Abstract for: Modelling the Impact of Active Transport Policies on Exposure to Air Pollution in London, UK

Increasingly, active transportation policies are leveraged for emissions reduction and health co-benefits. This paper proposes the combination of microsimulation and system dynamics method to capture the individual-level dynamics of the impact of active transport policies on exposure to air pollution. We propose using the two methods to create a proof-of-concept understanding of transport-related air pollution exposure in London. The microsimulation model is generated using UK census microdata, and used to support, quantify and inform the SD model, including: The parameterization of individual level variables (e.g. the daily exposure of synthetic individuals, travel mode and commuting time of individuals). The system dynamics model structure is directly built drawing from existing literature of air quality, with a purposive search on the individual-level exposure inequalities. The research is still a work in progress, but we hope results will provide a novel framework for developing sustainable policies, showing the strengths of marrying microsimulation and system dynamics. The paper provides a proof-of-concept model to support environmental decisions related to travel and air pollution policies. Ongoing analysis will be used to generate a vulnerability matrix to quantify the impact of socio-demographics on travel behaviours and air pollution exposure by categorizing individuals in the synthetic population for the SD model.