Compact Development without Transit
Life-Cycle GHG Emissions from Four Variations of Residential Density in Vancouver
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7761303 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maged Senbel (0000-0001-5890-5791, University of British Columbia), Waleed Giratalla (City of Surrey Engineering, 14245—56th Avenue, Surrey, BC, Canada, V3X 3A2), Kevin Zhang (0000-0003-1183-5743, District of North Vancouver Planning, 355 West Queens Road, North Vancouver, BC, Canada, V7N 4N5), Meidad Kissinger (0000-0001-7450-6918, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 1226-1243 |
| Publication date | 2014-05-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environment and Planning A Economy and Space (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0308-518X • E-ISSN: 1472-3409 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1068/a46203 |
| OpenAlex | W2057072802 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 42 |
Numerous studies have shown that compact, mixed-use, transit-oriented developments contribute to reduced use of automobiles and in turn contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions. When everyday destinations are within walking distance, people are more likely to walk or cycle, and if transit is within walking distance people are more likely to use it. Other studies have shown that compact development enables reductions in building energy consumption that contribute further to emissions savings. The reduced emissions are assumed to rely on the combination of compactness and transit connectedness. However, this combination requires an extensive transit network covering large areas both of residential and of employment destinations. Such networks often do not exist and are too costly to construct. When they do exist, the transit networks often do not reach those outlying neighbourhoods with the greatest potential for future growth and densification. This paper therefore asks what emissions savings compact development can achieve in the absence of high-frequency transit. In an examinination of the life-cycle emissions of four variations of density in three different neighbourhoods in Vancouver, none of which is well served by transit, we found a wide range of emissions profiles. A mixed-use new urbanist development produced 22% fewer emissions than an adjacent development of large single-family homes, both of which were in a transit-poor area on the far edge of a suburban city. A high-density neighbourhood adjacent to a suburban city centre, and one adjacent to a central city centre, produced 50% and 67% fewer emissions than the neighbourhood of large single-family homes. Findings suggest that, while compactness may be most effective when it is coupled with high frequency transit, decoupling the pair and building compactness before or without transit can still yield considerable household emissions reductions
Built environment · Bus rapid transit · Business · Civil engineering · Compact city · Destinations · Economic geography · Geography · Greenhouse gas · Public transport · Social connectedness · Tourism · Transit-oriented development · Transport engineering · Urban planning · Engineering · Environmental Science · Mathematics · Transportation Planning and Optimization · Urban Transport and Accessibility · Vehicle emissions and performance
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Greenhouse gas emissions and urban form
Comparative study of embodied carbon emissions from building sector of megacities in East Asia
Beyond density
Urban form and livability
Vancouver - Critical reflections on the development experience of a peripheral global city
Growing Cities Sustainably
Comparing High and Low Residential Density
A comprehensive analysis of built environment characteristics on household residential choice and auto ownership levels
The impact of urban form on U.S. residential energy use
A Spatial Analysis of Residential Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area
Hour-by-Hour Analysis for Increased Accuracy of Greenhouse Gas Emissions for a Low-Energy Condominium Design
Increasing Demands for Life Cycle Assessments in North America
A joint flexible econometric model system of household residential location and vehicle fleet composition/usage choices
Do changes in neighborhood characteristics lead to changes in travel behavior? A structural equations modeling approach
An Empirical Analysis of Urban Form, Transport, and Global Warming
Impacts of urban sprawl and commuting
The impact of residential density on vehicle usage and energy consumption
The greenness of cities
Smart growth strategies, transportation and urban sprawl
Travel and the Built Environment
Residential Choice, the Built Environment, and Nonwork Travel
Effects of Built Environments on Vehicle Miles Traveled
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| Citations per year | 0.67 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2017 - 2026 (10) |
| Highly cited | No |