The Sierra Club is committed to protecting our planet and saving green space for nature and humans. Present patterns of population growth are creating significant challenges on that front. Urbanization is also a significant trend, but this is not a bad thing if the design and development of cities is done responsibly. The club favors policies and infrastructure decisions that encourage compact communities where destinations are easily accessible from people's homes. These lead to decreased encroachment on open space and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

In particular:

• We promote zoning policies that reflect these values, such as strong protections of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro rural buffer.
• We encourage local governments to prioritize these issues when making decisions about development proposals.
• We advocate for transportation infrastructure that improves connectivity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, such as improved mass transit and roads that are friendly to bicycles and pedestrians.

(See the chapter on human settlements (PDF) from a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for more information on the connections between greenhouse gas emissions and development practices.)