Urban Spatial Form and Structure and Greenhouse-gas Emissions From Commuting in the Metropolitan Zone of Mexico Valley

Abstract

A considerable proportion of the greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted into the atmosphere is attributable to transport. In the case of large cities, GHG emissions associated with transport—especially commuting mobility—can be reduced by acting on the built environment. According to the Compact City Approach to urban sustainability, the amount of energy per capita used to move within a city—and therefore GHG emissions—can be reduced by increasing the density and mix of residential and economic functions and directing the city's growth toward greater centralization, or concentrated (not dispersed) decentralization near the subcenters of employment and the economic activity corridors along the main routes of communication. We tested the predictions of the Compact City Approach regarding the influence of the built environment on GHG emissions associated with commuting mobility in the Metropolitan Zone of Mexico Valley (MZMV). Our results indicate that almost all the predictions are fulfilled. Therefore, urban land policies in line with the Compact City Approach that seek to reduce the amount of emissions are fully relevant.