Sustainable Cities: Oxymoron or the Shape of the Future? (original) (raw)
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The current state of the world is at a crucial turning point; technological advancements have made the development of efficient systems of city planning possible. However, our reliance on unsustainable systems such as the design of cities for cars rather than people can potentially lead humanity down a path leading to the devastation of the natural world. There is a need for architects, designers, planners and governments to re-evaluate commonly accepted design practices in favour of a more ecologically sustainable system of city planning and design. The writings of environmental planners, historians and authors such as Richard Register, Ken Yeang and Steven Nelson can be used to inform design choices in the construction of new cities. Dubbed "ecocities" by Register, these new urban developments represent the next stage in human evolutionary advancement and seek to reduce the effects of climate change and the collapse of ecological systems without compromising the current standard of living. However, sustainable building is not necessarily integrated into the parameters of any given development; ecocities are expensive and more difficult to plan out than conventional cities, simply because we have fallen complacent with current practices and therefore have honed an already outdated method of design. Therefore, it is initially ambiguous as to whether or not it is possible to reach a global standard of ecologically sustainable city planning. Through examining examples of sustainable communities and cities in past, present and future, we can gain a clearer understanding of what the future holds for the ecocity. The purpose of this research paper is to explore the development of the sustainable city throughout history, the present, and the implications that these have for the future. Firstly Register's "ecocity" is defined in light of the writing of other theorists such as Ken Yeang and Mark Roseland. The analysis of a historical eco-community, the Mousgoum people in Cameroon, reveals that such design principles have already been employed and thus provides insight into how we may adapt these in a contemporary context. The city of Curitiba in Brazil is briefly visited as a paradigm for a successful ecocity, contrasting with Arup‟s failed Dongtan Ecocity in China. The development of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city is analysed as an example for a contemporary ecocity still under development. Finally, the paper will draw conclusions from all the research conducted as to the position of sustainable cities in the present and future, and if a global shift to sustainable design at such a scale may ever be possible.
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Efforts to innovate in urban sustainability have in recent decades culminated in a new phenomenon: eco-cities. In recognition of the key role played by cites both as the cause of, and potential solution to, global climate change and rapid urbanisation, the concept and practice of eco-cities have since the early 2000s gained global signifi cance and become increasingly mainstream in policy-making. This study provides an analysis of contemporary eco-city developments by systematically mapping some 79 recent initiatives at global level; evaluating key characteristics (including development type, phase and implementation mode) and discussing the factors (such as technological development, cultural branding, and political leadership) that drive and condition innovation in this area. The article concludes by outlining a research agenda for addressing both the challenges and opportunities of future eco-city governance.
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Eco-cities are thus e-co-cities, since they combine technological and digital feasibility with a radically new approach towards the role of government in the allocation of resources. In 2016, through the Pact of Amsterdam, the European Commission launched the EU Urban Agenda to promote cooperation and engagement among multiple stakeholders to innovate urban areas in a socially just and environmentally sustainable manner.
Eco-cities: a global survey 2009
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In the last couple of decades, efforts to render cities environmentally and socially sustainable have culminated in a new phenomenon-the so-called eco-city. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the term 'eco-city' remained mainly a concept, a collection of ideas and propositions about sustainable urban planning, transportation, housing, public participation and social justice, with practical examples relatively few and far between. Since the mid 2000s, the phenomenon appears to have become increasingly global and mainstream, against the background of the international recognition of the scale and severity of climate change and rapid urbanisation, particularly in the developing world. To date, there have been few systematic surveys of eco-cities. This paper presents the findings of a global survey carried out in 2009. The study maps, analyses and compares some 79 identified eco-city initiatives, and addresses questions, such as what are key features that distinguish eco-cities from 'normal' cities; how to define them; why they have become international and mainstream in a short period of time; and what kind of issues their implementation in different contexts raise. The paper concludes by outlining a prospective research agenda aimed at critically discussing eco-cities' capacity for innovating for environmental and social sustainability and related governance processes and challenges.
Sustainable cities: beacons of light against the shadows of unplanned urbanization
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an ongoing multi-disciplinary conversation – accessing information, analyzing data, developing insights, and formulating advice. As our premier thought leadership product, Citi GPS is designed to help our readers navigate the global economy’s most demanding challenges and to anticipate future themes and trends in a fast-changing and interconnected world. Citi GPS accesses the best elements of our global conversation and harvests the thought leadership of a wide range of senior professionals across our fi rm. This is not a research report and does not constitute advice on investments or a solicitations to buy or sell any fi nancial instruments. For more information on Citi GPS, please visit our website at www.citi.com/citigps. Citi GPS: Global Perspectives & Solutions
Sustainable Cities: Addressing the Challenges of Tomorrow
e Sustainable Cities Thematic Group has only recently been established. The motivation for doing so was the fact that the AESOP conference tracks have, in the past, paid limited attention to sustainability, even though it is a key topic in many fields. For instance, at the Prague conference in 2015, there were no tracks directly related to sustainability or even resilience. Closest came the title of track 5: Legal Environment for Effective (Good) Governance and Efficient (Sustainable) Use of Land. Sustainability is here the afterthought to efficiency, while it should be the other way around. This is problematic because it is a crucial topic for planners. It is especially crucial for urban planners because cities are – at the same time – the cause of, the victim of, and the solution to issues such as climate change. As the world becomes ever more urbanized, the city has become the place where the problems of climate change have their greatest economic and social impact. For instance, damage from flooding is exponentially exacerbated by the density of population and economic activity. Every year there are more reports of flooding in both the global north (for example, the UK) and the global south (for example, Bangladesh), while at the same time large conurbations such as Los Angeles and Santiago have ever-worsening drought issues. Cities consume a lot of resources and are responsible for a large amount of CO2 emissions. Yet this also means that cities are crucial places to focus on when looking for sustainable development, and urban planning plays a big role in addressing these issues.
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In this article we focus on the opportunities to use ICT to help cities reach their environmental targets and specifically how ICT can support reduction of energy use. We have developed an analytical framework to be able to identify ICT solutions opportunities that can support cities to decrease the energy use that origin from the inhabitants’ consumption in order to reach climate targets. We use a consumption perspective on energy and allocate all energy to the final consumers that are the individuals living in the city. The analytical framework can be used by city administrations and ICT solution companies for identification and mapping of ICT applications and solutions with opportunities for sustainable development in cities.