TRB Special Report 298: Driving and the Built Environment: Effects of Compact Development on Motorized Travel, Energy Use, and CO2 Emissions examines the relationship between land development patterns and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the United States to assess whether petroleum use, and by extension greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, could be reduced by changes in the design of development patterns. The report estimates the contributions that changes in residential and mixed-use development patterns and transit investments could make in reducing VMT by 2030 and 2050, and the impact this could have in meeting future transportation-related GHG reduction goals.

"This book focuses on some of the current developments in practice and education within the construction industry towards facilitating the transformation in the digitally-built environment. In particular, from a practice perspective, developments are presented to enhance the client's understanding of digitally-enabled collaboration, interoperability and open standards, and maturity/capability and offers approaches to embedding digital construction within education"--

TRB Special Report 282: Does the Built Environment Influence Physical Activity? Examining the Evidence reviews the broad trends affecting the relationships among physical activity, health, transportation, and land use; summarizes what is known about these relationships, including the strength and magnitude of any causal connections; examines implications for policy; and recommends priorities for future research.

Based on a comprehensive study review by leading urban planning researchers, this investigative document demonstrates how urban development is both a key contributor to climate change and an essential factor in combating it -- by reducing vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.

The construction industry is amidst a digital transformation that is focused on addressing well-documented issues and calls for significant improvements and changes through increased productivity, whole-life value, client focus, reduction of waste, and being more sustainable. The key aspect to driving change and transformation is the education and upskilling of the required workforce towards developing the required capacities. Various approaches can be taken to embed digital construction within education and through collaborative efforts in order to drive change and facilitate improvements. The Handbook of Research on Driving Transformational Change in the Digital Built Environment focuses on current developments in practice and education towards facilitating transformation in the built environment. This book provides insight, from a practice perspective, in relation to the client’s understanding, digitally enabled collaboration, interoperability and open standards, and maturity/capability. Covering topics that include digital transformation and construction, digitally enabled infrastructure, building information modelling, collaborative digital education, and the digital built environment, this book is an ideal reference source for engineers, professionals, and researchers in the field of digital transformation as well as doctoral scholars, doctoral researchers, professionals, and academicians.

Climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for-and in many cases is already affecting-a broad range of human and natural systems. The compelling case for these conclusions is provided in Advancing the Science of Climate Change, part of a congressionally requested suite of studies known as America's Climate Choices. While noting that there is always more to learn and that the scientific process is never closed, the book shows that hypotheses about climate change are supported by multiple lines of evidence and have stood firm in the face of serious debate and careful evaluation of alternative explanations. As decision makers respond to these risks, the nation's scientific enterprise can contribute through research that improves understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change and also is useful to decision makers at the local, regional, national, and international levels. The book identifies decisions being made in 12 sectors, ranging from agriculture to transportation, to identify decisions being made in response to climate change. Advancing the Science of Climate Change calls for a single federal entity or program to coordinate a national, multidisciplinary research effort aimed at improving both understanding and responses to climate change. Seven cross-cutting research themes are identified to support this scientific enterprise. In addition, leaders of federal climate research should redouble efforts to deploy a comprehensive climate observing system, improve climate models and other analytical tools, invest in human capital, and improve linkages between research and decisions by forming partnerships with action-oriented programs.