An integrated spatial framework to assess telecommuting impacts on transportation network and emission hotspots in a developing country context: The case study of Tehran.

Telecommuting is recognized as a sustainable urban mobility strategy; however, its quantitative impacts on network performance and air quality remains insufficiently understood, particularly in developing countries. This study develops an integrated spatial framework that directly links a travel demand forecasting model (EMME/2) with the International Vehicle Emissions (IVE) model to empirically evaluate the effect of telecommuting on network performance and emission hotspots in Tehran. Two scenarios-Business-As-Usual (BAU) and Telecommuting (TELE)-are simulated within EMME/2. The outputs, including vehicle kilometers traveled and speed are employed as primary inputs for the IVE model in order to estimate on-road emissions of major pollutants. The results show that implementation of a 20% telecommuting scenario might decrease total Vehicle Kilometers Traveled (VKT) and Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT) by 4.6% and 10.9%, respectively; furthermore, the results indicate reductions in emissions of CO, VOCs, NOx, SOx, and PM by up to 7.9%, 7.9%, 5.9%, 4.5%, and 4.4% respectively during the morning peak hour. It's worth mentioning that spatial analysis highlights important emission reduction within the Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) and Restricted-Traffic Zone (RTZ) of Tehran, where most daily business trips are concentrated. The findings provide novel empirical evidence from a developing-country context, demonstrating that even moderate levels of telecommuting adoption can substantially enhance both transportation network efficiency and urban air quality. The framework proposed in this study provides policymakers with a robust, data-driven tool for evaluating travel demand management (TDM) strategies aimed at supporting sustainable urban development.