Transportation researchers agree that decreasing vehicle miles traveled minimizes pollution, eases traffic congestion, and mitigates roadway fatalities. They don’t, however, capture its full potential, nor reduce driving to a livable standard. More strategic housing placement could reduce vehicle miles traveled by as much as 6 percent per capita, well-above the 0.9-percent currently expected. California requires its cities to build housing, but cities decide where and how to build. Photo: Terner Center for Housing Innovation, UC BerkeleyCities are the focus of the state’s struggle to more dramatically reduce driving.