In the battle against climate change, municipal governments, architects and developers are focused on building housing types that increase greenhouse gas emissions, says architect Kelly Alvarez Doran.

Buildings no higher than four floors built around wood frames and located on transit routes emit less carbon in construction, maintenance and operations than either condo towers or single-family homes, said Doran.

Cities that are serious about reducing the emissions that cause climate change will adopt zoning and building regulations to enable construction of mid-rise multi-residential development, he said, and reduce or eliminate the building of condo towers and single-family homes.