Changing Urban Form and Transport CO 2 Emissions: An Empirical Analysis of Beijing, China

Yunjing Wang, Yoshitsugu Hayashi, Jin Chen and Qiang Li
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Yunjing Wang: State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
Yoshitsugu Hayashi: International Research Center for Sustainable Transport and Cities, Nagoya University, C1-2(651) Furo-cho, Nagoya 4648603, Japan
Jin Chen: College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
Qiang Li: College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China

Sustainability, 2014, vol. 6, issue 7, 1-22

Abstract: Decentralization development and changing urban form will increase the mobility and contribute to global CO 2 emissions, in particular for developing countries which are experiencing rapid economic growth and urban expansion. In this paper, an integrated analytical framework, which can quantify the impact of changing urban form on commuting CO 2 emissions, is presented. This framework simultaneously considers two emission dependent factors, commuting demand and modal share based on the concept of excess commuting and accessibility analysis, and ensures its applicability to other cities where the detailed individual travel data is not available. A case study of Beijing from 2000 to 2009 is used to illustrate this framework. The findings suggest that changing urban form in Beijing did have a significant impact on commuting CO 2 emission increase. Changing to a more decentralized urban form in Beijing had a larger impact on commuting distance and increased usage of cars, which resulted in a significant rise in CO 2 emissions. There is a larger space and an urgent need for commuting CO 2 emission reduction, in 2009 in Beijing, by planning and by strategic measures in order to promote sustainable transport.

Keywords: decentralization; changing urban form; CO 2 emissions; excess commuting; accessibility; modal share; sustainable transport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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