Exploring the Determinants of Travel-Related Emissions Considering Spatial Heterogeneity
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 150, Issue 11
Abstract
Urban transportation significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, with emissions from urban travelers varying across different regions. Identifying the determinants of residents’ travel-related emissions (TCE) from a spatial perspective is significant for formulating effective carbon reduction strategies. However, limited research explores the spatial heterogeneous relationship between TCE and its determinants. In this study, we focus on Guiyang, China, as a representative city and adopt Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ) as geospatial units of analysis to capture regional differences in emissions. By analyzing data from the 2021 Guiyang resident travel survey, we measure per capita emissions and reveal that in Guiyang, each person emits 599.42 g of during their travels. Furthermore, we apply a semiparametric geographically weighted regression model to investigate the spatial nonstationarity of the variables’ impact on TCE. Our findings reveal that local variables have heterogeneous effects on TCE across different TAZs. For example, while the Huaxi district in southern Guiyang shows a negative correlation between TCE and the proportion of low-income individuals, most regions in Guiyang exhibit the opposite trend with a positive correlation. In the northern regions of Guiyang, such as Kaiyang and Xifeng, the proportion of car ownership negatively impacts TCE, contrasting with conclusions drawn from other regions. Moreover, the results of geographical variation tests indicate that sociodemographic attributes exhibit greater spatial heterogeneity in their influence on TCE, in contrast to built environment attributes. These results provide valuable theoretical support for policymakers in designing location-specific, low-carbon transportation policies, with significant implications for advancing sustainable transportation development.
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Data Availability Statement
Some data, models, or code generated or used during the study are proprietary or confidential and may only be provided with restrictions, including the 2021 Guiyang resident travel survey data collected jointly by the Guiyang Transportation Bureau and Kunming University of Science and Technology in Guiyang, China.
Acknowledgments
This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52202381 and 52102378), Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects (Grant Nos. 202401AT070373 and 202201BE070001-052), and Yunnan Xing Dian Talents Plan Young Program (KKRD202202110, 2022). We are grateful for the comments and suggestions from the editor and the anonymous reviewers who helped improve the paper.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 150 • Issue 11 • November 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 15, 2023
Accepted: Jun 18, 2024
Published online: Sep 9, 2024
Published in print: Nov 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Feb 9, 2025
ASCE Technical Topics:
- [Inorganic compounds]
- Air pollution
- Business management
- Carbon compounds
- Carbon compounds
- Carbon dioxide
- Chemical properties
- Chemicals
- Chemistry
- Emissions
- Environmental engineering
- Heterogeneity
- Infrastructure
- Organic compounds
- Organic compounds
- Pollutants
- Pollution
- Practice and Profession
- Sustainable development
- TCE
- Traffic analysis
- Traffic engineering
- Transportation engineering
- Travel patterns
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