for Clean Air Policy; Jerry Walters of Fehr & Peers Associates; and Don Chen, former executive director of Smart Growth America. Visit www.uli.org for more information.