Improving the environmental sustainability of large scale transportation infrastructure

提高大型交通基础设施的环境可持续性

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-06396
• 负责人: Saxe, Shoshanna
• 金额: $ 1.89万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=712801
• 关键词: Improving; environmental; sustainability; large; scale

Large-scale transportation infrastructure projects have transformative impacts on the economy and sustainability of our cities; they affect how people move, live and work, are a strong factor in land use type and intensity, and a key driver of environmental emissions. As all levels of government work to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, more research is needed to understand and guide the sustainability of transportation infrastructure projects and systems. This research program investigates the GHG impacts of rail based transportation infrastructure projects over their full lifecycle. Focus is placed on transportation infrastructure because the transportation sector is a growing contributor to GHG emissions in Canada and construction and operation of transport infrastructure is controlled by the government; this is an area where the government has the power and control to quickly make improvements should it choose. Study of the GHG impacts of transport often focuses on the impacts of the propulsion energy used for travel and is most commonly based on models. This obscures the significant environmental costs associated with the material and energy use in the construction of transport infrastructure, and the potential GHG benefits associated with new transport infrastructure from its influence on travel behaviour and land use. The dependence on modelling overlooks meaningful differences between how infrastructure performs in theory and in practice. This research program will reveal the real world GHG impact of the studied infrastructure; identify the main drivers of GHG cost and the best opportunities for maximizing GHG benefit. The work will advance scientific and engineering methods for the study of infrastructure systems in the real world, develop a baseline understanding of the holistic GHG impacts of rail transit infrastructure, and develop tools to inform future planning, design, construction and policy around transport infrastructure.

大型交通基础设施项目对我们城市的经济和可持续性具有变革性影响；它们影响着人们的移动、生活和工作方式，是土地利用类型和强度的一个重要因素，也是环境排放的一个关键驱动因素。随着各级政府致力于减少温室气体（GHG）排放，需要更多的研究来理解和指导交通基础设施项目和系统的可持续性。本研究项目调查了铁路交通基础设施项目在其整个生命周期内对温室气体的影响。重点放在交通基础设施上，因为交通部门对加拿大温室气体排放的贡献越来越大，交通基础设施的建设和运营由政府控制；这是一个政府有权力和控制的领域，如果它选择的话，可以迅速做出改善。