The influence of integrated space–transport development strategies on air pollution in urban areas

Abstract

The phenomenon of urban sprawl has strong impacts on transport performance and accessibility and causes an increase of air pollution. Effective control of urban sprawl requires an integrated approach comprising urban transport and land-use planning. Current research is insufficient to demonstrate the effects of urban sprawl on travel behavior and air pollution emission. The present paper examines the potential of an integrated approach on space–transport development strategies with the aim of increasing accessibility and reducing air pollution. A combination of space and transport strategies has been simulated for the rapidly expanding city of Surabaya. A comparative analysis of the impact of those cases indicates the promising potential alternatives to minimize the phenomenon. The transport options considered are combinations of Public Transport (PT), comprising Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Light Rapid Transit (LRT), and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The options for urban structure include a compact zone development for the city, as formulated by the city planning agency, and a polycentric city set-up based on a job-housing balance aimed at minimizing the house-job distance. The results indicate that the polycentric city structure has the potential to make public transport work successfully for the city of Surabaya. This city structure creates a trip demand pattern which matches citizens’ PT preferences. Compared to the current situation, the combination of such a city structure with an expansion of PT systems would lead to a considerable improvement of transport performance, i.e. a PT mode share, a mean commute distance, and a significant reduction in emissions.