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to two-thirds per passenger, per kilometer compared to private vehicles. [24] Projects should rethink the dominance of traditional transportation approaches, encouraging a fundamental mode shift away from SOVs to low-carbon alternatives ( LTc4: Transportation Demand Management, LTc5: Electric Vehicles).
Quality of life By promoting more equitable and healthy communities through compact and connected growth, the LT category provides pathways to affordable housing, local jobs, and sustainable transportation in the surrounding community ( LTc2: Equitable Development, LTc3: Compact and Connected Development). This holistic approach fosters more inclusive, resilient, and economically vibrant neighborhoods. By encouraging projects to embed these principles, the category helps create communities where people can thrive.
Ecological conservation and restoration Implementing low-carbon transportation and compact development options reduces emissions and mitigates urban sprawl, which disrupts ecosystems and natural habitats. [25 ] Researchers estimate that about one-third of all terrestrial species will experience habitat loss, with some species losing at least a tenth of their remaining habitat if global urbanization continues at its current rate through 2050. [26] Safeguarding sensitive lands such as wetlands, prime farmland, floodplains, and steep slopes enables projects to protect biodiversity, preserve natural carbon sinks, and bolster community resilience ( LTc1: Sensitive Land Protection, LTc3: Compact and Connected Development ).
Through these strategies, the LT category aims to support a transformative increase in understanding land use choices, accelerate the adoption of EV infrastructure, foster the transition to low-carbon transportation, and enable project teams to see the enormous potential to use location choice to support not only their own buildings, but also their surrounding community.
24 Welle, Ben, “Post-Pandemic, Public Transport Needs to Get Back on Track to Meet Global Climate Goals”, World Resources Institute, (n.d.), https://www.wri.org/insights/current-state-of-public-transport-climate-goals. 25 Haddaoui, Catlyne. n.d. “Cities Can Save $17 Trillion by Preventing Urban Sprawl.” World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/cities-can-save-17-trillion-preventing-urban-sprawl. 26 Laurance, William F., and Jayden Engert. 2022a. “Sprawling Cities Are Rapidly Encroaching on Earth’s Biodiversity.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119 (16). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2202244119.
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