Chapter 7: How Can We Build Sustainable Cities? Flashcards
(115 cards)
1
Q
What are cities?
A
A city is a defined urban area within a country.
2
Q
What are the 4 characteristics of a city?
A
Large population size, high population density, built-up area, range of functions
3
Q
How do countries around the world identify their cities?
A
They use different guidelines.
4
Q
What is population density?
A
It is a measurement of the number of people living in a unit area of land.
5
Q
What is the formula to calculate population density?
A
No. of people living in an area divided by land area.
6
Q
What does being a built up area mean?
A
The land surface is mostly covered by buildings. It mainly focuses on cleanliness and transport system.
7
Q
What is extensive infrastructure?
A
It is a system of building and equipment to provide basic services for its residents.
8
Q
What are some basic services provided for its residents?
A
Water, electricity, sanitation, telecommunications and transport.
9
Q
What are some categories of buildings or activities included in a built-up areas?
A
Nature, recreational or commercial.
10
Q
What are some categories of range of functions or activities?
A
Administrative function and educational and commercial activities. It is mainly about buildings and education
11
Q
What is an example of a city with a range of functions?
A
Jakarta.
12
Q
What are the range of functions in Jakarta? (State examples)
A
- Jakarta plays an important administrative function in Indonesia. Office of their President and highest court of low are there.
- Jakarta also plays a key economic function. It has many manufacturing industries that produce and sell a variety of products.
13
Q
Compared to cities, what are the characteristics of rural areas?
A
- Lower population density and size
- Less built-up
14
Q
What are migrants?
A
They are people who have come from another location in their country to live in cities.
15
Q
What is rural-urban migration?
A
It is the movement of people from rural areas to urban areas.
16
Q
What are push factors?
A
They are reasons that make migrants want to leave their place of origin.
17
Q
What are pull factors?
A
They are reasons that attract migrants towards a destination.
18
Q
How do cities rely on rural areas? Why?
A
For food supply as they have limited space for agricultural activities.
19
Q
How do the rural farmers supply the cities with food?
A
They have enough land space to rear animals and grow crops to sell them at markets in the cities.
20
Q
How do the rural farmers benefit from supplying the city with food?
A
They exchange their food products for money, which becomes their income.
21
Q
How do rural areas rely on cities?
A
Rural inhabitants can benefit from amenities available in cities.
22
Q
What are some examples of ammenties that rural inhabitants can benefit from?
A
- They can travel to a hospital in the city for expert medical help and advanced treatment, which might not be available where they live.
- They can buy certain goods that are only available in cities.
23
Q
What opportunites are there for people in the city?
A
- Education and employment
- Technological innovation.
24
Q
What does education do?
A
It enables people to gain useful knowledge and skills.
25
What can you do with education?
People can apply what they have learnt when they gain employment, where they are engaged in paid work.
26
What can people do with their salary?
They can purchase food and other necessities to improve their well-being.
27
Why are cities home to a variety of educational institutions?
Cities have a large population of children and young people of school-going age. There are also adults who wish to pursue lifelong learning.
28
Why do businesses thrive in cities?
1. Developed infrastructure
2. Availability of services
3. Opportunities
29
How do businesses benefit from the concentration of educational instituitions in cities?
They can hire directly from a large pool of skilled employees.
30
Why do businesses offer work-study arrangements to their employees?
To train their employees.
31
What do employees do in work-study arrangements?
They spend time working in a company while receiving training.
32
What is technological innovation?
It is the use of scientific knowledge to create new products or services.
33
Why are cities known for technological innovation?
There are many skilled people living in cities, such as researchers, designers and entrepreneurs.
34
How does the government and investors assist those skilled people?
They fund them to experiment with new ideas.
35
What are the 5 ways to make Singapore cooler?
Shading, transport, vegetation, building facades, water bodies and features.
36
What are the components under shading? Provide a reason for these components.
Apart from trees, sheltered bus stops and covered walkways are installed to provide shade and shield from the rain.
37
What are the components under transport? Provide a reason for these components.
Use of public transport, cycling and walking help to reduce heat production from the transport sector.
38
What are the components under vegetation? Provide a reason for these components.
Greenery on roofs and building facades prevents sunlight from heating up buildings.
39
What are the components under 'building facades' ? Provide a reason for these components.
Light-coloured surfaces on buildings help reflect sunlight to reduce heat absorption
40
What are the components under water bodies and features? Provide a reason for these components.
Ponds and pools in the design of urban spaces help to prevent overheating.
41
What is one project launched by researchers from Future Cities Laboratory?
' Cooler Calmer Singapore'
42
What is the cause of rising average temperatures in Singapore?
Increased concentration of carbon emissions from fossil fuels.
43
What is the goal of the project?
To develop new designs for buildings and the built environment so that people can live more comfortably.
44
What challenges do people in cities face?
1. Increased environmental pollution
2. Water pollution
3. Air pollution
4. Competition for natural resources
5. Land resource
6. Water resource
45
Why are fossil fuels the leading cause of environmental pollution?
Contaminants are produced and released into the physical environment
46
Why do cities face increased environmental pollution?
Large amounts of fossil fuels are being consumed in cities everyday.
47
Why are large amounts of fossil fuels being consumed in the cities everyday?
Due to the high concentration of people, businesses and transport networks.
48
What will increased environmental pollution do to humans?
It will eventually harm human health.
49
How are water supplies in cities often affected?
Improper management of household and industrial waste due to inadequate or broken sewage systems.
50
What happens when waste is directly disposed of or leaked into waterways?
Water quality is ultimately reduced. Pollution threatens human health and aquatic life.
51
Why do most urban populations face air pollution?
1. Use of coal to generate electricity
2. High volume of vehicular traffic
3. Emission from factories
52
What may prolonged exposure to air pollution lead to?
1. Respiratory infection
2. Lung cancer
3. Heart disease
4. Death
53
What would poor health eventually cause? (healthcare)
It would lead to increased demand for healthcare services
54
How can you protect yourself from the risks of air pollution?
Eat foods which contain vitamin C, avoid smoking, avoid high traffic roads and avoid exercising outdoors.
55
Why is there competition for natural resources in cities?
Because cities grow with an increasing number of people making their homes there.
56
What is needed for the increasing number of people making their homes in cities?
Large amounts of natural resources are needed.
57
When does competition for natural resources occur?
When there is high demand by cities for the limited amount of natural resources.
58
Why are large amounts of natural resources needed?
To build infrastructure and supply materials for industrial use.
59
Why do cities need a lot of land?
To accommodate their large and growing populations for different purposes.
60
What happens if the land area of the current city is insufficient?
Cities may expand towards rural areas, replacing forests and farmlands or levelling hills.
61
What could parts of the current city be rebuilt to?
Replacing low-lying buildings with taller ones.
62
What could competition for land cause people to feel?
Unhappiness.
63
Why do cities need to ensure the continual supply of clean water?
To meet the needs of people and businesses.
64
Why is water resource compromised by competition for land?
It limits the construction or expansion of reservoirs.
65
How are water catchment areas and groundwater affected?
More natural vegetation is converted to concrete surfaces.
66
In July 2018, why were the water taps in Cape Town in South Africa turned off?
The water level in the reservoirs had dropped to dangerously low levels. This was due to Cape Town's high population growth, people's consumption habits and prolonged droughts.
67
What are the 2 strategies cities can use to sustainably build and manage themselves?
Environmental management and improving quality of life.
68
What are the 4 methods that can be used under environmental management?
1. Reducing water pollution through water treatment ponds
2. Reducing air pollution through laws
3.Use of better quality building materials
4. Land use planning
69
Why do cities have a large environmental footprint?
Through people's actions and activities such as transport and industry, large amounts of waste and pollutants are released into the physical environment, leading to increased environmental pollution.
70
What are management strategies used for?
To regulate the use of natural resources and minimise the negative environmental impact from human activities.
71
What is an example of a reservoir in Singapore?
Kranji Reservoir
72
What happens to the water in Kranji Reservoir when it rains? (Farm nearby)
Rainwater may mix with nutrients from the nearby farms and flow into the reservoir, reducing its water quality.
73
How have the farms nearby Kranji Reservoir prevent the water quality from deteriorating?
They have set up drains around their farm plots and water treatment ponds to channel and collect rainwater and excess nutrients.
74
What are some examples of plants grown in the water treatment ponds?
Cattails and fragrant pandan.
75
Why are plants grown in the water treatment ponds?
To purify the water.
76
What do water treatment ponds help to do?
It reduces water pollution in the reservoir
77
What plan has Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei in China adopted?
Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan.
78
What laws has this plan enacted in China?
1.Environmental Protection
2. Air Pollution Prevention and Control
79
What do these laws enable the city governments to do?
It enables them to regulate people's actions and industrial activities.
80
What has each city in China set limits on? Why?
Air pollutants for industries and vehicles as they are the two main causes of heavy smog.
81
What does the license plate lottery policy do?
It limits the number of new vehicles that can be registered, and a vehicle restriction rule.
82
What is the vehicle restriction rule in China?
It limits the use of private cars to selected days in a week according to the last number of their license plates.
83
What do the laws enacted by the government do? ( Strategy )
It helps to lower air pollution and lessen traffic congestion.
84
What are hazards?
They are events that have a negative impact on people, the physical and built environments and the economy.
85
Where do human-induced hazards arise from? What are some examples of that?
Humans actions or inaction. E.g. Ignoring safety regulations or warnings.
86
What are some examples of consequences that could happen if humans ignore safety regulations?
Fires, oil spills and industrial accidents.
87
Where do natural hazards arise from? Provide examples.
They arise from processes in the physical environment. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis
88
Why does the impact of hazards increase in cities?
Due to cities' high population density, large population size and widespread built-up areas.
89
Why is it important to find sustainable ways to manage hazards in cities?
Hazards can turn into disasters, where they cause damage to people and their properties.
90
Why do buildings need to be of good quality?
To withstand the threat of hazards.
91
What happens if the hazards are not managed properly?
The human costs of injuries and deaths as well as the economic cost of rebuilding as a result could be very high.
92
What are some immediate effects caused by hazards?
Collapse of buildings, infrastructure damage, injuries and death.
93
What is Japan recognised as the world leader in?
Designing and building earthquake-resistant buildings.
94
Why is Japan recognized as the world leader in that area?
They have learnt from previous disasters brought about by earthquakes and has invested resources to build better structures.
95
What was the Mori Tower in Tokyo designed for?
It was designed to be refuge for people to escape during earthquakes.
96
What does the Mori Tower use to be earthquake-resistant? How does it work?
It uses oil-filled shock dampeners. When the building begins to sway due to tremors or high winds, fluid is sloshed in the opposite direction to counter the movement.
97
What does land use planning involve?
It involves making decisions on how land resources will be used for various purposes, such as housing, recreation and transport.
98
Why may planning agencies disallow some of these uses and construction?
They may disallow the uses and construction in unsafe locations to prevent hazards from occuring.
99
What does quality of life refer to?
It refers to a person's well-being.
100
What does housing refer to?
Structures or buildings constructed to shelter people from weather elements. They are also places of rest and social gatherings. They are a basic human need.
101
What problem did Singapore face in the past? Why?
They faced the problem of inadequate and low quality of housing due to high rates of migration and overpopulation.
102
What was set up to build affordable public housing for the masses in Singapore?
Singapore Improvement Trust and Housing & Development Board.
103
What may people resort to doing if housing supply is too insufficient or too expensive?
They may resort to building their homes at locations without obtaining permission. (Squatter settlements)
104
Where can squatter settlements be found in?
They can be found in unsafe locations such as steep slopes and along railway tracks.
105
What are some hazards of squatter settlements?
1. Additional levels added to original slum without following safety regulations
2. Limited living space in each dwelling
3. Roof of dwelling made of recycled items
4. Walls of dwelling made of plastic sheets or wooden planks.
106
What do transportation modes refer to?
They refer to the ways in which people and goods move from one location to another.
107
Why does having a variety of transportation modes make travelling around the city easier?
People have more transportation options, which are also more affordable than cars
108
Why does having a variety of transportation modes reduce traffic congestion?
When people have more transportation options, they can opt for bigger transport vehicles which can carry more passengers than cars.
109
Why does having a variety of transportation modes reduce environmental pollution in cities?
There will be fewer cars on the road due to the variety of transportation options. This leads to less fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
110
Why do cities consider the needs of different groups?
To ensure a good quality of life for the elderly and persons with disabilities.
111
What is the aim of the 'Universal Design' concept in Singapore?
To create a built environment that is safe and accessible for everyone.
112
What are the requirements for all pedestrian paths in Singapore?
1. Routes are cleared of any obstacles.
2. At least 1.8m wide.
3. Furniture and fixtures are built in a space that is away from the travel path.
113
What are the pros of cities?
1. Weather and climate- 4 seasons
2. Buildings- Malls, tourist attractions, etc.
3. Cleanliness
4. Education
5. Food
6. Transport System
114
What are the requirements for traffic crossings in Singapore? Include reasons.
1. Tactile warnings on the ground on the two sides of traffic crossings aids the visually handicapped and elderly pedestrians.
2. Warning indicators are provided at road crossings to remind users to be careful when crossing roads.
115
What are the cons of cities?
1. Safety - Crime and natural disasters
2. Employment rate - low
3. Cost of living - expensive.
