Effects of periurban structure on air pollution: coupling CA models to understand the link between urban structure and air pollution

Air quality is a major concern in urban areas worldwide not only because of its severe health impacts but also due to its influence on living quality and residential behaviour. The subsequent increasing demand for residential areas in the greener fringes of urban agglomerations fuels the discussion about sustainability in future cities. As traffic emissions are acknowledged to be the major source of pollutants in an urban environment this residential trend has triggered research to further understand the influence of urban structure on air quality. In order to meet sustainable growth, many researchers argue that in a global perspective a compact city is the desirable urban form due to less traffic distance, just in contrast to the trend towards urban sprawl. However, quantifying the link between urban structure and air pollution has only been the aim of few research studies so far. Thus, our objective is to deepen the understanding of this link by coupling a micro-economic CA urban growth model with a traffic emission model and a CA air pollution model while focussing on the impact on residential population.