Petrol use as a function of density

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Transportation between jobs and homes causes a great deal of trouble for a great many people. There are literally billions of jobs that I can't reasonably apply for since I wouldn't feasibly be able to commute from home. This is one of the primary reasons why people gathered together in what we now call cities. Transportation has a high cost that is minimized when we shrink the distance needed to travel.

Our "city" though has grown large enough though that it can't reasonably be considered one job market. Transportation costs from one side all the way to the other and back are unreasonably large. The answer to this problem is density, and transportation that works well for our chosen (dense) layout, whatever it may be.

To the extent that its possible, we should limit and reverse growth of both jobs and homes on the edges and direct everyone to fill in the middle. Coupled with a transportation plan that works for our newly increasing density(transit, walking, etc.) this can't help but put more people in reasonable distance of more jobs and increase the economic opportunity for everyone involved.

SHORT-term it makes sense to direct jobs(if that's even possible) to critically disadvantaged communities, but in the long term it's not the best solution if it doesn't increase density and thereby lower transportation costs.