Abstract: There is a close relation between the paths of the compact development mode and the urban carbon emission reduction. The compact development mode in Shanghai should focus on such aspects as improving the intensity of the existing construction land, meet the market housing demand by planning compacted communities, and so on. However, because the object of emission reduction in Shanghai’s compact development mode (mainly petroleum and diesel used in transportation) accounts for a comparatively small proportion in the total energy consumption and coal accounts for a large proportion in power generation, the potential emission reduction of the mode will be limited in short term and may have a better prospect in the long term. Anyway, the compact development mode can exert a boosting effect on the development of public transportation, which can control the increasing trend of private cars in the city in mid and long terms and alleviate the dependency on imported oil, thus it will be helpful to the improvement of energy security and the realization of the carbon reduction goal.

Key words: compact development mode; CO2 Emission; Shanghai