In newly developed areas, clustering development into concentrated areas can protect natural habitat. Cluster developments are built at gross densities comparable to conventional developments but leave more open space by reducing lot sizes. Square footage of buildings and residential and commercial capacity may remain the same, but compact clusters reduce the dimensions and geometry of individual lots and shorten road lengths. One of the main advantages of cluster development as a conversion tool is that it does not take development potential away from developers, since it changes the arrangement but not the number of units permitted on a property. It can also reduce costs for developers by requiring fewer miles of roads and water and sewer lines. Source/Reference: US EPA, 2001, pp. 39.