Transport Network, Graph, and Air Pollution

TL;DR

This study analyzes how transport network structures influence urban air pollution by examining geometric patterns and indices, providing insights for urban planning to reduce pollution effectively.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive graph-based analysis of transport networks and their correlation with pollution, using a large dataset of city images and new indices.

Findings

Certain network patterns correlate with higher pollution levels

Improved connectivity and balanced road types reduce pollution

Avoiding extreme clustering can alleviate pollution

Abstract

Air pollution can be studied in the urban structure regulated by transport networks. Transport networks can be studied as geometric and topological graph characteristics through designed models. Current studies do not offer a comprehensive view as limited models with insufficient features are examined. Our study finds geometric patterns of pollution-indicated transport networks through 0.3 million image interpretations of global cities. These are then described as part of 12 indices to investigate the network-pollution correlation. Strategies such as improved connectivity, more balanced road types and the avoidance of extreme clustering coefficient are identified as beneficial for alleviated pollution. As a graph-only study, it informs superior urban planning by separating the impact of permanent infrastructure from that of derived development for a more focused and efficient effort toward pollution reduction.