Do Compactness and Poly-Centricity Mitigate PM₁₀ Emissions? Evidence from Yangtze River Delta Area

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning
• Spatial Economics

Background:

• The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) is a densely populated and economically vital region in China.
• Air pollution remains a significant environmental challenge in rapidly urbanizing areas.
• Compact and polycentric development are proposed strategies to mitigate urban environmental impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of urban compactness and polycentricity on PM10 emissions in YRD cities.
• To analyze the roles of urban density, jobs-housing balance, urban centralization, number of centers, and polycentric clusters.
• To understand the influence of private car ownership on these relationships.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from YRD cities spanning 2011-2017.
• Employed the spatial durbin model (SDM) to analyze spatial relationships.
• Controlled for relevant confounding variables.

Main Results:

• Jobs-housing balance and urban centralization were found to decrease PM10 emissions.
• Increased polycentricity, particularly with numerous centers, was associated with higher emissions.
• The effect of high-density compactness on emissions was inconclusive and context-dependent.
• For cities with high private car ownership, enhancing polycentric clusters showed a limited potential to reduce emissions.

Conclusions:

• Urban planning strategies need tailored approaches, considering specific city characteristics.
• Jobs-housing balance and centralization are effective for reducing air pollution.
• Polycentric development requires careful management to avoid increasing emissions.
• Findings differ from Western studies, highlighting the need for context-specific spatial planning in the YRD.