Energy Trade-offs and Market Responses in Transport and Residential Land-use Patterns: Promoting Sustainable Development Policy

Cooper, James A; Ryley, Timothy John; Smyth, Austin

Abstract

Sustainable development policy is examined for the Belfast Metropolitan Area using a range of linked aggregate and disaggregate models. Energy trade-offs were modelled for both 'stationary' private dwellings and 'mobile' traffic-related energy sources. The research suggests that land-use policies, and in particular corridor-based densification linked to improved public transport, can achieve very significant reductions in mobile energy consumption and modest reductions in stationary energy use linked to residential lay-out design. This would apply to urban areas such as Belfast which exhibit the classic dispersal of population following deindustrialisation. To realise the potential energy savings, sustainable development policy needs to achieve at least the acquiescence of the consumer. Consumers will only support energy-efficient heating systems, improved public transport, densification policies and road charging, if there is some perceived element of financial compensation or other increase in utility for the individual.

Citation

Cooper, J. A., Ryley, T. J., & Smyth, A. (2001). Energy Trade-offs and Market Responses in Transport and Residential Land-use Patterns: Promoting Sustainable Development Policy. Urban Studies, 38(9), 1573-1588. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980126673

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Jul 2, 2016
• Publication Date: 2001-08
• Deposit Date: Jun 13, 2008
• Print ISSN: 0042-0980
• Electronic ISSN: 1360-063X
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 9
• Pages: 1573-1588
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980126673
• Keywords: land-use policy, Belfast, sustainable development, public transport, densification, energy trade-offs
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/1965