How can subsidizing the cost of development help save the environment?
A. Development that uses resources efficiently is much better for the environment than low-density sprawling development. Sprawl is the status quo all over the nation, however, and many political and market barriers prevent developers from adopting even the smartest, most cost-effective measures to reduce the adverse environmental and public health impacts of new development. In order to effectively change the way that developers use natural resources and build neighborhoods, it is necessary to reduce the costs of implementing more efficient development practices. The tax credit will encourage developers to use cutting-edge technologies and better design practices that will provide substantial environmental benefits. This will result in a new class of developments with the potential to demonstrate the benefits of, and the consumer demand for, environmentally superior development. The legislation aims to create long-term changes in the market through a short-term incentive program that
