Los Angeles has a history of outward, sprawl development, which makes long car commutes many people’s only transportation option. When people can’t afford to live near where they need to go, cars clog our streets, disparate travel time burdens exacerbate inequities, and sprawl development creates all the more wildfire risk.
Equitable infill development that increases the supply of affordable housing near jobs, anti-displacement strategies that keep communities intact, and adding jobs and amenities in historically under-resourced communities are all strategies to reduce the distances that people must travel. For shorter trips, people are more likely to take transit, walk, bike, or scoot, and in doing so reduce our largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollutants.