URBEMIS - GHG Edition

URBEMIS is used to estimate emissions from construction and operation of land use development projects. URBEMIS is widely used to conduct CEQA-related air quality studies. At the request of several California air districts, ICF Jones & Stokes is currently modifying URBEMIS so that it can model emissions of GHGs and PM2.5.

The upcoming version of URBEMIS, titled URBEMIS-GHG, will estimate emissions using emission factors generated by two newly released CARB models: EMFAC2007 and OFFROAD2007. ICF Jones & Stokes' in-house air quality scientists and engineers will be conducting beta testing of URBEMIS-GHG in the first and second quarter of 2007. The model will be available for public use in the second or third quarter of 2007.

URBEMIS-GHG will allow the user to estimate the "carbon footprint" of a project and the GHG benefits of various mitigation approaches, including how a project's smart growth characteristics affect GHG emissions. To do this type of analysis, the URBEMIS-GHG user must enter specific characteristics about their project. These characteristics include the project's jobs-housing balance, its layout (number of intersections per square mile), its location with respect to transit service, the project's provision for bicycling and walking, and transportation demand management strategies.

For more information about the URBEMIS modeling software visit www.urbemis.com.