## 1 Introduction  
Urban land use patterns are linked to transportation, which nowadays has an increasing and dominant impact on air pollution. Everyday life decisions related to travel behavior, both by private [1, 2] and public transportation [3, 4], depends, amongst other factors, on urban form. A systematic literature review on the interaction between land use and travel behavior [5], as well as on the relationship between travel behavior and urban structure [6], concludes that the most popular assumptions and beliefs about the relationship are generally supported by empirical studies. In that sense [7] provides empirical evidence that good urban planning can successfully influence travel behavior. Land use and urban transport interaction [8] represents policy challenges [9] related to everyday lives travel behavior [10]. Urban public transport is a fundamental aspect in shaping the spirit and habitat of each city [11]. Due to its relevance in land use pattern, everyday lives, and city form, urban public transport is undergoing a continuous process of modernization in terms of management, planning, and technology, which has been well documented in the recent history of public transport [12]. Historically, transport technology and the associated transport costs have always been among the dominant determinants of urban location and form [13], nevertheless in current time the priority focuses on energy use and CO\({}_{2}\) emissions of urban passenger transport [14]. In addition to urban form, which is the physical characteristics of a city, the determination of public transport alternatives is also based on management decisions, related to budgetary issues, the efficiency of alternatives, and the environmental awareness of policy makers. The planning of urban public transport has a significant impact on shaping land use patterns, air pollution and welfare [15]. Therefore, political and citizen awareness related to the strategic importance of green public transport in urban transport is growing and leading to a transformation in terms of low energy consumption, urban viability and livability of cities [16; 17]. Current air pollution levels remain dangerously high in both developing and developed countries [18]. According to [19], 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. One of the reasons for the previous figures is that at the present time 55 percent of the world's population is residing in urban areas, and by 2050, 68% of the world's population is expected to be urban [20]. In Europe, in particular, a large majority of citizens live in an urban environment, with more than 60% living in urban areas of more than 10,000 inhabitants. Increasing urbanization and population concentration in Europe leads to high levels of air pollution. Urban mobility in Europe accounts for 40% of all CO\({}_{2}\) emissions from road transport and up to 70% of other transport pollutants [21]. Even though air quality in Europe has improved over recent decades, the levels of air pollutants still exceed European Union standards and the most stringent World Health Organization guidelines [22]. The urban structure can affect city sustainability from an air quality perspective [23], and the stronger relationship between trends in transport pollution and urban land use has been well documented [24]. In this sense, the urban form has been identified as a crucial dimension of sustainable cities [25]. The analysis of energy use in urban transport and associated emissions from an urban land use planning perspective [26], suggests the implementation of integrated urban models and policy-sensitive analytical tools. Therefore, the investigation of how urban policy makers can reduce negative impacts on air quality is an emerging priority in both empirical and theoretical research. The transport sector is one of the largest contributors of pollutant emissions [27], and more specifically, individual motorized transport causes 59% of greenhouse gas emissions [28].