Using Horizontal LiDAR Scans to Capture Net CO2 Emissions at Intra-Urban Spatial Granularity: A Review
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urbansci-10-00439.pdf
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2.06 MB
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Author(s)
Dubey, Ravish
Mora, Simone
Ratti, Carlo
Date Issued
August 2, 2026
Journal
Urban Science
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Citation
Dubey, R.; Mora, S.; Ratti, C. Using Horizontal LiDAR Scans to Capture Net CO2 Emissions at Intra-Urban Spatial Granularity: A Review. Urban Sci. 2026, 10, 439.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Urban areas contribute a dominant share of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, yet city-scale emission estimates remain highly uncertain due to the limited spatial and temporal resolution of existing observation methods. This review paper examined the potential of horizontally scanning Differential Absorption LiDAR (DIAL) systems to address these gaps in urban CO2 monitoring. We reviewed current top-down and bottom-up approaches, identified their limitations in resolving intra-urban variability, and outlined a conceptual framework for deploying compact, eye-safe CO2 DIAL systems on elevated urban structures. We reviewed methods that combined horizontal CO2 scanning with wind measurements to enable high-resolution mapping of CO2 distributions, assessment of boundary-layer effects, and estimation of urban carbon fluxes using established mass-balance and inversion techniques. Conceptual deployment scenarios, illustrated using Boston as an example, demonstrated how a single elevated LiDAR unit could provide near-city-wide coverage and capture neighborhood-scale emission patterns. We further discussed calibration strategies, safety considerations, and integration with existing sensor networks and column observations. This review concluded horizontal CO2 LiDAR represents a promising pathway toward high-resolution, observation-based urban carbon monitoring, offering a complementary tool to existing methods and supporting future efforts to verify emission inventories, evaluate mitigation policies, and advance city-scale carbon management.
MIT Department
Senseable City Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning
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Creative Commons Attribution
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci10080439
