The challenge of green urbanism:Mid-sized cities & ecological modernisation

Dr Jason Byrne

Griffith University School of Environment

2Griffith School of Environment

Manuel Castells observed in 2002 that: “Our blue planet is fast becoming a predominantly urban world. …For all the talk about the natural environment, it is the living conditions in cities…that determine the future of our livelihood. …Sustainable development is the code word for the most important debate of our time”.

3Griffith School of Environment

Challenges of an urban world

• Over 50% of world’s people inhabit cities• By 2070 this will be more like 75%• Biggest cities in 19th & 20th century were Euro-American• Biggest in 21st century: Asian, African & Latin-American

megacities (e.g. Shanghai or Lagos)• Growth will occur fastest in mid-sized cities• Cities are complexly interconnected, yet highly socio-

economically polarised• Cities are where we find the largest environmental

impacts but cities also promise for solutions

4Griffith School of Environment

Urban environmental problems

• Air, water & soil pollution• Socio-economic polarisation (environmental injustice)• Proliferation of culture of hyper consumption• Health: obesity epidemic & infectious diseases (SARS)• Housing shortages & traffic congestion• Sanitation problems (e.g. clean water)• Waste management problems (e.g. sewage, landfills)• Water scarcity & declining soil fertility• Peak oil & the end of cheap energy• Climate change impacts (storms, heat islands, flooding)• Rapidly declining biodiversity• Food scarcity and food contamination

5Griffith School of Environment

• In short, our cities are vulnerable

• We need to make cities more resilient

– Resilience here refers to the ability to withstand environmental disruptions and to bounce back after a crisis (e.g. storm, flood, fire) with little or no damage to key infrastructure, social capital and life sustaining processes

6Griffith School of Environment

Overview

• Why mid-sized cities?

• Green urbanism

• Examples– Industrial ecology

– Biomimicry

– Metabolic cities

• Australian initiatives

• Relevance to Bologna and Forli?

Fukoka Building Green Roof, Japan

landscapeandurbanism.blogspot.com

The Wild Project Green Roof, Canada

Currumbin Eco-Village, AustraliaSt. Etienne, France: Green transport www.inhabitat.com/

7Griffith School of Environment

Why mid-sized cities?(500,000 – 3.5 million???)

• All about scale– Greater share of urbanisation (30+%)– Smaller populations but still diverse– Less inertia in system– Easier to analyse– Potential for rapid response– Potential to diversify economy– Less disruption in retrofitting– Act as incubators– Realise benefits faster– Residents closer to nature– More attractive destinations (lifestyle)

Curitiba

Portland

8Griffith School of Environment

Ecological cities

Kaika and Swyngedouw (2000: 120) have recently reminded us that cities are: “mediators through which the perpetual process of transformation of natur[al] into [cultural] takes place. …The city is a space of flows, of flux, of translocation.”

9Griffith School of Environment

Green urbanism: metabolic cities

• Regards previously disparate concerns as interconnected

• Transport, housing, health, energy, environment, governance etc. all interact in concert with each other

• Applies ecological sustainability principles

• Recognises the metabolic character of cities

• Seeks to close material & energy loops

http://www.tuvie.com/wp-content/uploads/dragonfly-vertical-farm

10Griffith School of Environment

Bio-mimicry

• Draws upon natural design cues • Uses natural materials• Seeks to emulate natural cycles• Examples include:

– Aerodynamic public transport– Heat chimneys in buildings– Photosynthetic energy– Industrial ecology

Eastgate Centre in Zimbabwe

http://www.inhabitat.com

11Griffith School of Environment

Industrial ecology

• Discourse / paradigm holding that economic growth and environmental harm can be decoupled

• Waste material from one industry become the raw material input of another

• Creates an industrial “ecosystem”

• Economic mutualism not competition

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1267/684784497_41c5685ab2.jpg

12Griffith School of Environment

http://weburbanist.com/2007/12/11/8-great-green-roofs-a-brief-pictoral-history-of-green-roofs-and-roofing-systems-past-and-present/

• Commodity flow analysis• Energy pathway

analysis• Material flows analysis• Lifecycle assessment• Nutrient cycling• Home range analysis

– (animal habitats)

Analyses

13Griffith School of Environment

Long Term Ecological Research

• Baltimore, Maryland & Phoenix, Arizona

• Undertaking many of these analyses

• Studying cities as ecosystems• http://www.lternet.edu/sites/bes/• http://www.lternet.edu/sites/cap/

14Griffith School of Environment

Energy pathway analysis

• Movement of energy through urban ecosystems• Impact of built environments on atmospheric energy• Urban albedos – reflection of solar energy• Heat island effects

15Griffith School of Environment

Material flows analysis

• How materials flow or move through a system– e.g. movement of goods

through an economy– movement of raw material

through a city– movement of waste

through sewers & drains– tracing how trees become

paper then waste

16Griffith School of Environment

Nutrient cycling analysis

• Tracing the flow of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium through landscapes

• Determining the impact upon ecosystems

• Examining the role of humans in this process

17Griffith School of Environment

Home range analysis

• Examining population dynamics• Studying animal-plant interactions• Identifying the foraging areas of

animals• Considering human impacts• Mapping human-animal

interactions

Urban Habitats

18Griffith School of Environment

Commodity flow analysis

• Transportation– Trucks– Rail– Ships

• Warehousing• Pipe networks• Retailing• Disposal• Re-use

Analysis of truck movements through Los Angeles

19Griffith School of Environment

Lifecycle assessment

• Examining the ‘cradle’ to ‘grave’ impacts of goods

• Researching impacts of entire sourcing, manufacturing, use and disposal process

• Developing lower impact goods– Biodegradable plastic– Recyclable carpet– Recyclable cars

20Griffith School of Environment

Bad example – clean coal

• Australia’s largest export is coal• New Australian government

signed Kyoto Protocol (2007)• Committed to carbon-trading• Want to have our cake and eat it• Solution is clean coal technology

– Geosequestration– Biosequestration

• Emissions reduction though:– Energy & water efficiency– Dispersed generation

• Does not solve the problem

saferenvironment.wordpress.com/

www.pophistorydig.com/wp-content/uploads/2008.. http://www.treehugger.com/clean-coal-wars.jpg

GE’s clean coal campaign

21Griffith School of Environment

Good example: renewables

• Solar power• Wind power• Biofuels & biogas• Geothermal• Tidal• Hydroelectricity

• e.g. use sewage to generate electricity from methane digesters and algae farms Maglev wind turbine: www.inhabitat.com/

http://solarshingles.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html

http://earth2tech.files.wordpress.comNewcastle, UK

San Francisco, USA

China

Arizona, USAwww.futureenergyevents.com

22Griffith School of Environment

Other examples

• Green buildings• Urban agriculture• Green schools & solar schools• Green transport

– Solar & hydrogen busses

• Water recycling & re-use• Water & energy efficiency• Stormwater harvesting• Biodiesel (from waste oil)

Hydrogen bus - Perth

Solar bus - Adelaide

23Griffith School of Environment

Planning mechanisms

• State sustainability strategies (e.g. W.A.)

• State of the environment reports (indicators)

• Regional planning schemes

• Climate change adaptation strategies

• Sustainability-based local land use plans

• Transit-oriented development & bicycle planning

• Parks, green corridors, green roofs & city farms

• Water sensitive urban design

• Green building rating scheme

• National ban on incandescent light-bulbs

• Environmental levies & subsidies

24Griffith School of Environment

Australian Subsidies

• Solar hot water system rebate (up to $4,000)• Photo-voltaic roof panel rebate / credit ($8,000)• Solar electricity feed-in tariff (44 c per kwh)• Roof insulation ($1,600) & energy monitors• Low-flow showerheads (free) & dual flush toilets • Free give-aways and heavily discounted CFB’s• Domestic rainwater tanks ($500 federal; $1000 state)• Water efficient washing machines ($200 - $300)• Worm farms ($50)• Native plant discounts & rebates (up to $100 p.a.)• Vehicle registration discounts for hybrid vehicles

25Griffith School of Environment

Gold Coast - Australia

Gold Coast, Australia

26Griffith School of Environment

Gold Coast City Council

• Carbon neutral by 2020• Green power for municipal buildings• Switching to hybrid car & truck fleet• Solar heating of municipal swimming pools• Wastewater recycling & domestic re-use• Rainwater tank & washing machine subsidy• Four free street trees (per person / year) revegetation• Domestic kerbside recycling program• Investigating tidal energy• Target 52% of municipal area as eco-reserve

27Griffith School of Environment

Bologne & Forli?

• Both cities have committed to sustainability

• Compact urban forms• Pedestrian oriented• Public transportation• Plenty of sunshine (solar)• Potential to become European mid-

sized city leaders• Potential for a network of

collaborators• Potential for international

partnerships with other mid-sized cities

28Griffith School of Environment

Questions?