Impacts of Land Use on Mobile Source CO2 Emissions

by Carr, Allison

The issue of mobile source emissions has not been as prominent as energy efficiency or renewable energy in the national climate policy debate. This analysis examines the potential impact of land use patterns on carbon dioxide emissions from mobile sources. Specifically, this report addresses the CO2 emissions of non-road construction equipment and light-duty passenger vehicles associated with sustainable land use patterns and urban sprawl. As local governments and developers begin to plan and take action to reduce CO2 emissions, tools will be needed to quantify emission reductions associated with local land use patterns. The objective of this project is to provide an inventory tool in Microsoft Excel that calculates the magnitude of emissions from construction and highway vehicles associated with various land use patterns.