How Urban Road Characteristics Affect Urban Carbon Emissions: Empirical Evidence in China

Abstract

The escalation of global warming and catastrophic weather phenomena has heightened scholarly attention on carbon emissions. Urban transportation substantially adds to global carbon emissions. Roadway characteristics, transportation modes, and operational effects significantly influence urban carbon emissions. This study examines traffic and emission data from 144 Chinese cities between 2015 and 2019, employing Pearson correlation and regression analysis across regional and socioeconomic categories. The results demonstrated that: (1) Built-up area road area (RA) and length (RL) exhibited positive correlations with five-year average emissions (AC), although road density (RD) and rate (RR) did not show significant associations with AC. Central area cities demonstrated negative correlations RD/RR-AC correlations,contrasting with positive trends in northern and southern regions. Variations in energy infrastructure resulted in unique emission patterns across different city sizes and locations. The results emphasize spatial variability, requiring distinct road planning strategies adapted to regional settings and stages of development.

Keywords: Urban Road, Carbon Emission, Correlation Analysis, Regression Analysis