If Americans all lived like New Yorkers we would be using less than a third of the energy we currently do. Less sprawl means less car use and more use of public transportation or biking or walking. Apartment-style living means that climate control can be shared. So the heat that escapes from your apartment can help heat your neighbor’s apartments.

For these same reasons, increasing density in suburban areas can improve how efficiently we live. Increasingly, as suburban- and exurban- residents realize there are benefits to living closer to their neighbors- lower energy bills, less maintenance, more community, more walkability-, developers are beginning to create more dense, walkable communities outside of cities.

In this video, we- faircompanies’ Kirsten Dirksen and Nicolás Boullosa- take a stroll through Cloverdale, California (90 miles north of San Francisco) and give our opinion on a couple newer, denser developments.