Evaluating the role of land use and transport policies in reducing the transport energy dependence of a city

In this paper a land use and transport model is presented to calculate an indicator of “Transport Energy Dependence” (TED) in order to support the delivery of sustainable urban and transport plans. The model is based on a mathematical description of the transport system, where transport mode choice follows ideal simple rules based on distance from origin to destination and transit network accessibility. For each transport mode unit energy consumption, capacity and load factor are considered. Flows of trips are optimally assigned between origin and destination zones in such a way that transport energy is minimised. Energy ideally required for home-to-school/university travel is assessed as these journeys contribute a significant number of daily trips within a city. In particular, the model was applied to the urban area of Catania, a medium-sized town in Italy, for different scenarios, including improvements in the transit system and in pedestrian/cycling accessibility. The methodology proved to be suitable to evaluate the potential impact of land use and transport policies in terms of transport energy dependence, separating it from behavioural considerations.