Here’s the thing about reducing carbon emissions from automobiles: Research shows you can’t just do it with cleaner fuels, or cars that use less gas.
 
There’s a 3^rd leg of the stool: reducing the amount of time we spend on the road. 
 
“Those reduced vehicle miles traveled create a lot of benefits.”
 
Mike McKeever’s the executive director of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.  SACOG’s land use “Blueprint” plans to create more compact communities – neighborhoods with homes, shops and schools just a walk or short drive away.
 
And the Blueprint got special mention in a newly-released study by several groups, representing both developers and environmentalists.
 
McKeever says the goal is for future growth to look more like Midtown Sacramento and less like Rancho Cordova or Elk Grove – two areas with either lots of business or lots of housing, but not both.