About Us
Cars provide an unparalleled level of mobility but have negative financial, public health, environmental, and social impacts. Reducing vehicle miles of travel (VMT) in California and elsewhere would produce a range of household- and community-level benefits. A less car-dependent society would also be more equitable for those with limited income or limited physical abilities who cannot drive. While it is not realistic in the foreseeable future for most Californians to live without their cars, it is possible to decrease car dependence through a variety of strategies, including changes to land use patterns.
The researchers of the VMT and Land Use Lab are contributing to the effort to reduce car dependence through research on policy implementation, equity analysis, VMT reduction, tools and modeling, the housing-transportation connection, and rural mobility.