California Law Seeks to Cut Suburban Sprawl and Greenhouse Gases

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is soon expected to sign a law that will funnel vital state and federal subsidies to high-density communities where people live close to offices and stores. The bill, recently passed by the Legislature, is the first in the U.S. that ties greenhouse gas emissions to urban planning. California — the world’s 12th-largest source of greenhouse gases and home to 38 million people — is renowned for its suburban sprawl and car culture, and the bill is aimed at reversing that trend. Under the legislation, 17 major metropolitan planning organizations must set targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020. The planning organizations will provide housing and transportation funds for high-density communities; by 2012, projects that encourage suburban sprawl are unlikely to receive state or federal funds.