Is Compact Urban Form Good for Air Quality? A Case Study from China Based on Hourly Smartphone Data

Man Yuan, Mingrui Yan and Zhuoran Shan
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Man Yuan: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Mingrui Yan: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Zhuoran Shan: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: In previous studies, planners have debated extensively whether compact development can improve air quality in urban areas. Most of them estimated pollution exposure with stationary census data that linked exposures solely to residential locations, therefore overlooking residents’ space–time inhalation of air pollutants. In this study, we conducted an air pollution exposure assessment by scrutinizing one-hour resolution population distribution maps derived from hourly smartphone data and air pollutant concentrations derived from inverse distance weighted interpolation. We selected Wuhan as the study area and used Pearson correlation analysis to explore the effect of compactness on population-weighted concentrations. The results showed that even if a compact urban form helps to reduce pollution concentrations by decreasing vehicle traveling miles and tailpipe emissions, higher levels of building density and floor area ratios may increase population-weighted exposure. With regard to downtown areas with high population density, compact development may locate more people in areas with excessive air pollution. In all, reducing density in urban public centers and developing a polycentric urban structure may aid in the improvement of air quality in cities with compact urban forms.

Keywords: urban form; air pollution; big data; smartphone; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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