Development and Pilot Testing of a Standardized Method to Map Urban CO2 Emissions

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20497
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 64050:Sound material-cycle social systems-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Sharifi Ayyoob 広島大学, 人間社会科学研究科(国), 准教授 (50726239)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: LCZ / Urban mitigation / Urban adaptation / Climate change / CO2 emissions

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this project I examined the association between different urban forms and carbon emissions. I used the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) framework to investigate the relationship between urban form and CO2 emission patterns. This framework divides urban areas into 17 classes according to their urban form characteristics. I developed the LCZ map of the three selected cities of Baltimore, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles for 2015. Next, I used the annual carbon emission data of the Hestia project to measure the per capita consumption and the amount of annual CO2 emissions in each LCZ class. Results of the project showed that, overall, carbon intensity of high-density areas with low or no vegetation is high. It was also found that per capita emissions increase with urban sprawl. But in the case of Los Angeles in particular, urban sprawl was not necessarily associated with the amount of per capita CO2 emission.

Free Research Field

City planning

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

The results of thus study are important as they provide insights on the emission implications of different urban forms and can guide planners and policy makers towards creating more sustainable and resilient cities. The results offer more supports to compact city policies.