| Zusammenfassung |
Abstract
Context Integrative mitigation and adaptation strategies
are needed to counter climate change. Indicators
can be valuable that focus on the specific relevance of
cities’ socioeconomic and spatial properties. While
previous analyses have identified socioeconomic
influences on urban greenhouse gas emissions, information
about the role of spatial urban structures and
land use and land cover patterns is sparse.
Objective This study advances the use of spatial
metrics for analyzing the linkages between the spatial
properties of a city and its greenhouse gas emissions.
Methods The relationship between nine types of
spatial structure, four land use and land cover-based
indicators, and the emissions of 52 European cities is
investigated by spatially and statistically analyzing
high resolution data from European Union’s ‘‘Urban
Atlas’’.
Results Spatial determinants of urban greenhouse
gas emissions are identified, indicating a strong
connection between urban sprawl and increasing
emissions. In particular, high amounts of sparsity in
the urban fabric within large distances to the city
center relate to increased per capita emissions. Thus, a
10 % reduction of very low density urban fabrics is
correlated with 9 % fewer emissions per capita. In
contrast, high amounts of fragmented, dense urban
patches relate with lower emissions.
Conclusions This study links urban spatial properties
and land use and land cover compositions to
greenhouse gas emissions and advances the understanding
of urban sprawl. Future research needs to
combine knowledge about socioeconomic drivers with
information about the identified spatial influences of
urban greenhouse gas emissions to help cities realize
their climate change mitigation potential. |
