Measuring social equity in urban energy use and interventions using fine-scale data.

Cities seek nuanced understanding of intraurban inequality in energy use, addressing both income and race, to inform equitable investment in climate actions. However, nationwide energy consumption surveys are limited (<6,000 samples in the United States), and utility-provided data are highly aggregated. Limited prior analyses suggest disparity in energy use intensity (EUI) by income is ∼25%, while racial disparities are not quantified nor unpacked from income. This paper, using new empirical fine spatial scale data covering all 200,000 households in two US cities, along with separating temperature-sensitive EUI, reveals intraurban EUI disparities up to a factor of five greater than previously known. We find 1) annual EUI disparity ratios of 1.27 and 1.66, comparing lowest- versus highest-income block groups (i.e., 27 and 66% higher), while previous literature indicated only ∼25% difference; 2) a racial effect distinct from income, wherein non-White block groups (highest quintile non-White percentage) in the lowest-income stratum reported up to a further ∼40% higher annual EUI than less diverse block groups, providing an empirical estimate of racial disparities; 3) separating temperature-sensitive EUI unmasked larger disparities, with heating-cooling electricity EUI of lowest-income block groups up to 2.67 times (167% greater) that of highest income, and high racial disparity within lowest-income strata wherein high non-White (>75%) population block groups report EUI up to 2.56 times (156% larger) that of majority White block groups; and 4) spatial scales of data aggregation impact inequality measures. Quadrant analyses are developed to guide spatial prioritization of energy investment for carbon mitigation and equity. These methods are potentially translatable to other cities and utilities.

Investigating the temporal dynamics of motor vehicle collision density patterns in urban road networks - A case study of New York.

INTRODUCTION: Motor vehicle collisions are a leading source of mortality and injury on urban highways. From a temporal perspective, the determination of a road segment as being collision-prone over time can fluctuate dramatically, making it difficult for transportation agencies to propose traffic interventions. However, there has been limited research to identify and characterize collision-prone road segments with varying collision density patterns over time. METHOD: This study proposes an identification and characterization framework that profiles collision-prone roads with various collision density variations. We first employ the spatio-temporal network kernel density estimation (STNKDE) method and time-series clustering to identify road segments with different collision density patterns. Next, we characterize collision-prone road segments based on spatio-temporal information, consequences, vehicle types, and contributing factors to collisions. The proposed method is applied to two-year motor vehicle collision records for New York City. RESULTS: Seven clusters of road segments with different collision density patterns were identified. Road segments frequently determined as collision-prone were primarily found in Lower Manhattan and the center of the Bronx borough. Furthermore, collisions near road segments that exhibit greater collision densities over time result in more fatalities and injuries, many of which are caused by both human and vehicle factors. CONCLUSIONS: Collision-prone road segments with various collision density patterns over time have distinct differences in the spatio-temporal domain and the collisions that occur on them. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The proposed method can help policymakers understand how collision-prone road segments change over time, and can serve as a reference for more targeted traffic treatment.