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Filling in the Spaces: Compactifying Cities towards Accessibility and Active Transport

Authors :
João Monteiro
Marvin Para
Nuno Sousa
Eduardo Natividade-Jesus
Carlo Ostorero
João Coutinho-Rodrigues
Source :
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, Vol 12, Iss 3, p 120 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

Compactification of cities, i.e., the opposite of urban sprawl, has been increasingly presented in the literature as a possible solution to reduce the carbon footprint and promote the sustainability of current urban environments. Compact environments have higher concentrations of interaction opportunities, smaller distances to them, and the potential for increased active mode shares, leading to less transport-related energy consumption and associated emissions. This article presents a GIS-based quantitative methodology to estimate on how much can be gained in that respect if vacant spaces within a city were urbanized, according to the municipal master plan, using four indicators: accessibility, active modal share, transport energy consumption, and a 15-minute city analysis. The methodology is applied to a case study, in which the city of Coimbra, Portugal, and a compact version of itself are compared. Results show the compact layout improves all indicators, with averages per inhabitant improving by 20% to 92%, depending on the scenario assumed for cycling, and is more equitable.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
12030120 and 22209964
Volume :
12
Issue :
3
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.fb9b1848955a4413994ea87dc7522166
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi12030120