Dear Economist: Are Cities Environmentally Sound?

Dear Economist: Are Cities Environmentally Sound? cites Tim Harford's response to a letter from an enviromentally concerned Londoner who "was thinking of moving to the country and living a more self-sufficient life":

Tightly packed, rich cities such as London are easily the most environmentally friendly way to enjoy modern life. Wealthy people squeeze into cozy apartments...Denser cities mean more efficient transport. Only 10 percent of commutes into central London take place in cars.

Manhattan, the densest and richest city of all, was recently described in The New Yorker magazine as "a utopian environmentalist community" and it is vastly more energy-efficient, per person, than any of the 50 American states.