Insights of Urban Density and Energy Consumption. A Bibliometric Correlation Analysis

Abstract

Although impending urbanization is a well-acknowledged problem, there is a rising concern about how the urban forms will change and what can be the impacts on the global energy demand. As hubs of economic, social and cultural activities, cities are major energy consumers and GHG emissions. Energy consumption is a technical or a spatial problem? From Newman and Kenworthy to today, several studies have tried to shed light on this nexus. In this work, the controversial paradigm of urban density is discussed as a key component of the fight against climate change impacts. Concerning energy consumption, an in-depth bibliometric analysis is developed to identify the interdependencies of the terms. As a key ‘promise’ of an efficient urban configuration, density has been the core of diverse studies but with still under exploration arguments. This work provides a way forward for planners seeking to design strategies related to dense urban tissues exploring controversial paradigms as a key solution for energy-efficient problems.

Multidimensional procedure for mapping and monitoring urban energy vulnerability at regional level using public data: Proposal and implementation into a case study in Spain

“…Nevertheless, they are indirectly taken into account when socio-economic factors are assessed, and additional socio-economic indicators could be added in this sense (e. g., unemployment rates). Thirdly, another limitation that should be considered is that the urban morphology (including urban density), which has been included in previous studies (Zhang et al, 2022), is not considered in the procedure. However, at the same time, it should be highlighted that the aim of the procedure is to carry out assessments at regional level, in such a way that, once vulnerable areas have been mapped, more detailed analyses can be applied in those areas, including all of these considerations.…”