Charts
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BTU Usage:
A comparison of Urban vs. Suburban Green
Residential and Commercial Development
Description: A comparison of the effects of residential and commercial development patterns that use sustainable building practices and higher efficiency automobiles on transportation and energy usage.
Categories that are noted as “Green” incorporate additional energy usage reductions achieved by buildings that are built to meet Energy Star criteria and use of hybrid automobiles.
Findings: Energy usage decreases as density increases and development patterns become more urban.
Significant reductions in transportation energy use occur as development patterns move from suburban to urban because of the increased availability of comprehensive transit networks.
For example, moving from auto-dependent suburban single family homes into transit connected urban green single family homes can reduce household energy consumption by 64%. Moving from auto-dependent suburban single family homes into transit connected urban green multifamily homes can reduce household energy consumption by 75%.