Rethinking public service facility distribution and management strategies with the consideration of carbon peak – Insights from Suzhou, China

Abstract

Existing practices have primarily focused on the accessibility and per capita indices of public service facilities (PSFs) in decision-making processes aimed at promoting social equity. However, the national commitment to achieving a carbon peak may induce additional considerations into the planning and policy decisions of PSFs for local governments. By conducting a two-stage simulation of carbon emissions (CEs) and correlation analysis, we identified uncertainties and confirmed the nonnegligible impact of land use structure, particularly PSF distribution, on achieving the urban transport-related carbon peak. Subsequently, we elaborated on the imperative of optimizing PSF distribution for carbon reduction, rather than solely depending on transport management strategies, through a case study of individual medical care travel characteristics. Moreover, a further discussion on the potential trade-offs and synergies between current and low-carbon-oriented PSF planning and policy decisions underscores the necessity of collaboration among decision-makers across pertinent administrative sectors.