Car restriction policies for better urban health: a low emission zone in Madrid, Spain

Abstract

The design of most cities prioritizes the use of motorized vehicles, having a negative effect on urban health. A major concern in the European Union (EU) is air pollution, especially nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), which causes many inhabitants health problems and decreases the quality of life. A non-expensive way to reduce pollutants is implementing road restriction policies, as the creation of low emission zones. In this work, we analyze the case of Madrid Central a low emission zone deployed in Madrid, Spain. We evaluate if it was effective to reduce air pollutants and if there were a side effect, as pollution displacement, during its application. Drawing on open data, we analyze air quality at different points of the city, before and during the application of this measure. Taking into account the EU directives in terms of what healthy air means, we consider three metrics: a) the trend of NO 2 concentration in the air in both periods, b) the difference between the NO 2 concentration during both periods, and c) the percentage of time in which the population is exposed to air with NO 2 concentration under a specific threshold (healthy air as defined by the EU). According to the results, Madrid Central significantly reduces the NO 2 concentration in the air and does not produce pollution displacement. Thus, the population breathes healthy air during more time, and there is a positive effect on the whole city.

Multiobjective design of sustainable public transportation systems

“…According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is a significant-top health hazard in the cities due to its impact on the citizens' health [14,15]. Understanding the phenomena that have implications for the production and dissipation of air pollutants has attracted the interest of the scientific community [16].…”

Generative adversarial networks to model air pollution under uncertainty

“…A significant concern is the high generation of emissions (air pollutants) due to the rapid development of car-oriented cities. Air pollution is a major concern because it has a negative impact on the citizens' health, e.g., it provokes several respiratory diseases and it reduces life expectancy [1,2].…”

“…One of the most important sources of air pollutants in urban areas is road mobility [1,2]. Thus, proposing mobility policies that reduce road traffic (i.e., the use of private vehicles) could be an effective strategy to mitigate the generation of emissions and improve urban livability and inhabitants' health.…”

Citizen centric optimal electric vehicle charging stations locations in a full city: case of Malaga

“…Road transportation is one of the main sources of air pollutants in our cities [12]. Reducing the road vehicles' emissions would have an important impact on tackling global warming [17] and improving inhabitants' health [11]. An extended use of electric vehicle (EV) transportation will reduce the emission of pollutants.…”