Assessing the impact of urban form on PM2.5 concentration along roads in a city with mobile monitoring and machine learning models

Abstract

Due to urbanization, air pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems, threatening human health and causing adverse effects on other environments. In order to improve air quality, it is necessary to analyze the relationship between urban form and air pollution and propose optimization strategies. This study is dedicated to collecting PM_2.5 concentration data on different grades of roads through mobile monitoring technology, which is then corrected using national fixed monitoring stations. At the same time, combining the meteorological data obtained during the experiment by fixed-point monitoring, RF model was used to deeply analyze the influence of urban form on PM_2.5 concentration, providing a scientific and effective reference basis for urban planning. The results showed that the PM_2.5 concentration in autumn was significantly higher than that in summer, and the pollution in the southern region was heavier than that in the northern region. The influence of different urban forms on buffer radius is different. Mean building height, population density, floor area ratio and impervious surface proportion are the key urban form indicators affecting PM_2.5. In future urban planning, it is recommended to reasonably control building heights within a 500-meter buffer zone along roads, optimize urban building layouts, and promote population relocation from old urban areas to expand urban green space and alleviate PM_2.5 pollution in Urumqi. Therefore, quantitative analysis of the relationship between PM_2.5 concentrations and urban form elements can assist decision-makers in urban planning and management.