Cities For People & The Planet, pages 1-19.

Chapter One, Cities, People, Planet, p. 1-19. 

a. design cities to meet the needs of people
b. cities depend on land around
c. want to be able to move around efficiently
d. fossil fuel powered industrial/farming/transportation hurts the environment
e. in 30 years, 1/3 of the natural world was destroyed (1980-1990, 1990-2000, 2000-2009)
f. modern living needs to be in harmony with the planet
g. science, technology, individual action, and government policies can be harnessed to restore the health of the planet

:
a. Can a world of ever-larger cities be environmentally sustainable?
b. Can cities continue to prosper if they significantly reduce their use of resources?
c. How can cities mimic natural ecosystems?
d. How can cities become circular, not linear systems?
e. 1900: 15% of world in cities
f. 2000: 47% in cities
g. 2030: 60% will be in cities 
h. farms, villages, small towns > urban species
i. nature’s local harvest > world food supplies (reliance)
j. purely local energy> reliance on world energy supplies
k. modern cities: complex manifestation of human activity
l. cities are 2% of the world’s land surface but 75% of resources
m. cities like to declare themselves independent of nature
n. ecosystem services are worth $33 trillion
o. global GNP: $18 trillion
p. governments, local authorities, urban communities, NGOs and the private sector can affect change positively
q. sustainability: not depleting natural capital
r. ecosystems have a “carrying capacity”
s. decentralized governments that are in touch with their citizens are needed
t. cities are engines of economic power
u. most production occurs
v. great wealth is created
w. most consumption occurs
x. cities are the control centers of economic, political & media activity
y. urban resource use is destroying the environment mostly
z. China: economic growth of 7%-9% yearly since the 1980s

Powering cities
a.coal, oil, gas fuel megacities
b. sea level has risen (global warming...?)
c. glaciers are melting...
d. fusion of technology & technology
e. city dwellers have much higher amounts of consumption
f. more fossil fuels, metals, timber, meat, foodstuffs
g. modern cities CAN use resources efficiently
h. available options: wind, solar power, fuel cell technology, sewage recycling systems
i. building insulation: highly efficient heating & cooling systems for buildings
j. livable cities: nature, clean, attractive public spaces, walkable city centers, diverse neighborhoods, diverse street culture
k. cities are for people, trees, plants, animals
l. London’s sewage system: healthier people, better land for crops
m. London’s power plants went outside the city: less pollution inside the city, more energy used
n. concrete buildings + cars: less livable!
o. cars: menace in the urban environment
p. cultural vigor, physical beauty, thriving natural habitats, opportunities for lively social encounters
q. poverty, pollution: negative attributes of cities
r. villages are losing out to cities
s. ecotourism helps village economies
t. Europe, America, Japan, Australia: least sustainable!
u. environmental sustainability can create jobs
v. sustainability requires grassroots participation
w. old cities are more sustainable because it was part of the culture