​Making Room: A Speaker Series Vol. 8

​Can Building Homes Cut Emissions?

​Data on Housing Density and Transportation

​We usually talk about housing as an affordability issue. Scott Baker makes the case that it's climate policy too, and he has the numbers to back it up.

​Where we build homes decides how far people have to drive. Scott built a peer-reviewed model, the Compact Urban Form Estimation Tool, that estimates how much transportation emissions fall when housing density goes up.

​He'll walk through the data, what it means for Toronto, and make the climate case for zoning reform.

​About the Speaker

​Scott Baker is an environmental scientist, project manager, and housing policy researcher whose work focuses on the intersection of housing, transportation, and climate change. He spent seven years with Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, where he led scientific studies, managed complex multi-stakeholder projects, and worked with governments, industry, municipalities, and community organizations to address environmental challenges. Today, his work examines how housing policy and urban planning can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by creating more compact, walkable communities that reduce reliance on private vehicles.

​Scott is the founder of the Thriving in Place initiative, an advocacy project that promotes zoning reform to enable more infill housing and sustainable urban growth. He is also the author of a peer-reviewed scientific paper introducing the Compact Urban Form Estimation Tool (CUFET), a model that estimates the transportation emissions reductions achievable through increased housing density. His research has been published in Applied Sciences and is intended to help municipalities, policymakers, and housing advocates better quantify the climate benefits of land-use reform. In addition to his research, Scott has organized Toronto's first annual Pedestrian Summit and collaborates with organizations across the housing, transportation, and environmental sectors to advance practical solutions for more affordable, sustainable communities.

​​​Tickets & Pricing

​This is a Pay What You Can event. We suggest a $5 contribution to help us cover the space, but please choose the amount that works best for you. We'd love to have you there.

​​Itinerary

• ​7:00 PM - Doors Open

• ​7:30 PM - Scott Baker: Can Building Homes Cut Emissions?

• ​8:15 PM - Q&A

• ​8:30 pm - Hang out with fellow neighbours and new friends