5. Encourage appropriate land use patterns that reduce vehicle-miles traveled.
Though New Hampshire's growth has slowed recently, it experienced faster growth than any other state in New England over the past 40 years. Much of this growth occurs as dispersed, low-density development, characteristically known as "sprawl." This type of development leads to an increase in the per capita annual vehicle-miles traveled as residential and commercial developments become increasingly dispersed across the landscape . By adopting strategies that promote compact, mixed-use, walkable-design development, the growth in annual travel can be significantly reduced. Through careful planning and development, growth can be concentrated and designed in such a way that it reduces the length of trips and increases the viability of walking, biking, and public transportation, while at the same time enhancing the aesthetics and livability of our communities. This type of development provides additional benefits by reducing the amount of CO2 released through forest and agricultural land conversion and helping to retain the traditional rural and village character of the state. Additional benefits can be realized through the maintenance of ecosystem services, such as flood storage, that will mitigate some of the impacts of climate change.