When it comes to technology, however, Calthorpe is a professional cynic. He chides city bosses for relying on technology to fix their environmental ills -- providing cosmetic offerings like electric vehicle charging stations, for example, or iPhone apps that identify parking spots -- rather than making greater, greener tweaks to the urban organism itself. "You can't put the cart before the horse," he says, "and the horse is the city. You're never going to take away this social animal stuff. Proximity is more important to us than ever. Technology matters, but I don't think it's a substitute for fundamental urban design."
That doesn't mean a city has to make itself into Manhattan -- though Calthorpe is well aware that such dense environments are the most eco-friendly human habitations, pound for pound. We don't need to go that far to make our cities much more energy-efficient. Instead, Calthorpe points to a suburb of Oakland called Rockridge as his prime example: dense, leafy streets with plenty of shops, nice houses, mass transit and a high walk score. If we all lived that closely, he says, we'd make a massive dent in the causes of climate change -- and we'd be happier, more social and more creative creatures to boot. "Even the high-tech, Internet-connected world wants to be in the same place," Calthorpe says. "They're not interested in living on a mountaintop. They want to crowd into places that are all about exchanges of ideas."
How to Make It Happen
The Global Innovation Series is supported by BMW i, a new concept dedicated to providing mobility solutions for the urban environment. It delivers more than purpose-built electric vehicles; it delivers smart mobility services within and beyond the car. Visit bmw-i.com or follow @BMWi on Twitter.
Are you an innovative entrepreneur? Submit your pitch to BMW i Ventures, a mobility and tech venture capital company.