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Sustainable Urban Development - Coggle Diagram
Sustainable Urban Development
The Ecological Footprint of Urban Areas
Urban areas consume a higher amount than rural areas due to
Needs of the population
Larger populations have higher consumption which leads to more waste and a higher ecological footprint
Transport
The large amount of cars in urban areas means urban areas consume a large amount of fossil fuels and emit a lot of waste gases. Some urban areas have polices such as the London Congestion Charge which prohibits vehicle use or the councils may encourage public transport use or build more public transport to reduce their ecological footprint
Building Materials
Urban areas need building materials in order to grow, which comes from natural resources, if an urban area is larger or it is developing at a fast rate then it needs more resources. Slow development is more sustainable and produces a lower ecological footprint because it allows the earth to regenerate its natural resources
An ecological footprint is a measure of how much we consume in comparison to how much the Earth can regenerate, a large footprint means we consume a lot more than the Earth regenerates
Different types of Measures
Settlement
Energy
Timber
Food and fiber
Seafood
Dimensions of sustainability
4 Dimensions
Physical
Physical sustainability is the ability for the cities resources to support current and future populations - good housing, transport and amenities should be available to all residents
Natural
Natural sustainability considers how the environment is managed such as the use of natural resources - if a city is naturally sustainable then it has low emissions, uses renewable energy and waste + resource use is minimal
Social
Social sustainability ensures having a good quality of life, socially sustainable cities must also be socially coherent meaning they are respectful and tolerant of each other
Economic
To grow economically without harming future generations, this can be acheived through ethical, well-paid jobs and a well funded council
In order to be sustainable, the activities in a city must support its current population but not in a way that harms future populations
Developing contemporary sustainable cities
Opportunities
Investments in citiies are more common than rural areas as they benefit more people
services can be implemented easily to many people
The importance of sustainable living is now well understood which means investments and research into sustainable cities is growing
Challenges
Lifestyle habits need to change which can be uncomfortable for some
Fast urbanisation rates makes it difficult to meet the needs of the ever-growing population
In LIC's especially, they do not have enough money to invest in sustainable ways of living as it can be expensive e.g. changing transport to be renewable
Strategies to create sustainable cities
Green space
- creating green spaces in cities can make them more attractive, reduce pollution or flooding making them more environmentally, naturally and socially sustainable
Transport
- high amount of vehicle are producing high amounts of emissions, they can either implement congestion zones to discourage vehicle use or create more sustainable transport links
*Efficiency of buildings
- Urban structures can be made more efficient
Reducing waste
- urban areas produce huge amounts of waste which is unsustainable environmentally, physically and economically. Waste can be mitigated through effective recycling plants and encouraging composting