Sustainable Regions and Cities Flashcards
(22 cards)
Why should we care about cities?
Over 50% of world population live in cities (2007)
80% of Canadian live in cities.
Cities have positive attributes and negative.
Generate Waste (Solid and Liquid)
Consume Resources (Building Materials)
Generate pollutants, CO2, NOX
Social, cultural amenities.
Economic opportunity.
Education, Entertainment, innovation.
What can we do to affect change?
Urban Planning
Urban Design
Public Engagement
Civic Pride
Sustainability Three Components
Economy, Environment, Society
Sustainable Development Three Core Elements
Sustainable development requires a commitment to social equity.
Sustainable development requires a commitment to economic opportunity.
Sustainable development requires a commitment to environmental protection.
Growth VS Development
Growth is about expansion, spreading out.
Development is about quality, place-making.
From placelessness to place.
Sustainable Community Building Blocks
- Greening the City
- Water & Sewage
- Waste Reduction & Recycling
- Energy Efficiency & Renewables
- Atmospheric Change & Air Quality
- Transportation Planning & Traffic Management
- Land Use & Urban Form
- Housing & Community Development
- Community Economic Development
Community Capital Frame Work
Cultural Capital
Natural Capital
Physical Capital
Economic Capital
Human Capital
Social Capital
Sustainable (Urban) Development
Contains sustainable community building blocks(some visible, some not so visible)
Contains a mix of community capital (has real human value but not easy to price)
Environment
Traditional, environmental, preservation.
Society
Social equity and well being.
Economy
Traditional, economic, development
Critique of SD
In the definition: ‘needs’ versus ‘wants’.
Hold back less developed world?
Different interpretations, eg. ‘Strong’ versus ‘weak’ sustainability.
Vagueness of term, overuse?
Ignores politics of the environment.
How to measure, quantify.
Weak Sustainability
Replacements, new technology, pricing to overcome depletion.
Strong Sustainability
Must retain same natural capital inventory for next generation.
Problems with Weak Sustainability
Nuclear (Carbon Emissions free, but expensive, waste storage problems, safety)
Hybrid Vehicles (reduced fossil fuel, but)
Why Los Angeles still has Smog
Battle against smog, 30 years
Making vehicles cleaner, more efficient
But not less needed (sprawl, separated land uses, automobiles dependency, etc)
Jevons Principle
Jevons Principle
1865 Coal Burning Assessment in the UK.
Depletion of UK coal reserves; also coal smog/fog/human health conditions.
“Improved coal burning technology would raise efficiency, save coal resources”
Jevons predicted that increased efficiency would lead to more users, increased coal consumption
Sustainable Community Development
Community Forestry Local Food Production Car Share Mobility Choices Home Office Mixed Land Use Water/Wastewater Efficiency
How Can It Be Measured?
Measuring sustainability is complex, interwoven, context specific.
Incremental activities, initiatives, policies combine, over time, to move us toward sustainability.
Where Do These Communities Exist?
They exist all around us, in small measures.
Unfortunately there are many more examples of “unsustainable communities”
Examples: Urban sprawl, automobile dependency, loss of public space; loss of natural features/habitat; poor urban design; land use separation, etc.
Post War (WWII) “growth” model of suburbia
Urban Form In the Suburbs (Post 1950)
Horizontal expanse of city population.
Low density.
One and two family dwelling, low rise apartments.
Insulated neighborhoods, small green spaces.
Loop streets, cul-de-sac.
Don Mills, ON; Sherwood Park, AB (new towns)
Goals, Indicators and Targets
Achieving sustainable development
Set Goals (Public Input)
Need to identify an indicator
Next is to set targets for these indicators
