Urban Planning Tools for Climate Change Mitigation (Policy Focus Report)

Author(s): Condon, Patrick M., Duncan Cavens, and Nicole Miller
Publication Date: August 2009

$15.00; 48 pages; Inventory ID PF021; English; Paperback; ISBN 978-1-55844-194-1


Urban Planning Tools	3.69 MB

Abstract

Land use and urban form are key contributors to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) through the physical arrangement of streets, building types, and land uses that influence vehicle use and energy consumption in buildings. City and regional officials now facing new emissions reduction requirements are increasingly turning to urban design as a key component of climate mitigation. But, this approach requires decision support tools that illustrate the GHG implications of land use and transportation options. While a wide spectrum of tools currently exists, few have the capacity to work simultaneously at both the regional and local scale, or to capture both building performance and transportation demand analysis.

This report reviews existing tools by scope, scale, methodology, and policy support, and presents four case studies illustrating how existing tools at various stages of development have been used.