Could Smart Growth Development Expose People to More Air Pollution?

Yes, according to a recent analysis by Oakland’s Pacific Institute and a group of public health and air-quality advocates (known as the Ditching Dirty Diesel Collaborative) that emphasizes the relationship between urban planning and public health. But some land use experts have criticized the study for failing to consider the air-qualify benefits of creating dense and walkable developments in urban centers.

The study finds that California’s efforts to promote smart growth development in the Bay Area could unintentionally expose residents to sources of toxic pollutions. Its findings show that 25% of the land in targeted development areas is within an unsafe distance from freeways, rail yards, ports, and distribution centers that could pose a risk to “sensitive land uses” like housing. And only a third of the more suitable land for sensitive land uses is zoned residential or mixed residential/commercial.