Method for evaluating the relationships between urban forms and energy system

The urban energy system is a current topic of interest because more people are expected to live in urban areas in the future. Although some empirical evidence shows that some urban forms have reduced carbon dioxide emission, questions still remain regarding the generality of the results and the existence of causal correlations. We developed an energy simulation model of an urban area to examine the relationship between the urban form and the potential for reducing carbon dioxide emission. We conducted a case study targeting an imaginary downtown area and found that urban forms that are highly clustered or centralized tend to have greater potential for reducing carbon dioxide emission.