Energy trade-offs and market responses in transport and residential land-use patterns: Promoting sustainable development policy

Sustainable development policy is examined for the Belfast Metropolitan Are a using a range of linked aggregate and disaggregate models. Energy trade-o ffs were modelled for both 'stationary' private dwellings and 'mobile' traf fic-related energy sources. The research suggests that land-use policies, a nd in particular corridor-based densification linked to improved public tra nsport, can achieve very significant reductions in mobile energy consumptio n and modest reductions in stationary energy use linked to residential lay- out design. This would apply to urban areas such as Belfast which exhibit t he classic dispersal of population following deindustrialisation. To realis e the potential energy savings, sustainable development policy needs to ach ieve at least the acquiescence of the consumer. Consumers will only support energy-efficient heating systems, improved public transport, densification policies and road charging, if there is some perceived element of financia l compensation or other increase in utility for the individual.