Why are compact cities often more energy efficient than sprawling metropolitan areas?

Compact cities are generally more energy-efficient than sprawling metropolitan areas due to differences in housing design, transportation needs, and land use.

• Housing Efficiency: Suburban dwellings are typically larger and stand-alone, leading to significant energy loss through exterior walls. In contrast, city apartments are often smaller and share walls, ceilings, and floors with neighboring units, which helps retain heat in the winter and cool air in the summer.1
• Transportation: Sprawling areas often necessitate a heavy reliance on automobiles for commuting to work or accessing retail services, which increases fossil fuel consumption. Compact cities, by design, support mass transit, bicycle use, and walking, reducing the per capita energy demand associated with travel.123
• Infrastructure and Design: Strategies such as smart growth and New Urbanism emphasize the construction of compact homes and businesses that are inherently more energy-efficient. By integrating various land-use types and containing development within defined boundaries, these areas minimize the energy-intensive infrastructure required to support a dispersed population.3