Evaluation of the Street Canyon Level Air Pollution Distribution Pattern in a Typical City Block in Baoding, China.

Abstract

Urban traffic pollution, which is strongly influenced by the complex urban morphology, has posed a great threat to human health. In this study, we performed a high-resolution simulation of traffic pollution in a typical city block in Baoding, China, based on the Parallelized Large-eddy simulation Model (PALM), to examine the distribution patterns of traffic-related pollutants and explore their relationship with urban morphology. Based on the model results, we conducted a multi-linear regression (MLR) analysis and found that the distribution of air pollutants inside the city block was dominated by both traffic emissions and urban morphology, which explained about 70% of the total variance in spatial distribution of air pollutants. Excluding the contribution of emissions, over 50% of the total variance can still be explained by the urban morphology. Among these urban morphological factors, the key factors determining the spatial distribution of air pollution are “Distance from the road” (DR), “Building Coverage Ratio” (BCR) and “Aspect Ratio” (H/W) of the street canyon. Specifically, urban areas with lower Aspect Ratio, lower BCR and larger DR are less affected by traffic pollution. Compiling these individual factors, we developed a complex Urban Morphology Pollution Index (UMPI). Each unit increase in UMPI is associated with a one percent increase of nearby traffic pollution contribution. This index can help urban planners to semi-quantitatively evaluate building groups which tend to trap or ventilate traffic pollution and thus help to reduce human exposure to street canyon level pollution through either traffic emission control or urban morphology amelioration.