Assessing the Relationship Between Urban Planning Policies, Gender, and Climate Change Mitigation: Regression Model Evaluation of Indian Cities

Abstract The greatest challenge that the human society is facing in the 21st century is climate change. Climate change debates advocate that although urban areas largely contribute to climate change they also play an important role in addressing it. This research puts forth an effort to identify whether statistically significant relationships exist between carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and urban planning policies, as well as between CO2 emissions and gender. In this regard, this research investigates whether urban planning policies in master plans have an impact on local CO2 emission levels. As a first step, a qualitative content analysis of the policy framework of sampled master plans that were involved in the sample was undertaken and climate change mitigation indexes were developed by assessing the sampled master plan’s urban policies against climate change mitigation evaluation protocols. Later, using climate change mitigation, the impact of urban planning policies on local CO2 emissions, while controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, was examined by undertaking regression analysis. This research develops empirical evidences that analyze the impact of urban planning policies on CO2 emission levels, thereby contributing significantly to the urban planning and public policy field. This research highlights that master plans are effective tools in promoting low-carbon regions through urban planning thereby mitigating climate change. This research emphasizes urban planning as a policy tool for mitigating climate change and has an implication for mainstreaming climate change mitigation in local urban planning.