Urban density and energy consumption: a new look at old statistics

Mindali, Orit; Raveh, Adi; Salomon, Ilan

doi:10.1016/j.tra.2003.10.004

Cited by 177 publications

(120 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…The study by Pushkarev and Zupan (1977) suggests that transit use can be increased through polices that increase densities. A heated debate ensued in the early 1990s, over analysis by Newman and Kenworthy (1999) on the correlation between densities and gasoline consumption for a sample of international cities (Mindali et al, 2004). In response to the emergence of the smart growth movement and the concept of new urbanism, a number of recent studies have examined the effect of specific characteristics of the built environment on travel behavior at a disaggregate level in an effort to test the hypothesis that policies that shape the built environment can be used to reduce automobile travel.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation or causality between the built environment and travel behavior? Evidence from Northern California

Handy¹,

Cao

Mokhtarian

2005

Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

861

491

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The sprawling patterns of land development common to metropolitan areas of the US have been blamed for high levels of automobile travel, and thus for air quality problems. In response, smart growth programs-designed to counter sprawl-have gained popularity in the US. Studies show that, all else equal, residents of neighborhoods with higher levels of density, land-use mix, transit accessibility, and pedestrian friendliness drive less than residents of neighborhoods with lower levels of these characteristics. These studies have shed little light, however, on the underlying direction of causality-in particular, whether neighborhood design influences travel behavior or whether travel preferences influence the choice of neighborhood. The evidence thus leaves a key question largely unanswered: if cities use land use policies to bring residents closer to destinations and provide viable alternatives to driving, will people drive less and thereby reduce emissions? Here a quasi-longitudinal design is used to investigate the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and travel behavior while taking into account the role of travel preferences and neighborhood preferences in explaining this relationship. A multivariate analysis of crosssectional data shows that differences in travel behavior between suburban and traditional neighborhoods are largely explained by attitudes. However, a quasi-longitudinal analysis of changes in travel behavior and changes in the built environment shows significant associations, even when attitudes have been accounted for, providing support for a causal relationship.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation or causality between the built environment and travel behavior? Evidence from Northern California

Handy¹,

Cao

Mokhtarian

2005

Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

861

491

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“…The two main goals of planning for high density in the context of transport energy consumption involve reducing trip length and total mobility by concentrating residential, employment and services areas and changing the modal split to reduce the share of private car use in relation to public transportation, walking, and cycling (Cervero, 1988 andBarrett, 1996; as cited in Mindali et al 2004). Based on simulation studies of Bangalore, Lefevre (2009) predicts that in a business-as-usual scenario, transportation energy consumption and emissions would increase by 70 per cent with respect to 2003 levels.…”

Section: Transportation Land Use and Energy Consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land, Infrastructure and Ecological Sustainability in Indian Cities

Wankhade¹,

Balakrishnan²

2011

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Land is one of the most contested and valuable of natural resources in urban areas. While many of the contestations may be primarily due to its economic value as territory, land is far more than the observable space. Land is an integral part of the urban ecological fabric and is closely linked to the dynamics of other resources like water and energy. The relationship between the nature and intensity of land-use, resource consumption and ecosystem functioning is of critical significance for urban sustainability. Urban spatial patterns which are mostly a result of planning paradigms and decisions, land availability and transportation choices can significantly influence urban resource consumption. This paper first examines broader issues around land, focusing specifically on land cover, land use, and densities, and then examines the inter-linkages between land and the infrastructure sectors of water, energy, and transport. The paper examines the current literature on Indian cities as well as some key international articles, focusing in particular on identifying the knowledge gaps and next steps for research, practice and policy in this domain.

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“…Transport sector externalities can be reduced through land use and urban planning that leads to less urban sprawl and lower dependence on vehicular transportation. Several studies have shown that there exists a statistically significant relationship between the intensity of land use and the frequency and duration of vehicle travel (Frank and Pivo 1995;Mindali, Raveh, and Salomon 2004). A number of studies, such as Newman and Kenworthy (1989) and Bagley and Mokhtarian (1998), suggest that higher density reduces transport energy consumption (and thereby associated emissions) by lowering the vehicle miles traveled.…”

Section: Planning and Investmentmentioning

confidence: 99%