The impact of residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions
In light of the increasing reliance on compact growth as a fundamental strategy for reducing vehicle emissions, it is important to better understand how land use-transportation interactions influence the production of mobile source emissions. To date, research findings have produced mixed conclusion...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Minnesota
2011-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Transport and Land Use |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jtlu.org/index.php/jtlu/article/view/226 |
| _version_ | 1819131529479061504 |
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| author | Deb Niemeier Song Bai Susan L. Handy |
| author_facet | Deb Niemeier Song Bai Susan L. Handy |
| author_sort | Deb Niemeier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In light of the increasing reliance on compact growth as a fundamental strategy for reducing vehicle emissions, it is important to better understand how land use-transportation interactions influence the production of mobile source emissions. To date, research findings have produced mixed conclusions as to whether compact development as a strategy for accommodating urban growth significantly reduces vehicle travel and, by extension, mitigates environmental impacts, particularly in the area of air quality. Using an integrated simulation approach coupled with long-term land development scenarios, we conducted an assessment of the impacts of different long-term primarily residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions in the eight counties of the San~Joaquin Valley region in central California. The results suggest that higher residential densities result in slightly decreased regional vehicle travel and emissions. Our comparative analysis also suggests that the effects of future land use growth patterns may vary among different spatial areas. That is, compact growth strategies can result in significantly more travel and emissions changes in already fairly urbanized counties. This work indicates a minimum density threshold of approximately \num{1500} households per square mile is necessary to achieve commensurate emissions reductions relative to existing densities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T09:16:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6693b780d994b179a94d78a6cb0eda7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1938-7849 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T09:16:57Z |
| publishDate | 2011-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Minnesota |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Transport and Land Use |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6693b780d994b179a94d78a6cb0eda72022-12-21T18:31:18ZengUniversity of MinnesotaJournal of Transport and Land Use1938-78492011-12-014310.5198/jtlu.v4i3.226100The impact of residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissionsDeb Niemeier0Song Bai1Susan L. Handy2University of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of California, DavisIn light of the increasing reliance on compact growth as a fundamental strategy for reducing vehicle emissions, it is important to better understand how land use-transportation interactions influence the production of mobile source emissions. To date, research findings have produced mixed conclusions as to whether compact development as a strategy for accommodating urban growth significantly reduces vehicle travel and, by extension, mitigates environmental impacts, particularly in the area of air quality. Using an integrated simulation approach coupled with long-term land development scenarios, we conducted an assessment of the impacts of different long-term primarily residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions in the eight counties of the San~Joaquin Valley region in central California. The results suggest that higher residential densities result in slightly decreased regional vehicle travel and emissions. Our comparative analysis also suggests that the effects of future land use growth patterns may vary among different spatial areas. That is, compact growth strategies can result in significantly more travel and emissions changes in already fairly urbanized counties. This work indicates a minimum density threshold of approximately \num{1500} households per square mile is necessary to achieve commensurate emissions reductions relative to existing densities.https://www.jtlu.org/index.php/jtlu/article/view/226planningresidential densityVMTair quality |
| spellingShingle | Deb Niemeier Song Bai Susan L. Handy The impact of residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions Journal of Transport and Land Use planning residential density VMT air quality |
| title | The impact of residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions |
| title_full | The impact of residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions |
| title_fullStr | The impact of residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions |
| title_short | The impact of residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions |
| title_sort | impact of residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions |
| topic | planning residential density VMT air quality |
| url | https://www.jtlu.org/index.php/jtlu/article/view/226 |
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