Urban Institute Ireland Working Papers

In recent years, awareness of air quality issues in urban areas has increased significantly. The negative consequences for human health as a result of poor air quality have resulted in numerous laws being enacted both in Ireland and around the world, in an attempt to limit exposure. Within the urban environment, motor vehicles are one of the most significant contributors to pollution. As a result, constant monitoring takes place but little work is done on predicting likely changes in air quality, for better or worse, as a result of changes in landuse or transport. The MOLAND model can provide the basis for an emissions estimation methodology to predict changes in vehicular emissions, and consequently air quality, both now and in the future, enabling policy makers and planners to examine the air quality implications of their decisions.