Sustainable urban development

Created by

Bethany Pringle

Cards (34)

What is sustainable urban development?
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
EXAMPLE: Sustainable development in Kendal: 
Beezon fields > increase habitat and wildlife
Solar panels on schools
Increased recycling and insulated windows in schools
Auction Mart > affordable homes
Flood site defenses > sustainable aims
New homes insulated e.g. Strawberry Fields
Increase cycle lanes and pedestrianised areas
Cap bus fares > more public transport use > low emission busses
Cities today vs how they should be:
Today:
Sprawling, overconsuming amounts of land and resources and becoming more vehicle dependent
How they should be:
Dense city offering diverse services within local area > residents less dependent on individual motorised transport > decrease resource use and decrease env impact and carbon footprint
Peter Calthorpe - 7 people-centered principles for building better cities:
Preserve nat env and historical sites
Create mixed use and mixed income neighbourhoods and mixed demographics
Walkable and safe streets > pedestrianised
Bike and cycle lanes
Connect > interconnect road networks and decrease block size
Ride > invest in transit e.g. bus, tram, train (BRT)
Focus > link capacity for ppl using transport to population demand
Facts:
Cities are responsible for 70% of global carbon emissions
Cities responsible for 75% of global energy consumption
By 2050 ~ 70% of world's population will be living in cities
What is an ecological footprint? 
The area of land needed to provide the necessary resources and absorb the waste produced by an urban population
Ecological footprint stats: 
London's covered twice the area of the UK in 2003
Tokyo is 3 times the size of Japan
HIC city footprint 10x higher than LIC city
4 Pillars of urban sustainability: 
Social development
Economic development
Environmental management
Urban governance
Social Development 
Provision of schools and healthcare
food supplies
green homes
clean water and sanitation
green public transport and energy
recreation areas
2. Economic development: 
Employment opps
Production and distribution of renewable energy
Investment in green tech and innovation
3. Environmental management: 
Waste and recycling management
Energy efficiency
Water management
Air quality conservation
Adaption to and mitigation of climate change
Forest and soil management
4. Urban governance - the foundation that holds the other 3 pillars up: 
Adoption of green urban planning and design strategies
Strategies to reduce inequalities
Strengthening of civil and political rights
Support of local, national, regional and global links
What does liveability mean? 
The urban ideal of collectively improving everyone's quality of life both now and in the future
What is urban resilience? 
The capacity of individuals, communities, businesses etc within a city to survive, adapt and grow
What are chronic stresses? 
e.g. High unemployment,
Inefficient transport systems
Violence and crime
Food and water shortages
What are acute shocks? 
E.g. terrorism events
Earthquakes
Tropical storms
Floods etc
Cities as systems Rodgers Model 
In an unsustainable/ linear city ~ Proportional inputs and outputs
In London ~ 20% of waste goes to landfill and 7m tonnes of waste are produced per year, 3m from households and only 33% of pop recycle
In a sustainable/ circular city ~ less inputs and less outputs but more recycling
In London ~ ReLondon aims to increase recycling to 65% by 2030 and also implementation of ULEZ and SUDS
EXAMPLE: Copenhagen - blueprint for sustainable city - social aspects:
Only 2% on employees in Copenhagen work more than 40 hours a week - family, friends and hobbies > lower stress
Small independent shops
Investment in reservoirs means that the harbour is clean for swimming
Integreated public transport network and driverless metro, trains and buses
The incineration plant turns waste into energy and is covered by a year-round snowboard slope, one of longest in world
Lots of parkland and green space - 70 acre nature reserve
EXAMPLE: Copenhagen - blueprint for sustainable city - Economic aspects:
Electric bikes cheap to rent
Economic and financial centre of Denmark - national compaines and businesses in IT, biotech and pharmaceuticals
Highest wages and lowest unemployment rates
Reasonable rents
High tax but generous welfare > reduce inequality
Fair and egalitarian society
EXAMPLE: Copenhagen - blueprint for sustainable city - Environmental aspects:
250 miles of cycle lanes > decrease congestion and improve health > one billion invested in bike lanes and super cycle highways > 45% cycle to work every day
Carbon neutral aim by 2030
green rooms mandatory > absorb 50-80% of precip and offer cooling to reduce UHI
Buses now green elec
New heating system that 95% use and near cooling system where cold taken from harbour water > saves 70% energy
2/3 of hotels eco certified
EXAMPLE: Copenhagen - blueprint for sustainable city - government aspects:
Encourages cycling through projects like Cycleslangen cycle bridge (Snake bridge)
the 'finger plan' includes protection of greenbelt and limits urban sprawl
Citizens Dialogue Project > public participation in planning legislation for city
Stopped discharged wastewater to harbour
EXAMPLE - Bedzed (mixed use sustainable community) - characteristics of sustainable cities > conserve natural environment:
Roof gardens and green roofs
Wind cowels - natural ventilation
15% construction material recycled
EXAMPLE - Bedzed (mixed use sustainable community) - characteristics of sustainable cities > Use brownfield sites:
Local materials for half construction > sourced within 35 miles
The land was previously used for spreading sludge from sewage works
EXAMPLE - Bedzed (mixed use sustainable community) - characteristics of sustainable cities > reduce & safely dispose of waste:
Dual flush toilets and water efficient washing machines > decrease water use by 40%
on-site water treatment plant
green elec tariff and solar panels
EXAMPLE - Bedzed (mixed use sustainable community) - characteristics of sustainable cities > provide open space:
Playing field
Sunspace
Private outdoor space and gardens
Allotments
EXAMPLE - Bedzed (mixed use sustainable community) - characteristics of sustainable cities > involve local people:
car free streets > safer
Bridges between buildings
Workplaces
EXAMPLE - Bedzed (mixed use sustainable community) - characteristics of sustainable cities > Efficient transport system:
Car share system with car club
EXAMPLE - East village- characteristics of sustainable cities > Conserve historic env:
Reuse site from Olympic games
EXAMPLE - East village- characteristics of sustainable cities > Conserve natural env:
Green roofs on residential blocks > habitat and decrease flow of surface run off
300,000 plants
EXAMPLE - East village- characteristics of sustainable cities > Use brownfield sites: 
wetland area > recycle rainwater to flush toilets and water plants
EXAMPLE - East village- characteristics of sustainable cities > Reduce and safely dispose of waste:
Athletes village now apartments with energy efficiency and insulation to decrease heat loss
99% waste recycled
water use decreased by 50% compared to other urban areas and 30% less energy due to combined heat and power
EXAMPLE - East village- characteristics of sustainable cities > provide open space:
37& of land is green
10 hectares of parkland and 300,000 plants > habitats and biodiversity
Shared private green space
Large green park with fruit orchids
EXAMPLE - East village- characteristics of sustainable cities > involve local people:
10,000 new jobs by 2030
large health centre and school
35 independent shops and cafes and bars so don't travel to shop
half of homes affordable with car parking
EXAMPLE - East village- characteristics of sustainable cities > efficient transport system:
integrated transport with local trains and buses that connect to London underground
good cycle and walking routes
car parking