Implementation of a low emissions zone through soft traffic calming measures: the case study of Cartagena (Spain)

Resumen

Spanish Law 7/2021 on climate change and energy transition makes it mandatory for municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants to establish low-emission zones by 2023. On the other hand, the Sustainable and Accessible Urban Mobility Plan of the Cartagena City Council ‘Cartago!’, approved by the Local Government Board in 2021, recommended to develop low-emission zones in various areas of the city based on scientific knowledge and not on political priorities, limiting traffic restrictions only to cases in which they are necessary for technical reasons to improve mobility. This study proposes an innovative process using soft traffic calming strategies based on woonerf philosophy, applied to combine both requests. A spatial definition framework at a graphic level of the areas to be implemented as low emission zones was developed in two levels. The target areas for air quality improvement have been defined through a prior geostatistical analysis and the selection of the perimeter of action of the priority areas was established through a methodology based on geostatistics indicators applied through fuzzy AHP multi-criteria evaluation. The results obtained can serve as a basis for the development of low-emission zones in medium or small-sized cities.