Neighborhood-scale urban form, travel behavior, and CO2 emissions in Beijing: implications for low-carbon urban planning

With an increasing awareness of global climate change, the effect of urban spatial organization, at both city and neighborhood scales, on urban CO2 emission reduction has attracted much scholarly and practical attention. Using Beijing as a case study, this article examines the extent to which neighborhood-scale urban form may contribute to reduction of travel-related CO2 emissions in the context of rapid urbanization and spatial transformation. We derive complete travel-activity records of 1,048 residents from an activity diary survey conducted in 2007. Analysis using structural equation models finds that residents living in a neighborhood with higher land use mix, public transit accessibility, and more pedestrian-friendly street design tend to travel in a “low-carbon” manner and emit less CO2 in daily travel, even controlling for residential and travel preferences. This article offers empirical evidence that sheds light on debates about policy measures to facilitate China’s transition toward sustainable and low-carbon urban development.