fem 3335 sustainable cities assoc prof dr sharifah norazizan syed abd rashid, appm department of...
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FEM 3335Sustainable Cities
Assoc Prof Dr Sharifah Norazizan Syed Abd Rashid, APPMDepartment of Social & Development Science
Faculty of Human Ecology
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Content
• Sustainable Cities
- Why the focus on cities?
- Definitions and Basic Principle
- What makes a city sustainable?
• Urban 21 Conference –Quality of Life
• New Concepts
Compact City; Eco City; Healthy City; Safe City
• Practice
Why the Focus on Cities?
• The majority of the global population live in cities in 2008 and predictions suggest that the figure will have reached 70% by 2050.
• Furthermore, cities are currently responsible for up to 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions but only take up 2% of the world's land area.
• This shows that the scale of the sustainability challenge in the urban built environment is vast, tackling it is vital to creating long-term, systemic and sustainable change.
Ref: Eugenie Birch and Susan Wachter
Global Urbanization
In the Sustainable Society, Nature is not subject to systematically increasing...
1 …concentrations of substances from the Earth’s crust.
2 …concentrations of substances produced by society.
3 …degradation by physical means.
4 … people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs or the needs of future generations.
Basic sustainability principles
Sustainable City
Being a sustainable city means "improving the quality of life in a city, including ecological, cultural, political, institutional, social and economic components without leaving a burden on future generations...."
Urban21 Conference, Berlin, July 2000
Pillars of Sustainable City
" Economy, ecology and social cohesion are the pillars of a sustainable city. These must be in balance and therefore require an integrated approach. Dialogue is the basic principle for achieving this for Local Agenda 21."
Sustainable City
Cities have become the focal points as major consumers and distributors of goods and services. However, many cities tend to be large consumers of goods and services, while draining resources out of external regions that they depend on. As a result of increasing consumption of resources, and growing dependencies on trade, the ecological impact of cities extends beyond their geographic locations.
Problems and Pressures of Cities
• Cities are increasingly becoming the engines of national economic growth and the magnets for new residents flooding in from rural areas. Globalization is having a significant effect on cities, forcing them to compete for international business with other cities worldwide and within their own countries.
• As a result, the sustainability of cities is under pressure. Decision-makers at all levels are faced with the task of how to resolve urban problems from transportation to waste management, from drinking water supply to the preservation of urban green space
A city is only considered to be sustainable when:
• It follows a development path where the present progress does not take place at the expense of future generations (i.e. bad planning, debt, environmental degradation, etc. does not export present problems to the future).
• There is an equilibrium between different issues. In other words, the goal is an across-the-board development, instead of handling issues one by one.
SUSTAINABLE BALANCE
• Environmental Integrity• Economic Vitality• Community Well Being• Cultural Enhancement
PEOPLE, PLANET, PROSPERITY AND PRESERVATION
The concept of Sustainable Cities
• http://blog.cunysustainablecities.org/tag/architecture/
• http://www.urbanlab.com/h2o/
• http://growingwater.com/
• http://www.sustainablecitiesnet.com/
• http://www.livingcityblock.org/
What Are the Major Population Trends in Urban
Areas?
• Urbanization continues to increase steadily and the numbers and sizes of urban areas are growing rapidly, especially in developing countries.
URBANIZATION
Economy
Population
Half of the World’s Population Live in Urban Areas
• Urbanization• Urban growth
Natural increase Immigration from rural areas
• Pushed from rural areas to urban areas• Pulled to urban areas from rural areas
cont
• Four major trends– Proportion of global population living in urban
areas is increasing– Number and size of urban areas is mushrooming
• Megacities, hypercities – Urban growth slower in developed countries– Poverty is becoming increasingly urbanized;
mostly in developing countries
Urban Areas in Crisis
• Severe air pollution• Water pollution• 50% Unemployment• Deafening noise• Overcrowding• Traffic congestion• Inadequate public transportation• slums (barrios), squatter settlements, ghettos, etc
What progress is being made?
Global Outlook: Satellite Image of Major Urban Areas Throughout
the World
What Are the Major Urban Resource and Environmental Problems?
• Most cities are unsustainable because of high levels of resource use, waste, pollution, and poverty.
• But – what’s the alternative?
Urbanization Has Advantages
• Centers of:– Economic development– Innovation– Education– Technological advances– Jobs
• Environmental advantages
Urbanization Has Disadvantages
• Huge ecological footprints• Lack vegetation• Water problems• Concentrate pollution and health problems• Excessive noise• etc
Inputs Outputs
Energy Solid wastes
Food Waste heat
Air pollutantsWater
Water pollutantsRaw materials Greenhouse
gasesManufactured goods
Manufactured goodsNoise
MoneyWealth
Information Ideas
Permanent damage begins after 8-hour
exposureNoise Levels (in dbA) 85
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150
Normal breathing
Quiet rural area
Rainfall Vacuum cleaner
Lawn mower
Rock music Earphones at loud level
WhisperQuiet room
Normal conversation
Average factory
Chain saw
Military rifle
Thunderclap (nearby)
Air raid siren
Boom cars
Life Is a Desperate Struggle for the Urban Poor in Developing
Countries
• Slums
• Squatter settlements
• Shantytowns
• Terrible living conditions
• What can governments do to help?
Global Outlook: Extreme Poverty Forces
Hundreds of Millions to Live in Slums
Mexico CityExtreme example
• Urban area in crisis– Severe air pollution– Water pollution– 50% Unemployment– Deafening noise– Overcrowding– Traffic congestion– Inadequate public transportation– 1/3 live in slums (barrios) or squatter settlements
• What progress is being made?
Cities Can Grow Outward or Upward
• Compact cities– Hong Kong, China– Tokyo, Japan– Mass transit
• Dispersed cities– U.S. and Canada– Car-centered cities
Motor Vehicles Have Advantages and Disadvantages (1)
• Advantages– Mobility and convenience– Jobs in
Production and repair of vehiclesSupplying fuelBuilding roads
– Status symbol
• Disadvantages– Largest source of outdoor air pollution– Accidents: death and injury – Helped create urban sprawl– Traffic congestion
Reducing Automobile Use Is Not Easy, but It Can Be Done
• Full-cost pricing: high gasoline taxes
• Difficult to pass in the United StatesStrong public oppositionMass transit: not an option in most citiesDispersed nature of the U.S.
• A tax shift?
cont
• Raise parking fees
• Tolls on roads, tunnels, and bridges into major cities
• Car-sharing
• Charge a fee to drive into a major city
Some Cities Are Promoting Alternatives to Car Ownership
• Bicycles
• Heavy-rail systems
• Light-rail systems
• Buses
• Rapid-rail system between urban areas
TRADE-OFFS
Bicycles
Advantages Disadvantages
Affordable Little protection in an accident
Produce no pollution
Do not protect riders from bad weather
QuietImpractical for long tripsRequire little
parking space
Easy to maneuver in traffic
Take few resources to make
Lack of secure bike parking
Can be tiring (except for electric bicycles)
TRADE-OFFS
Mass Transit Rail
Advantages Disadvantages
Uses less energy and produces less air pollution than cars
Expensive to build and maintain
Requires less land than roads and parking areas for cars
Cost-effective only along a densely populated corridor
Causes fewer injuries and deaths than cars
Commits riders to transportation schedules
Reduces car congestion in cities
Can cause noise and vibration for nearby residents
TRADE-OFFS
Buses
Advantages Disadvantages
Can lose money because they need low fares to attract riders
Can be rerouted as needed
Cost less to develop and maintain than heavy-rail system
Can get caught in traffic and add to pollution
Commits riders to transportation schedules
Can greatly reduce car use and air pollution
Noisy
TRADE-OFFS
Rapid Rail
Advantages Disadvantages
Can reduce travel by car or plane
Expensive to run and maintain
Ideal for trips of 200–1,000 kilometers (120–620 miles)
Must operate along heavily used routes to be profitable
Much more energy efficient per rider than a car or plane
Causes noise and vibration for nearby residents
Potential Routes for High-Speed Bullet Trains in the U.S. and Parts of Canada
How Important Is Urban Land Use Planning?
• Urban land-use planning can help to reduce uncontrolled sprawl and slow the resulting degradation of air, water, land, biodiversity, and other natural resources.
Conventional Land-Use Planning
• Land-use planning – Encourages future population growth– Economic development – Revenues: property taxes– Environmental and social consequences
• Zoning– Mixed-use zoning
Smart Growth Works
• Smart growth – Reduces dependence on cars– Controls and directs sprawl– Cuts wasteful resource
Europe : Compact Cities
SOLUTIONSSmart Growth Tools
ProtectionPreserve existing open spaceBuy new open spaceBuy development rights that prohibit certain types of development on land parcels
Limits and Regulations
Limit building permits
Urban growth boundariesGreenbelts around cities
Public review of new development
Tax land, not buildingsTaxes
Tax land on value of actual use (such as forest and agriculture) instead of on highest value as developed land
Zoning
Encourage mixed use of housing and small businesses
Concentrate development along mass transportation routes
Promote high-density cluster housing developments
Tax BreaksFor owners agreeing not to allow certain types of development (conservation easements)For cleaning up and developing abandoned urban sites (brownfields)Planning
Ecological land-use planning
Environmental impact analysis
Integrated regional planning
State and national planning
Revitalization and New GrowthRevitalize existing towns and cities
Build well-planned new towns and villages within cities
Preserving and Using Open Space
• Urban growth boundary– U.S. states: Washington, Oregon, and
Tennessee
• Municipal parks– U.S. cities: New York City and San Francisco
• Greenbelts– Canadian cities: Vancouver and Toronto– Western European cities
Central Park, New York City, USA
How Can Cities Become More Sustainable and Livable?
An ecocity allows people to: choose walking, biking, or mass transit for most transportation needs; recycle or reuse most of their wastes; grow much of their food; and protect biodiversity by preserving surrounding land.
New Urbanism Is Growing
• Conventional housing development
• Cluster development
• New urbanism, old villageism– Walkability– Mixed-use and diversity– Quality urban design– Environmental sustainability– Smart transportation
Example of planning housing development that gives priority and
safeguard the natural landscape – the creek, rivers and pond are maintained.
Undeveloped land
Creek
Marsh
Fig. 22-18b, p. 605
Typical housing development
Cluster
Cluster housing development
ClusterPond
Creek
The Ecocity Concept: Cities for People Not Cars
• Ecocities or green citiesBuild and redesign for peopleUse renewable energy resources Recycle and purify waterUse energy and matter resources efficientlyPrevent pollution and reduce wasteRecycle, reuse and compost municipal wasteProtect and support biodiversityUrban gardens; farmers marketsZoning and other tools for sustainability
Science Focus: Urban Indoor Farming
• Rooftop greenhousesSun Works: designs energy-efficient greenhouses
• Growing Power and Will Allen http://www.growingpower.org/
• Hydroponic gardens• Skyscraper farms• Ecological advantages and disadvantages• Growing localvore and organic food movement
http://www.foodfightthedoc.com/foodfight.html
Greenroofs – EPA Building in Denver
China’s Vision for an Ecocity
• 2008: Dongtan, China, ecocity
• Carbon neutral city: use renewable resources for energy
• Reduce the need for cars, or use electric- or hydrogen-powered cars
• Public transportation
The Ecovillage Movement Is Growing
• Ecovillage movementEco-hoods
• 1993: ecovillage in Los Angeles, CA, U.S.What is making it work?http://www.laecovillage.org/
• Other ecovillagesSuccess stories
Towards Healthy City Concept
• Today environments have designed out physical activity
• Excessive high energy food intake• Insufficient physical activity in daily life• Diminished social interaction
Background to Healthy Cities
The international Healthy Cities movement was first conceived in Canada in 1984 as a result of the Healthy Toronto 2000: Beyond Health Care symposium, and was launched in Europe in 1986 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The movement has since spread across the globe and now involves more than 3,000 municipalities.
Health Determinants in an urban setting
Genetic Predisposition
Physical Environment
Social Environment
Life-style
Physical Environment
Geography, landscape and climate
Ecological footprint
Architecture
Housing, streets, and physical layouts
Physical, chemical and biological systems
Social Environment
Culture, social and religious norms
Social structure, cohesion and participation
Traditional and formal social support networks
Economic opportunities, system and structure
Participation in economy and decision making
Behaviour
Healthy lifestyle
Social mindedness and consciousness
Self esteem happiness
Aspiration, ambition, dynamism
Living in a city: health and quality of life
People live longer and healthier lives if:
They breath clean air and drink safe waterThey live in safe and comfortable housingThey have health supporting behaviour and
easy access to health care services They have meaningful jobs and income.They have securityThey have friends and feel they belong to their communityThey can make choices for their lives.
They have a peaceful homeThey have trees, plants and feel they relate to the
architecture.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
WATERSUPPLY
SANITATION
HEALTHSERVICES
SOCIALSERVICES
INCOMEGENERATION
HEALTHY CITYCONCEPT
The Aims of Healthy City Initiatives
• Improve health and environmental services
• Make people partners
• Strengthen social support network
• Stimulate economic development
• Put health at center of city social and political agenda
CHARACTERISTICS OF A HEALTHY COMMUNITY
Healthy Unhealthy
Optimism, hope and 'we are in this together’ Cynicism"We can do it 'Nothing works'Value intangibles like vision and values Emphasis only on tangiblesConsensus building PolarisationCollaboration ConfrontationFocus on the future Debate the pastInterdependence ParochialismBroad community participation Few do everythingLeadership renewal Same old facesThink and act in long term Short term thinkingListening AttackingReconciliation Hold grudgesWin-win solutions Win-lose solutionsPolitics of substance Politics of personalityDiversity and involvement ExclusionChallenge ideas Challenge peopleProblem solvers Blockers and blamersView challenges as opportunities See themselves as victims
THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS AFFECTING SAFETY
•PEOPLE KNOWING EACH OTHER
•PEOPLE ACTING TOGETHER
(According to Jody Kretzmann)
A Safe Environment
• A safe environment is the foundation of a healthy city
• Environment sustainability = health for people • Characterised by walkable neighbourhoods, local food production, quality open space and mixed local landuses
• Sustainability policy is well entrenched in planning policy and practice
ConclusionAdvantages of Sustainable Cities
By promoting sustainable urban form and function, cities become healthy, viable communities for citizens. Efficient urban form also helps protect the hinterland ecosystems that cities depend on. In many ways, the advantages to sustainable communities are underlined in the characteristics and definitions of urban sustainability. A good quality of life, natural open spaces, reduced waste, equality, access, lower crime, sense of community, clean air and water quality, and environmental diversity are just a few beneficial characteristics previously mentioned.
cont
The most important advantage of a sustainable city is that it follows such a development path that allows for an integral and long-term development without compromising future generations.
Thank You