For #EarthDay
https://abs.twimg.com/hashflags... draggable="false" alt="">, a quick thread.
We don& #39;t always talk about it this way, but housing and zoning are issues of climate and environmental justice.
Here& #39;s why
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We don& #39;t always talk about it this way, but housing and zoning are issues of climate and environmental justice.
Here& #39;s why
Simply put, single-family homes are worse for the environment than higher-density housing like #MissingMiddle.
A big reason is carbon emissions. Not only does low-density housing use energy less efficiently, but zoning exclusively for single-family homes increases car-reliance.
A big reason is carbon emissions. Not only does low-density housing use energy less efficiently, but zoning exclusively for single-family homes increases car-reliance.
This map from @CoolClimateNw is household carbon emissions in the DMV.
Notice how DC and its immediate suburbs have lower household emissions? That& #39;s chiefly because of higher-density development that conserves energy & facilitates the use of public transit, biking, or walking.
Notice how DC and its immediate suburbs have lower household emissions? That& #39;s chiefly because of higher-density development that conserves energy & facilitates the use of public transit, biking, or walking.
Another negative consequence of low-density zoning is that it takes more land to produce less housing.
Instead of allowing for multi-family housing in existing neighborhoods, single-family zoning sprawls into previously untouched areas, where the natural landscape is torn down.
Instead of allowing for multi-family housing in existing neighborhoods, single-family zoning sprawls into previously untouched areas, where the natural landscape is torn down.
Where we allow for affordable housing also has huge implications for environmental justice.
Ex: research shows that black & brown neighborhoods bear the weight of pollution.
But exclusionary zoning makes finding a home in a better neighborhood tough. https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-05-24/asthma-air-pollution-rates-higher-in-historically-redlined-neighborhoods">https://www.usnews.com/news/heal...
Ex: research shows that black & brown neighborhoods bear the weight of pollution.
But exclusionary zoning makes finding a home in a better neighborhood tough. https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2019-05-24/asthma-air-pollution-rates-higher-in-historically-redlined-neighborhoods">https://www.usnews.com/news/heal...