Urban Sustainability
- Sustainability can be defined as:
meeting the needs of today, without compromising the needs of tomorrow
- Sustainable urban living is about meeting those needs but also the environment we live in
Water conservation:
- Many cities are growing in regions where water is already scarce, and the future impacts of climate change are likely to worsen the issue
- As such protection and conservation is important, which means reducing the amount we use, but also reusing what is used
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Improve sanitation through sewage works, educate people on water usage and wastage, improve or install water treatment plants, encourage low-flow flush toilets or use grey water systems
Energy conservation:
- Increase temperature: Electrical items in cities contributes to higher temperatures; encourage people to use energy saving appliances
- Climate change: Cities consume a lot of energy; governments need to promote renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels which contribute to climate change
- Health: Coal power stations release huge amounts of pollution creating smog and Chinese cities are known for this, which leads to health issues for its citizens
Urban greening:
- This is the need for economic and environmental factors to be managed so that people can have a better quality of life
- Provide green spaces (greening the city) for families to use
- Minimise the use of greenfield sites and use brownfield sites instead
- Involve local communities which provide a range of employment
- Urban greening:
- Reduces flooding: Vegetation and soil hold vegetation, instead of it going to drains and then rivers
- Increase biodiversity: Gardens and green areas encourage more insect and bird life in cities
- Helps to reduce temperatures: due to the materials used in urban areas (e.g. concrete, tarmac, glass etc,) these absorb heat, and this makes cities hotter than the surrounding countryside
- Vegetation has the benefit of providing valuable shade and helps cools the city
- Urban greening improves air quality: Vegetation such as trees act as filters, reducing air pollution and its effects on people
- Many companies are starting to adopt corporate sustainability and attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by focusing on how their business affects the environment
- Some methods include:
- Reducing the amount of packaging
- Recyclable packaging
- Trading locally
- Using renewable energy and other low-energy devices (lights, monitors etc.)
- Cities also need to be economically sustainable, or they can become bankrupt
- Detroit, Michigan became the largest city in US history (2013) to file for bankruptcy after its revenue fell due to a declining population, rising unemployment and a lack of property and income taxes
- Ecotown developments are another sustainable measure
- Designed to reduce its overall footprint and encourage strong community ties
- All homes have energy saving measures, such as a community biomass boiler, free wi-fi to encourage home working and less commuting
- All homes have triple glazed homes, extra insulation, solar panels and low energy lightbulbs and kitchen appliances
- Green spaces to protect and enhance wildlife
