Air pollution and urban structure linkages: Evidence from European cities

This paper investigates the relationship between local air pollution and urban structure with an emphasis on urban fragmentation. Using a unique dataset of 249 Large Urban Zones (LUZ) across Europe, a Bayesian Model Averaging model selection method is employed to identify the determinants of within-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRenewable & sustainable energy reviews Vol. 53; pp. 1 - 9
Main Authors Cárdenas Rodríguez, Miguel, Dupont-Courtade, Laura, Oueslati, Walid
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2016
Subjects
Air pollution
Artificial area
Bayesian Model Averaging
Fragmentation
Spatial planning
Urban sprawl
Air pollution
Urban sprawl
Artificial area
Spatial planning
Bayesian Model Averaging
Fragmentation
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Summary:This paper investigates the relationship between local air pollution and urban structure with an emphasis on urban fragmentation. Using a unique dataset of 249 Large Urban Zones (LUZ) across Europe, a Bayesian Model Averaging model selection method is employed to identify the determinants of within-LUZ concentration of three air pollutants: NO2, PM10 and SO2. These are supplemented by several indices of land cover and a set of data on various economic, demographic and meteorological variables that might explain the variation of air pollution. The results of this econometric analysis support the hypothesis that urban structure has significant effects on pollution concentration. In particular, the results suggest that fragmented and highly constructed cities experience higher concentrations of NO2 and PM10 and that densely populated cities suffer from higher SO2 concentration. The findings suggest that policies favoring continuous urban areas may result in environmental improvements.
ISSN:1364-0321
1879-0690
DOI:10.1016/j.rser.2015.07.190