10/27: Civic Ecology,
11/5: Transport & The City: subsidies for car usage, cars-real inhabitants, cars impact on the environment, increase urban densities, pedestrian scale development,
1. Problems faced by the renewable clean energy industry in competing with non-renewable energy.
- non-renewable: costs, pollution, supply, security
- alter policy subsidies
- large scale centralized to local distribution of energy
2. The greatest barrier to widespread use of solar power. Some ways in which this barrier could be overcome.
- lack of knowledge
- ecosystems are solar powered
- 1. reduce energy demand
- 2. decentralize/re-localize energy supply
- 3. generate demand for local "distributed energy systems"
3. The different ways in which sunlight can be used as an energy source; the implications of this for sustainable urban design.
- thermal collection
- solar electrical-photovoltaic-active solar
- 6000x as much energy as we need comes to us by sun
- endless energy supply
- high temperature solar thermal systems
- can extract 130 watts per square meter
- solar collectors
- oilgae, new fuel?
- photosynthetic built environment
- solar powered electric generator and water pump
- micro-power generators in small villages
4. Ways urban energy systems have been tied to worsening climate change.
- buildings generate 45% of all solid waste, 36% of all CO2 emissions, 46% of all SO2 emissions
5. Waste recovery through recycling as an important but insufficient measure of sustainable waste management.
- recycling is down-cycling,
- recycling can be a wasteful activity
- there is no shortage of landfill space
- recycling: waste of time, money, waste of human resources, waste of natural resources
- recycling programs lose money
- households in Mexico City produce more garbage
- paper doesn't decompose in landfills either
- landfills probably won't poison populations
- America's supply of timber has actually been increasing
- copper & tin were once scarce, now they are extremely cheap
- recycling is more expensive than burying garbage
- labor costs make recycling not worthwhile
- pay as you go system for garbage costs
- environmentalists hurt the common good & profit personally
- hoarding natural resources may be a kind of worship?
6. The fundamental principle associated with the following terms: ‘the hierarchy of waste.’
- strategies to prevent products from becoming waste
- strategies to find a use for waste
- strategies for disposal to be used as a last resort
- 1. avoidance and minimization
- 2. reuse
- 3. recycling
- 4. recovery
- 5. disposal
- a. reduce
- b. reuse
- c. recycle
7. “Smart growth” as an alternative to a dominant pattern of urban development.
- community development patterns
- rebuild city infrastructure
- demographic shifts
- concerns about sustainability
- restore community & vitality
- town-centered
- pedestrian-centered
- mix of housing, commercial, and retail
- quality of life, design, economics, environment, health, housing, transportation
8. The meaning of “remodeling the city” and how this can be seen as a key to lessening the impacts of transportation in cities.
9. The place of ‘transit oriented development’ in land use planning. (11/5)
- compact, in-city development is emphasized
- mass transit is emphasized over sprawling, car based transport
- land use to encourage compact development along transit corridors
- coordination with automobile transportation policies
- community transportation alternatives
- car free zones
- integrated with land use
- more flexible/adaptable-Curitiba
- coordinated with auto use/management/pricing
10. ‘Congestion pricing’ as an urban transport management tool. (11/5)
- policy at nerve centers
- multi-modal
- integration of rail
- actual "usage" costs
- subsidies for desirable transport patterns
- improved land use
- growth management, sprawl containment
- reduce impact of car, congestion pricing, traffic calming
11. The meaning and significance of the “food bubble economy.”
- we can't over-consume environmental resources
- problems: 1) water shortage, 2) overpopulation, 3) rising temperatures
- can't over-pump aquifers
- conventional agriculture-extremely water intensive
- 2,000 - 4,000 L of water per person, most of which goes to food production
- global warming could have an effect on yields
- grain production has been dropping
- China-ecological meltdown
- environmental refugees are extremely common
- status quo > 1) Famine, 2) disease epidemics, 3) social unrest, 4) political unrest, 5) wars
- Plan B: Carbon based economy > hydrogen based economy
- tell honest ecological truth in prices of products
- stabilizing world population @ 7.5B
- increase in petro. prices
- valuing nature's services
- raise taxes on environmentally destructive activities
- our economy is based on unlimited growth
- prefer: 1) stability, 2) autonomy, 3) self renewal
- prefer: 1) organic, 2) agroecological farming
- support local farmers
12. The principle that has guided waste-water treatment over the last 150 years; the fundamental flaw of such a principle.
- linear system vs. circular system
13. What “eco-machines” are and what their benefits are for urban environments.
- wetlands can process waste flows
- small wetlands can be constructed
- plants, microbial treatment and distinct treatment zones\
- greenhouses to naturally purify waste water\
- wetland waste water sites
14. The ways in which urban agriculture can potentially complement rural agriculture.
- urban & peri-urban agriculture
- reestablish connection to source of life giving food
- eco-feedback: transparency
- creating industries and employment
- encouraging productive use of urban green spaces
- closing the loop of urban wastes
- making food supply more local, reliable
- asset based community development
15. The urban agricultural practices in Cuba and why this is an important model for both developed and developing countries.
- Havana, Cuba
- agriculture near apartment buildings
- mixed use agriculture
- transition from industrial agriculture to urban cultivation systems
- 50% of fresh produce is grown within city limits
- use of all urban spaces
- 1. hydroponics gardens
- 2. hydroponics greenhouse
- 3. rooftop & wall gardens
- 4. vertical farms, sky farms
- opportunities: a. spaces, b. nutrients, c. education, d. labor
16. What “community-supported agriculture” (CSA) is and why this is potentially important for sustainable urban development.
- community gardens
- local commercial farms
- "backyard" and rooftop gardens
- farmer's markets
- farm to school
- schoolyard learning gardens
- farm to restaurant
- local food supply, more transparency and accountability: Love your farmer!
17. What the Kyoto Protocol signifies in understanding urban challenges in global sustainability.
- international agreement to reduce carbon emissions
18. The essence of ‘RUrbanism’ and its potential significance for urban planning.
- sustainable integration of rural and urban communities
19. What ‘eco-feedback’ refers to and why it could be a key feature in sustainable urban design and development.
- eco-feedback: transparency and accountability, know where food came from
20. The significance of Dongtan, China.
- plan for a new eco-city
- green island off Shanghai
- low carbon city of 500K people
- cycle and footpaths
- wind, solar, bio-fuel, recycled city waste will power the city
- organic farming to grow food
- raised the bar in theoretical discourse, will it become a reality?
- Guangzhou, China: green skyscraper
