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March 17, 2010
a silly solution to population growth - The Age
March 16, 2010
Towards a Sustainable Dhaka - The Daily Star
SITUATION
City design determines in large part the per capita energy use and associated emissions of its inhabitants. Urban planning is crucial to managing energy consumption for the world’s largest and fastest-growing cities that account for a significant portion of global emissions of CO2e.
City design determines in large part the per capita energy use and associated emissions of its inhabitants. Urban planning is crucial to managing energy consumption for the world’s largest and fastest-growing cities that account for a significant portion of global emissions of CO2e.
Urban planning affects both transport-related emissions and building emissions. Emissions from the passenger vehicle sector have been increasing rapidly in recent years, totaling over 5 billion tons of CO2e annually, or 10% of 2009 anthropogenic emissions. Building emissions – that total more than 10 billion tons annually according to the IPCC – have been increasing as a result of increased construction and rising standards of living worldwide. Cutting emissions in both these sectors is critical to attaining CO2e stabilization targets and avoiding catastrophic climate change.
Less dense city design increases the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and the per capita square footage, resulting in to higher per capita emissions. The low per capita energy use in New York City due to dense city design and convenient public transit, for example, is in contrast to the high per capita energy use in sprawling cities in the western U.S. with longer commute distances and larger residences.
OBJECTIVE
Only by tackling the systemic issue of city design can rising energy consumption from transport and buildings be avoided in new cities. In many existing cities, new infrastructure investments will be required and urban infill should be encouraged to lower per capita energy use and associated CO2e emissions.
Only by tackling the systemic issue of city design can rising energy consumption from transport and buildings be avoided in new cities. In many existing cities, new infrastructure investments will be required and urban infill should be encouraged to lower per capita energy use and associated CO2e emissions.
For infrastructure investments to occur, recognition of the benefits of dense living by city inhabitants, leaders, and planners is needed. Urban planning decisions are policy issues and therefore political issues.
Sustainable urban design will promote new industries focused on making dense living increasingly comfortable, affordable, and healthy. Emissions reductions estimates from urban planning vary, but given shifting urban populations it is reasonable to project savings on the order of several billion tons of CO2e annually by 2020.
Market-based Approaches
Dense design is attractive to developers as a business model. More units can be sold (and developed) per lot, and in the case of urban infill, requirements for additional supporting infrastructure that can slow down construction projects, e.g. extensions of sewage lines and electricity cables in the case of rural development, are avoided. Policy initiatives to support dense living can spur innovation in key product markets that support comfortable dense urban habitation, including sound solutions (sound proofing), security, and safety. These new markets represent an area of economic growth attached to sustainable urban planning.
PLANNING FOR A LOW CARBON CITY
Through careful planning, Abu Dabai is attempting to design "Masdar City" - the world's first zero carbon city. Masdar city will be a car-free city all electricity will be generated by renewable...
Read more >
PUBLIC TRANSIT REDUCES CO2E
Urban planning can address many of the threats to the environment. Less reliance on cars, made possible by public transit and high density, can reduce emissions and increase quality of life...
Read more >
BUILDINGS ARE A MAJOR EMISSIONS SOURCE
Residential and commercial buildings consumed 39% of all energy in the US in 2007. Better planning, construction, and retrofitting of existing structures can signifcantly reduce their energy use...
Read more > Source: Center for American Progress, 2009INTELLIGENCE
REPORTS
Urban Research Symposium, 2009
ISOCARP, 2009
World Bank, 2009
World Bank, 2009
Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 2008
Center for Clean Air Policy, 2009
PUBLICATIONS
E. Rose, R. Burkholder
Springer Netherlands , 2009
Springer Netherlands , 2009
D. Lerch
Post Carbon Institute, 2007
Post Carbon Institute, 2007
The Design Observer Group
R. Ewing et al.
2008
2008
