![The Future Comes Down to Where We Live v. Where We Work » Infrastructurist
If anything, [Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development] argued, the economic crisis has highlighted that when Washington fails to address our sprawl epidemic, all the problems that result – obesity, congestion, foreign oil dependence – share a common element: There is a fundamental mismatch between where we live and where we work. Whatever we do to address these problems, he stated, the U.S. must find a way to attach housing to jobs.
The figures he gave to illustrate this point were stark: The costs of commuting to work in the U.S. have gone up 1000% in the past few decades. In Atlanta, the costs of driving totals 61% of family income in Atlanta, while cars eat up to 70% of family budgets in parts of California. Meanwhile, many cities face a huge shortage in affordable workforce housing.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4jt7dABEL1qz5yk0o1_400.jpg)
If anything, [Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development] argued, the economic crisis has highlighted that when Washington fails to address our sprawl epidemic, all the problems that result – obesity, congestion, foreign oil dependence – share a common element: There is a fundamental mismatch between where we live and where we work. Whatever we do to address these problems, he stated, the U.S. must find a way to attach housing to jobs.
The figures he gave to illustrate this point were stark: The costs of commuting to work in the U.S. have gone up 1000% in the past few decades. In Atlanta, the costs of driving totals 61% of family income in Atlanta, while cars eat up to 70% of family budgets in parts of California. Meanwhile, many cities face a huge shortage in affordable workforce housing.
