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Measuring the Direct and Indirect Effects of Neighborhood-Built Environments on Travel-related CO 2 Emissions: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Wenyue Yang

    (College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China)

  • Shaojian Wang

    (Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Urbanization and Geo-Simulation, School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China)

  • Xiaoming Zhao

    (College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China)

Abstract

Intervening in the built environment is a key way for land-use and transport planning and related policies to promote low-carbon development and low-carbon travel. It is of significance to explore and recognize the actual impact of the neighborhood built environment on travel-related CO 2 emissions. This study calculated the CO 2 emissions from four purposes of trips, which were within the urban region, using Travel O-D Point Intelligent Query System (TIQS) and 1239 residents’ travel survey questionnaires from 15 neighborhoods in Guangzhou. It measured the direct and indirect effects of built environments on CO 2 emissions from different purposes of trips by developing structural equation models (SEMs). The results showed that for different purposes of trips, the effects of the neighborhood built environments on CO 2 emissions were inconsistent. Almost all built environment elements had significant total effects on CO 2 emissions, which were mainly indirect effects through mediators such as car ownership and trip distance, then affecting CO 2 emissions indirectly. Most of the direct effects of neighborhood built environments on CO 2 emissions were not significant, especially those from non-commuting trips. These findings suggest that in the process of formulating low-carbon oriented land-use and transport planning and policies, the indirect effects of the built environments should not be ignored, and the differences of the effects of the neighborhood built environments among different purposes of the trip should be fully considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenyue Yang & Shaojian Wang & Xiaoming Zhao, 2018. "Measuring the Direct and Indirect Effects of Neighborhood-Built Environments on Travel-related CO 2 Emissions: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-14, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:5:p:1372-:d:143696
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