Urban vs. Semi-Urban Housing Developments: Going Beyond Carbon - A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Carbon Footprint, Biodiversity, and Occupants Health Impacts
Project ID: 2228cd1244 (You will need this ID for your application)
Research Theme: Energy and Decarbonisation
UCL Lead department: Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources
Lead Supervisor: Yair Schwartz
Project Summary:
The choice between urban and semi-urban housing developments has traditionally focused on the impact they have on our cities and communities. While studies have compared the carbon cost of these choices, urban and semi-urban developments differ in other environmental impacts such as occupants’ health or biodiversity: while urban development typically have lower emissions due to the compact construction and their reliance on existing infrastructure, their proximity to dense urban environment and the potential exposure to harmful pollutants (e.g., PM2.5, NO2 and others) might affects occupants health. Semi-urban developments, on the other hand, can damage biodiversity and affect the availability of open spaces. Considering the existing Net Zero policies, and assuming that carbon emissions will be a secondary factor for consideration in the future, this research proposal seeks to expand our understanding of the choice between urban and semi-urban developments by conducting a comprehensive analysis that goes beyond the traditional focus on carbon footprint alone. This proposal aims, for the first time, to investigate the intricate relationships between urban and semi-urban development patterns, biodiversity, and occupant health. The proposed study will employ a novel multifaceted approach, including a thorough assessment of the Life Cycle Carbon Footprint associated with selected urban and semi-urban housing developments. This assessment will account for factors such as construction materials, infrastructure, and energy consumption, providing a holistic view of their environmental impact in line with the Royal Institute of Charted Surveyors (RICS) updated Life Cycle Analysis protocol of 2024. In addition to environmental considerations, this study will use modelling and simulations to evaluate how the different development choices affect local biodiversity, considering the implications for native species and ecosystems, and will investigate factors such as air quality and health risks, aiming to understand how these factors vary between urban and semi-urban settings.