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Walkability/New construction: Difference between revisions
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If [[walkability]] is achieved by building brand-new neighborhoods, how long would it take to "break even" considering the carbon emissions of the construction & materials? | |||
==Simplified model== | |||
* consider the carbon footprint of making a new building, per person living there. | |||
* assume a full extreme lifestyle change: people go from "USA average" amount of driving, to zero driving. | |||
In such a case, it would take about 7-8 years to pay itself off: | |||
<tab name="(see maths)"> | |||
{{dp | {{dp | ||
|<nowiki>building.construction_ghg_by_floor_area</nowiki> | |<nowiki>building.construction_ghg_by_floor_area</nowiki> | ||
| Line 59: | Line 66: | ||
|years (average_us_vehicle.fuel_usage * gasoline.ghg_by_energy * usa.registered_vehicles / usa.population) | |years (average_us_vehicle.fuel_usage * gasoline.ghg_by_energy * usa.registered_vehicles / usa.population) | ||
}} | }} | ||
</tab> | |||
The real-life figure might be higher, because... | |||
* can't really expect a full change to ''zero'' driving, just a lot less than before | |||
* the calculation didn't include interior furnishings of the building, as far as I know | |||
The real-life figure might be lower, because... | |||
* the footprint of heating the new place{{x|i.e. an apartment or condo in a multi-unit residential building}} would probably be lower than the old place{{x|i.e. a single-detached suburban home}} | |||
* less construction in other ways (especially road maintenance) | |||
In any case, the carbon payoff of new construction could be worth it if there's no better option for [[Walkability/Existing housing]]. | |||
<!-- TALK: i | <!-- TALK: should i try to find a different case study that deals with per capita (or total emissions and total number of residents) instead of guesstimating floor space per person --> | ||