Does mixed-use development in the metropolis lead to less carbon emissions?

In the last two decades, mixed-use has taken center stage in urban planning development in the United States. This study examined the relationship between mixed-use development and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in the zip code level in the U.S.

This research uses different implementation methods of a mixed-use development with different cultural and historical backgrounds to examine the data. The study adopts five models that present different methodological interactions between socioeconomic spatial metrics and urban forms.

The results indicated that there were correlations between spatial indices of urban form and CO₂ emissions. The inverse relationship between the mixed-use density and CO₂ emissions in our study suggests that low, dense metropolis with more businesses emit less CO₂ than the hybrid metropolis, so it provides a healthier environment. A likely explanation is that low density and more recreation facilities attract people to live in these areas, which present the importance of density cities as a source of CO₂. Also, there is a need for monitoring and reporting of emissions. This study contributes to the study of how mixed-use development models shift because of various environmental, social, and economic conditions.