Towards Low Carbon Urban Design based on Integrated Analysis of Carbon Generating Resources, Case Study: Semnan City

Nowadays, due to the expansion of urbanization, the life of urbanites is facing many issues, including air pollution. Urban form is a significant factor in leading the current of pollutants. This issue has highlighted the role of urban design in improving air quality. The first step to achieve the concept of the relationship between urban form and air quality is to study the main elements of the city that play a determining role in the formation of a city form and also affect air pollution. These elements are residential units, industrial units, and highways. Therefore, the current research studies the amount of the produced carbon emission in this city from three perspectives of residential units, industrial units, and motor vehicles by considering Semnan as one of the most significant cities of Iran in terms of architecture and climate. In this regard, Gauss and Caline4 models are selected among the known models and analysis tools. The amount of the carbon emitted from the residential units of the study area and its adjacent high way, and also the Ferrosilicon factory, is calculated using the data obtained from the mentioned models. The results show that this city is surrounded by pollutant units. Also, the concentration of the industrial activities and highways adjacent to the city has led to increasing the carbon influence in the residential areas. On the other hand, calculation of the amount of the emitted carbon shows that the incompatible designs with clime have led to the increase in the level of fossil fuel consumption, and consequently, increased the level of the emitted carbon.