Adapting Travel Models and Urban Models to Forecast Greenhouse Gases in California

This paper reviews the California Global Warming Solutions Act, which motivates both urban modeling by countywide agencies and the modeling of energy use in buildings and travel and the resultant greenhouse gases (GHGs). The authors identify principles for urban models and travel models, as applied to countywide land use plans and transportation plans. Two urban models, UPlan (a simple one) and PECAS (a complex one) were developed by the authors and are outlined here. The energy use and GHG impacts calculator, which will take as an input floor space data from UPlan or PECAS, is described. The methods used in this calculator and how it will be applied within the two urban models are described. The UPlan implementation is described in detail and an example given. Finally, the limits of UPlan are identified and an explanation for how PECAS may be able to perform all of the economic evaluations called for in the California Climate Act is provided.