California has undertaken two challenging housing and climate goals: to build 2.5 million new homes by 2030 and to reduce climate pollution 40 percent by 2030.[1] Especially given that passenger travel represents the single largest source of climate pollution from California households, geographically defined transportation criteria are increasingly being used in California housing policy to promote state goals for reducing climate pollution (Appendix Table 2). These goals target reductions in the amount of daily driving by California residents, as measured in a metric known as vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per person.
Aligning Housing with Climate Goals: The Importance of Measuring VMT
Terner Center for Housing and Innovation
Year: 2025