Ch. 9 Solar Cities-From Theory To Practice
a. oil/gas reserves are being depleted quickly
b. the very form, functions, and growth dynamics of our cities are largely due to their pervasive use of fossil fuels
c. 50 years, increase in fossil fuel consumption, >5x
d. 7% of the world’s total energy-nuclear reactors, hasn’t changed in many years
e. Energy slaves: US: 110, central Europe:60, Chinese: 8
f. “Questioning a way of life based on fossil fuels seems almost unthinkable.”(176)
g. estimate: use fossil fuels faster: 1M times that of time to create
h. “The most pronounced difference between ecosystems and modern urban eco-technical systems is that the former are solar powered, whereas the latter are primarily powered by fossil fuels.”(176)
i. 1979, meltdown of a US nuclear reactor
j. Feed-In-Tariffs for renewable energy, employed by 46 countries
k. the clean energy industry, very little support from governments
l. fossil fuel: 1) benefits from economy of scale , 2) government support it received all over the years
m. carbon dioxide. climate change..
Gameplan:
1. give top priority to a quantum change in urban energy efficiency
2. adopt appropriate policies for renewable energy on a worldwide scale
3. link energy sustainability with local business and employment opportunities
4. “A canny combination of energy efficiency, combined heat and power, wind power, solar energy, fuel cell technology and new energy storage systems promise a clean and secure urban energy future.”
5. “In many countries wind energy, in particular has made serious inroads into the electricity market.”(179)
6. solar energy is catching up fast
a. 5M panels for 250,000 homes
Energy Efficiency:
a. “The know-how exists to bring urban energy use down by 50 per cent or more without significantly affecting living standards, while creating many new local jobs at the same time.”
b. reduce “global warming” and waste gas emissions
Goals:
1. conduct an energy and emissions inventory and forecast
2. establish an emissions target
3. develop and obtain approval for the Local Action Plan
4. implement policies and measures
5. monitor and verify results
and
1. reduced fuel bills for everyone
2. benefits to the national balance of trade through reduced imports
3. creation of new jobs in the local energy efficiency industry
4. preservation of fossil fuel reserves
5. alleviation of air pollution
Demand & Supply-Side
a. insulation programs in existing buildings & efficient energy use in new buildings and in lighting and transport systems are becoming commonplace
b. national planning regulations have improved the energy efficiency of homes in the UK
c. 2/3 low income residents in the UK don’t have basic insulation, 8M cannot afford to heat their homes, $1 billion in cold related illnesses yearly
Combined Heat & Power
a. significant energy conservation can be achieved by a combination of efficient energy use and by more energy efficient-energy supply systems
b. many far-off coal and gas powered coal stations > high-voltage power lines
c. CHP stations, Combined Heat & Power
d. provide heat, chilled water and electricity to urban buildings and factories
e. capture and distribute heat through district heating systems
f. can be fueled by gas, coal, oil, waste, wood chips, geothermal
g. Helenski: waste heat from local coal-fired power stations is used to heat over 90% of its buildings & factories
h. district heating: viable with compact development
i. energy systems that have NOT been privatized > useful synergies
j. “It appears that the largest improvements in power distribution and consumption are realized by cities with a municipality-owned electricity company, such as Toronto and Amsterdam.”(181)
k. CHP systems are becoming popular in the UK
l. CHP systems in office blocks, schools, hospitals, and hotels > considerable improvement in energy efficiency
m. CHP > useful to heat greenhouses
The Potential Of Solar Heat
a. more than 6,000 times the energy used by all of humanity reaches the earth’s surface in the form of solar radiation
b. use hot water & carbon dioxide from waste gases to enhance crop growth for year-round cultivation
c. solar energy systems > enormous reductions in fossil fuel use
d. solar hot water panels, mature technology
e. “the greatest barrier to the widespread uptake of solar power is lack of adequate knowledge.”(182)
f. “In many countries, the home buildings industry tends to install cheap and short-life conventional water heaters without regard for either their life cycles or environmental costs.”(183)
g. Barcelona, mandatory ‘solar ordinance’ for all new housing
h. Mediterranean: solar systems> commonplace
i. sunny countries, highly cost effective, not for cloudy Britain and Germany
j. Australia: solar has been growing by 30% annually
Solar Electricity, p. 184
a. the two most common sources of renewable electricity are wind power & solar power
b. highly complementary
c. solar: 8x more expensive than conventional energy
d. solar cells: 18% of energy that shines on them > electricity
e. photovoltaic cells used to power buildings directly & store surplus electricity in batteries for later use
f. Japan has been a leader in photovoltaic technology, has a lot of solar-housing estates
g. selling electricity back to the grid, $50 a month for the average Japanese person
h. the Japanese government encourages solar panels on rooftops
i. subsidies and tariffs for solar panels in Germany, even though its cloudy
j. 50 cents per kilowatt, 4x price paid to conventional electricity producers
k. environmental & social benefits of solar-generated electricity
l. small increase, hardly noticed in electricity costs
m. German Renewables Act, passed in 2000, goal of installing 1000 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity
n. 80 megawatts installed in 2001 and 2002
o. increased business in the German Renewables sector
p. Germany’s goal: 6.3% clean to 12.5% clean in 2010 and 20% clean by 2020
q. similar programs are being developed in Austria, Spain, France, and the Czech Republic
r. German legislation, would reduce payback period by 10 years
s. Sacramento, California: particularly dynamic solar program, installed 8 megawatts
Freiburg, S. Germany,
a. city of 200,000 people
b. sustainable urban development
c. clever public transport system
d. proliferation of cycle lanes
e. 2x as many bicycles as cars
f. one of 1st cities in Europe to develop experimental solar buildings
g. dozens of renewable energy research institutes, solar energy companies and consultancies, solar engineers, and architectural firms that specialize in solar design.
h. governments and urban authorities should vigorously encourage the installation of photovoltaic modules in our cities
i. every roof or facade is a clean-fuel power station waiting to come into use
Modern Wind Power, p. 188
a. wind power is a form of solar energy, the sun drives wind currents
b. at the beginning of the millennium, wind power was the world’s fastest growing energy industry
c. annual growth of over 22%
d. improvements in technology > much quieter windmills
e. Copenhagen-20% of its energy from wind-turbines in 2002
f. CA: Altamont Pass: 100s of wind turbines power LA and Desert Springs
g. Danish government: pioneer in supporting wind energy development
h. 2003, wind was 21% of energy utilized
i. 2030, Denmark wants 50% of its energy consumption from wind
j. Germany wants 20-25K megawatts by 2030, mostly from off-shore wind farms
k. UK, large coastlines > advantageous for large-scale, cost-competitive wind power
l. tidal power is making rapid progress
m. tidal tables can be used to project seasonal and daily power output
n. off-shore wind & ocean energy technology are promising to become an abundant resource worldwide
o. initially, the emphasis will be on electricity transmission, but as more wind farms are built, they could start using electrolysis to produce hydrogen to power fuel cell systems for vehicles and buildings, particularly for coastal cities
Fuel Cell Technology
a. fuel cells, powered by hydrogen, natural gas or methanol are rapidly coming of age
b. convert gas into electricity through an electrochemical process without combustion
c. large scale commercial production of fuel cells is likely to be occurring by around 2010
d. hydrogen is an energy carrier, not an energy source
e. the Arizona Public Service utility is experimenting with a solar-based hydrogen-generating system that looks like a space telescope
f. the sun’s radiation is collected in multiple solar dishes that power a hydrogen converter
g. the hydrogen it produces from water can be stored in tanks and distributed to consumers in the same way as natural gas
h. fuel engines don’t burn any fuel when stationary
i. Iceland is taking the lead regarding fuel cell technology
j. fuel cell technology is extremely versatile and suitable not only for powering buses, cars, trucks, and boats but also for use in stationary applications
Economic Benefits
a. environmentalists emphasize that the future health of the planet will depend on the large scale introduction of renewable energy
b. regulate the energy industry to improve generating efficiency
c. reduce discharge of waste gases
d. adopt renewables
e. will create new jobs
f. new policy frameworks can be created
g. creative approaches to customer information can be utilized
h. obstacles: cost, supply, installation know-how, planning, public awareness
A Sustainable, Local Energy Future
a. increased energy efficiency
b. sustainable energy systems
c. less subsidies for oil > fuel efficient cars, houses
d. invest in research & development of new energy technologies
e. need to foster a strong commitment to new research and development both by governments and private industries
f. in 30 years, solar installations, wind power, and fuel cell technology could provide most of the energy required to run our cities
g. fuel cells could power our cars and homes
h. governments and local authorities need to be persuaded to switch subsidies that prop up fossil fuel and nuclear power, to renewable energy instead
i. energy should be treated as something that is to be valued and used to meet our needs in ways that respect the realities of the natural world
j. a sustainable energy system suitable for the 21st century could help re-establish the crucial connections between energy, human well-being and the local environment, and could create many new local jobs.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Ch. VIII, Creating Livable Cities, p. 153 to 174
Ch. 8, Creating Livable Cities
1. reputation: inhospitable, unpleasant, unhealthy, dangerous places
2. results from 1) loss of industries and jobs, 2) depopulation, 3) increased use of cars, 4) decreased use of public transport, 5) pollution, 6) crime, 7) dereliction.
3. a) gun crime, b) race riots, c) urban terror: symptoms and causes of urban decline
4. transform existing, often rundown cities or districts to give them a new lease on life
5. wanted: a) cultural vigor, b) physical beauty, c) sustainable-environment and economy
6. Frederick Olmstead, the father of American town planning
7. concerns: 1) circulation: distribution and treatment of the spaces devoted to streets. 2) distribution and treatment of spaces related to public purposes, 3) the character of the development of private lands
8. Robert Owen, “A New View Of Society,” created a model community in New Lanark in Central Scotland
a. the damaging effects of the industrial revolution could be tempered by a caring & humane regime
b. abolished working for kids under 10, organized infant schools
c. created a creche for working mothers
d. provided free medical care & comprehensive education
e. pleasant gardens
f. many dancing & musical events
g. created a second village called New Harmony
9. 1849, James Silk Buckingham published his book “National Evils and Practical remedies”
a. utopian town: Victoria
b. high degree of symmetry, space, healthfulness, large supply of air, light, good drainage system
c. 10,000 acres: 1,000 for building, 9,000 acres for farms
10. Sir Titus Salt: created the new settlement of Saltaire, 3 miles from Bradford
a. took 20 years to build
b. paternalist tradition
c. 800 houses, 3,000 people, shops, park, church, school, hospital, and library
d. textile mill, one of largest and most modern in Europe, designed to minimize pollution and noise
11. 1861, William Morris started the Arts & Crafts movement with architect Philip Webb and artists Dante Gabriel Rosetti and Edward Burne-Jones
a. aim: to promote good design inspired by a) nature, b) social fulfillment, c) preservation of built heritage, d) the pleasure of good craftsmanship
b. wanted to recapture the lost ideal of the medieval town set in an idyllic rural setting
12. 1876, Benjamin Ward Richardson published “Hygeia: a city of Health”
a. blueprint of a model city
b. promoted fresh air, light, water
c. located industry away from the town center
d. early example of zoning
e. inspired the town planning movement
13. 1880, George Pullman founded a town of Pullman near Chicago, on 4,000 acres
a. most of the Pullman houses have been privately owned since 1907
14. 1887, William Leer, a Quaker soap manufacturer created a community called Port Sunlight near Birkenhead in N. England
a. believed workers living in a pleasant conditions would be trustworthy, efficient, and reliable
b. included allotment gardens, parks, sports grounds, cultural venues
15. 1901, George Cadbury, a chocolate manufacturer tried to provide a pleasant living environment for his workers at an affordable price
a. started the Bourneville community of 1,000 acres
b. now accommodates 25,000 people
c. 1/10 of the land should be set aside for parks & recreational space
16. 1906, Maragethe Krupp-social engineering in a settlement in Essen called Margarethenhoehe, built on 125 acres of farmland on the outskirts of the city
a. 1/2 of inhabitants couldn’t be employed by Krupp > diverse social mix
b. Adelaide, S. Australia, prototype for the garden city
17. Ebenezer Howard, wrote “Garden Cities of Tomorrow”
a. aim: find ways to overcome overcrowded, ugly, and unhealthy urban environments
b. combine the advantages of town and country living while avoiding the disadvantages of both
c. wanted garden cities on greenfield sites
d. wanted to demolish overcrowded terraces to create new green spaces
e. proposed garden cities on 6,000 acres, 1,000 could be built on
f. wanted 32,000 inhabitants in city, 2,000 people in the 2,000 hectare agricultural estate
g. circular town plan had 120 ft. wide tree-lined boulevards that would divide the town into six distinct sectors
h. garden cities: self contained settlements connected by rail to London
i. pedestrian streets and vehicle traffic were separated
j. Hertfordshire, garden city project & Letchworth, Welwyn Garden City
18. “In the USA, Frederick Law Olmstead was arguably the intellectual leader of the city planning movement. In 1917, he became the first president of the American City Planning Institute.”
a. helped design the innovative Forest Hills project in Queens
b. prepared plans for Detroit, Boulder, New Haven, Pittsburgh,
c. concern with functionality and aesthetics
d. beauty = efficiency = economy
19. 500,000 homes in Britain were destroyed in WWII
a. new towns were surrounded by a green belt
b. 2000, many of the towns were rundown, needed a lot of repair
c. “Some new towns also have serious problems of unemployment. Unlike Howard’s Letchworth, few have been able to regenerate out of their own resources because in the 1980s their development corporations were dissolved by government decree and their assets were privatized. An opportunity to create and maintain financially self-sustaining garden cities had been tragically lost.”(159)
20. Le Corbusier, a mid-20th century architect
a. proposed “garden cities”
b. contemporary cities were chaotic & gloomy prisons
c. believed engineering & technological breakthroughs could propel “progress”
d. Bauhaus colleagues: Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius
e. created standardized architecture in which building components could be assembled efficiently in mass production processes
f. insisted on purist design without ornamentation
g. the importance of function over style
h. rationally planned, collective developments offered desirable & healthy housing options
i. proposed massive, angular “living machines” to be set in leafy parks, with 100s of apartments, and 1000s of people living under one flat roof
j. wanted places of light & air, cafes, restaurants, shops, and nurseries
k. Corbusier created the Unite d’Habitation in Marseilles: 330 housing units, in 23 different forms
l. intended to be functionally superior to traditional urban forms, meeting both individual and collective needs
m. accommodates single persons and families as large as ten
n. steel frames, reinforced concrete,
o. high rises: a) bleak, b) comfortless, c) alienation, d) loneliness, e) stress became common experiences
p. housing blocks: prone to vandalism & premature aging
q. in areas of high unemployment & extreme social inequality, they are unlikely to become livable places
Urban Oasis
a. Salford, Manchester: a rundown block can be transformed into a thriving new community
b. Apple Tree Court, with 100 apartments had been 1/2 empty
c. a security fence was installed and residents began cultivating its gardens
d. transformation: a social & environmental issue
e. Urban Splash, highly imaginative property developer
f. Urban Splash recognized that many historic buildings in rundown cities such as Manchester & Liverpool had a real future & could be adapted for new, exciting uses
g. converted many old industrial buildings such as the Match Factory in Manchester into a high quality business center
h. converted the Tea Factory in Liverpool into studio workplaces for creative industries, restaurants, and bars
i. US is also refurbishing rundown tower blocks & back-to-back terraces and council houses that had suffered from dereliction and depopulation
j. young professionals come in live in revitalized inner city dwellings
k. young people love the bars, restaurants, and nightclubs the city has to offer
A New Start?
1.today’s planning agenda is very different than WWII’s
2. brownfield sites can be transformed into livable urban environments
3. compact cities, emphasis
4. varied streetscapes, emphasis
5. compact “livability”: Udaipur, New Orleans, Curitiba, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Prague
6. cities: centers of a) communication, b) learning, c) complex commercial enterprises, d) house families, e) focus & condense physical, intellectual, and creative energy, e) diversified activities
7. “All over the world the quest is to create the liveable, compact city of the 21st century: a place that is pleasant to live in, work in and visit. While cities are centres of economic activity, they should also be places of cultural creativity, citizenship and conviviality. They should have well-designed public spaces and buildings, large pedestrian areas, access to water, parks and gardens. High quality ‘micro-environments’ should enhance the experience of urban living.”(164)
8. balance between community and anonymity
9. “Most people want to live in places in which neighbors can be neighbors, but without coercion and without others interfering in their personal lives. They want leafy streets where they can sit safely on their verandas and chat to each other. They want to belong to communities, but not to be gazed at and gossiped about. They want schools, markets, shops, pubs, and restaurants within walking distance, and beyond pedestrian areas, affordable buses, light rails or trams that offer rapid access to other parts of the city.”(164)
Liveable City Agenda
1. make places of beauty, diversity, and easy contact
2. develop vibrant local communities with diverse living choices
3. integrate a diverse range of economic activities
4. revitalize underutilized land for community benefit
5. protect & enhance natural environments and biodiversity
6. enhance the benefits of climate, natural setting, and architecture
7. facilitate cycling, pedestrianization, and public transport
8. assure efficiency of traffic flows and minimize traffic impacts
9. enhance public participation in decision making
Smart Growth & New Urbanism
a. problem of urban sprawl: plagues USA & Australia
b. Smart Growth and New Urbanism, stand for a reordering of the built environment
c. revival of place making
d. creation/restoration of compact, mixed-use cities
e. New Urbanists: architects, planners, and developers
New Urbanist platform
1. diverse neighborhoods
2. designed for pedestrians & transit
3. universally accessible public spaces
4. architecture & landscape design should celebrate local history, climate, ecology and building practice
5. restore existing urban centers and towns
6. reconfigure sprawling suburbs into communities of real neighborhoods & diverse disedtricts
7. promote the conservation of natural environments & the preservation of our built legacy
8. Christopher Alexander, architect and planner, advocates the liveable city
a. outdoor space should be shaped positively
b. significant boundaries must be erected to give space purpose
The Scope For New Urban Villages
a. urban village, European equivalent of New Urbanism
b. Copenhagen, Freiburg, Vienna, Zurich, Heidelberg, Barcelona-benefitted from outstanding urban redesign
c. urban village theme, central feature
d. created around pedestrian streets, pavements, public squares and parks
e. every trip should begin & end with walking: healthy, eco-friendly, democratic
f. mayor San Sebastian: pedestrians must be given priority, creates a higher quality of life
g. Denmark: “cohousing”: groups of houses are clustered together, have community cafes, playgrounds, laundries, and car-sharing facilities
h. Britain: Peabody Trust, London’s largest housing trust, created an urban eco-village
i. Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) was created on a brownfield site, a former sewage works, in the borough of Sutton in S. London
j. 82 homes, 16,000 meters of commercial space
k. completed in 2002
l. innovative features: 1) combined heat & power system, 2) burns wood chips, 3) a “living machine” sewage system, 4) a pool of electric cars, 5) photovoltaic panels mounted on the conservatories of every flat
m. thermally massive materials: store heat during warm times, release heat at cooler times
n. uses 30 cm of rockwool instead of central heating
o. constructed from natural, recycled or reclaimed materials
p. solar energy: used for heat & cooking
q. BedZed, major visitor attraction, “zero fossil energy development”
r. “At BedZED the intention to use only energy from renewable sources has encountered some technical problems but this is not surprising in a development with so many innovative features.As a laboratory for truly sustainable ‘one planet living’, Bedzed had not been equalled in the UK in 2008, at the time of the publication of the second edition of this book.”(168-169)
Parks And Public Places
a. public spaces and parks: crucial feature of livable cities
b. public parks are important for people: need green space and biodiversity
c. Enrique Penalosa: former mayor of Bogota- public spaces are important, they are a place where people can meet as equals
d. parks: physical and emotional health of the city
e. roads receive much more funding than parks
f. Bogota, 1,300 new parks created, new investments in water, sewage, schools, libraries, transportation, pavement
g. “Spaces for people but above all, spaces that demonstrate respect for the more vulnerable of society’s members: the poor, the old and children. Parks are an important means to children’s happiness and therefore, to a more convivial, constructive and civilized society.”(170)
Eco Villages-From Dream To Reality
A. “Hundreds of such developments have occurred, driven by the idea that if we want to survive as a species we have to learn to live sustainable lives close to nature.”(170)
b. “Since the 1970s, the dream of creating alternative settlements or eco villages has been spooking around in the minds of ever larger numbers of people.
“Let your community be small, with only a few people;
Keep tools in abundance, but do not depend on them
Appreciate your life and be content with your home
Sail boats and ride horses, but don’t go too far
Keep weapons and armor; but do not employ them;
Let everyone read and write,
Eat well and make beautiful things.
Live peacefully and delight in your own society;
Dwell within cock-crow of your neighbors,
But maintain your independence from them.”
c. “Eco-villages aim to be living models of sustainability and examples of how action can be taken immediately. They also seek to address the degradation of our social, ecological and spiritual environments, enriching the lives of many people who profoundly lack meaningful content. According to the international Ecovillages Network, there are now some 15,000 such villages worldwide, including 11,000 existing villages with sustainable lifestyles in various parts of the world.”
d. “They have contributed to the development of a) renewable energy systems, b) waste water treatment, c) new forms of architecture, music and dance
Aldinga Arts Eco-Village
a. developed by architect John Maitland
b. 1) residential, 2) arts, 3) community, 4) commercial development is being built on 33 acres of farmland
1. renewable energy: solar hot water, photovoltaic and wind power
2. Water supply from household rainwater tanks; mains needed only occasionally
3. storm water retention in ponds, fed by swales from roads and buildings
4. sewerage to be treated and reclaimed water used for irrigation on site
5. a sophisticated communications network to support home industries
6. internal roads constructed for safe travel by pedestrians and cyclists
7. edible and indigenous planting in common areas & private gardens
8. health, financial, building, and gardening services provided on site
9. a central facility for visual and performing arts & culture
10. centralized postal services, refuse, and recycling collection
“But livability is not just about the layout of cities, it is also about co-determination-people wanting to be actively involved in shaping their local environment. This means that livability is also about local power and community control.”(174)
1. reputation: inhospitable, unpleasant, unhealthy, dangerous places
2. results from 1) loss of industries and jobs, 2) depopulation, 3) increased use of cars, 4) decreased use of public transport, 5) pollution, 6) crime, 7) dereliction.
3. a) gun crime, b) race riots, c) urban terror: symptoms and causes of urban decline
4. transform existing, often rundown cities or districts to give them a new lease on life
5. wanted: a) cultural vigor, b) physical beauty, c) sustainable-environment and economy
6. Frederick Olmstead, the father of American town planning
7. concerns: 1) circulation: distribution and treatment of the spaces devoted to streets. 2) distribution and treatment of spaces related to public purposes, 3) the character of the development of private lands
8. Robert Owen, “A New View Of Society,” created a model community in New Lanark in Central Scotland
a. the damaging effects of the industrial revolution could be tempered by a caring & humane regime
b. abolished working for kids under 10, organized infant schools
c. created a creche for working mothers
d. provided free medical care & comprehensive education
e. pleasant gardens
f. many dancing & musical events
g. created a second village called New Harmony
9. 1849, James Silk Buckingham published his book “National Evils and Practical remedies”
a. utopian town: Victoria
b. high degree of symmetry, space, healthfulness, large supply of air, light, good drainage system
c. 10,000 acres: 1,000 for building, 9,000 acres for farms
10. Sir Titus Salt: created the new settlement of Saltaire, 3 miles from Bradford
a. took 20 years to build
b. paternalist tradition
c. 800 houses, 3,000 people, shops, park, church, school, hospital, and library
d. textile mill, one of largest and most modern in Europe, designed to minimize pollution and noise
11. 1861, William Morris started the Arts & Crafts movement with architect Philip Webb and artists Dante Gabriel Rosetti and Edward Burne-Jones
a. aim: to promote good design inspired by a) nature, b) social fulfillment, c) preservation of built heritage, d) the pleasure of good craftsmanship
b. wanted to recapture the lost ideal of the medieval town set in an idyllic rural setting
12. 1876, Benjamin Ward Richardson published “Hygeia: a city of Health”
a. blueprint of a model city
b. promoted fresh air, light, water
c. located industry away from the town center
d. early example of zoning
e. inspired the town planning movement
13. 1880, George Pullman founded a town of Pullman near Chicago, on 4,000 acres
a. most of the Pullman houses have been privately owned since 1907
14. 1887, William Leer, a Quaker soap manufacturer created a community called Port Sunlight near Birkenhead in N. England
a. believed workers living in a pleasant conditions would be trustworthy, efficient, and reliable
b. included allotment gardens, parks, sports grounds, cultural venues
15. 1901, George Cadbury, a chocolate manufacturer tried to provide a pleasant living environment for his workers at an affordable price
a. started the Bourneville community of 1,000 acres
b. now accommodates 25,000 people
c. 1/10 of the land should be set aside for parks & recreational space
16. 1906, Maragethe Krupp-social engineering in a settlement in Essen called Margarethenhoehe, built on 125 acres of farmland on the outskirts of the city
a. 1/2 of inhabitants couldn’t be employed by Krupp > diverse social mix
b. Adelaide, S. Australia, prototype for the garden city
17. Ebenezer Howard, wrote “Garden Cities of Tomorrow”
a. aim: find ways to overcome overcrowded, ugly, and unhealthy urban environments
b. combine the advantages of town and country living while avoiding the disadvantages of both
c. wanted garden cities on greenfield sites
d. wanted to demolish overcrowded terraces to create new green spaces
e. proposed garden cities on 6,000 acres, 1,000 could be built on
f. wanted 32,000 inhabitants in city, 2,000 people in the 2,000 hectare agricultural estate
g. circular town plan had 120 ft. wide tree-lined boulevards that would divide the town into six distinct sectors
h. garden cities: self contained settlements connected by rail to London
i. pedestrian streets and vehicle traffic were separated
j. Hertfordshire, garden city project & Letchworth, Welwyn Garden City
18. “In the USA, Frederick Law Olmstead was arguably the intellectual leader of the city planning movement. In 1917, he became the first president of the American City Planning Institute.”
a. helped design the innovative Forest Hills project in Queens
b. prepared plans for Detroit, Boulder, New Haven, Pittsburgh,
c. concern with functionality and aesthetics
d. beauty = efficiency = economy
19. 500,000 homes in Britain were destroyed in WWII
a. new towns were surrounded by a green belt
b. 2000, many of the towns were rundown, needed a lot of repair
c. “Some new towns also have serious problems of unemployment. Unlike Howard’s Letchworth, few have been able to regenerate out of their own resources because in the 1980s their development corporations were dissolved by government decree and their assets were privatized. An opportunity to create and maintain financially self-sustaining garden cities had been tragically lost.”(159)
20. Le Corbusier, a mid-20th century architect
a. proposed “garden cities”
b. contemporary cities were chaotic & gloomy prisons
c. believed engineering & technological breakthroughs could propel “progress”
d. Bauhaus colleagues: Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius
e. created standardized architecture in which building components could be assembled efficiently in mass production processes
f. insisted on purist design without ornamentation
g. the importance of function over style
h. rationally planned, collective developments offered desirable & healthy housing options
i. proposed massive, angular “living machines” to be set in leafy parks, with 100s of apartments, and 1000s of people living under one flat roof
j. wanted places of light & air, cafes, restaurants, shops, and nurseries
k. Corbusier created the Unite d’Habitation in Marseilles: 330 housing units, in 23 different forms
l. intended to be functionally superior to traditional urban forms, meeting both individual and collective needs
m. accommodates single persons and families as large as ten
n. steel frames, reinforced concrete,
o. high rises: a) bleak, b) comfortless, c) alienation, d) loneliness, e) stress became common experiences
p. housing blocks: prone to vandalism & premature aging
q. in areas of high unemployment & extreme social inequality, they are unlikely to become livable places
Urban Oasis
a. Salford, Manchester: a rundown block can be transformed into a thriving new community
b. Apple Tree Court, with 100 apartments had been 1/2 empty
c. a security fence was installed and residents began cultivating its gardens
d. transformation: a social & environmental issue
e. Urban Splash, highly imaginative property developer
f. Urban Splash recognized that many historic buildings in rundown cities such as Manchester & Liverpool had a real future & could be adapted for new, exciting uses
g. converted many old industrial buildings such as the Match Factory in Manchester into a high quality business center
h. converted the Tea Factory in Liverpool into studio workplaces for creative industries, restaurants, and bars
i. US is also refurbishing rundown tower blocks & back-to-back terraces and council houses that had suffered from dereliction and depopulation
j. young professionals come in live in revitalized inner city dwellings
k. young people love the bars, restaurants, and nightclubs the city has to offer
A New Start?
1.today’s planning agenda is very different than WWII’s
2. brownfield sites can be transformed into livable urban environments
3. compact cities, emphasis
4. varied streetscapes, emphasis
5. compact “livability”: Udaipur, New Orleans, Curitiba, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Prague
6. cities: centers of a) communication, b) learning, c) complex commercial enterprises, d) house families, e) focus & condense physical, intellectual, and creative energy, e) diversified activities
7. “All over the world the quest is to create the liveable, compact city of the 21st century: a place that is pleasant to live in, work in and visit. While cities are centres of economic activity, they should also be places of cultural creativity, citizenship and conviviality. They should have well-designed public spaces and buildings, large pedestrian areas, access to water, parks and gardens. High quality ‘micro-environments’ should enhance the experience of urban living.”(164)
8. balance between community and anonymity
9. “Most people want to live in places in which neighbors can be neighbors, but without coercion and without others interfering in their personal lives. They want leafy streets where they can sit safely on their verandas and chat to each other. They want to belong to communities, but not to be gazed at and gossiped about. They want schools, markets, shops, pubs, and restaurants within walking distance, and beyond pedestrian areas, affordable buses, light rails or trams that offer rapid access to other parts of the city.”(164)
Liveable City Agenda
1. make places of beauty, diversity, and easy contact
2. develop vibrant local communities with diverse living choices
3. integrate a diverse range of economic activities
4. revitalize underutilized land for community benefit
5. protect & enhance natural environments and biodiversity
6. enhance the benefits of climate, natural setting, and architecture
7. facilitate cycling, pedestrianization, and public transport
8. assure efficiency of traffic flows and minimize traffic impacts
9. enhance public participation in decision making
Smart Growth & New Urbanism
a. problem of urban sprawl: plagues USA & Australia
b. Smart Growth and New Urbanism, stand for a reordering of the built environment
c. revival of place making
d. creation/restoration of compact, mixed-use cities
e. New Urbanists: architects, planners, and developers
New Urbanist platform
1. diverse neighborhoods
2. designed for pedestrians & transit
3. universally accessible public spaces
4. architecture & landscape design should celebrate local history, climate, ecology and building practice
5. restore existing urban centers and towns
6. reconfigure sprawling suburbs into communities of real neighborhoods & diverse disedtricts
7. promote the conservation of natural environments & the preservation of our built legacy
8. Christopher Alexander, architect and planner, advocates the liveable city
a. outdoor space should be shaped positively
b. significant boundaries must be erected to give space purpose
The Scope For New Urban Villages
a. urban village, European equivalent of New Urbanism
b. Copenhagen, Freiburg, Vienna, Zurich, Heidelberg, Barcelona-benefitted from outstanding urban redesign
c. urban village theme, central feature
d. created around pedestrian streets, pavements, public squares and parks
e. every trip should begin & end with walking: healthy, eco-friendly, democratic
f. mayor San Sebastian: pedestrians must be given priority, creates a higher quality of life
g. Denmark: “cohousing”: groups of houses are clustered together, have community cafes, playgrounds, laundries, and car-sharing facilities
h. Britain: Peabody Trust, London’s largest housing trust, created an urban eco-village
i. Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) was created on a brownfield site, a former sewage works, in the borough of Sutton in S. London
j. 82 homes, 16,000 meters of commercial space
k. completed in 2002
l. innovative features: 1) combined heat & power system, 2) burns wood chips, 3) a “living machine” sewage system, 4) a pool of electric cars, 5) photovoltaic panels mounted on the conservatories of every flat
m. thermally massive materials: store heat during warm times, release heat at cooler times
n. uses 30 cm of rockwool instead of central heating
o. constructed from natural, recycled or reclaimed materials
p. solar energy: used for heat & cooking
q. BedZed, major visitor attraction, “zero fossil energy development”
r. “At BedZED the intention to use only energy from renewable sources has encountered some technical problems but this is not surprising in a development with so many innovative features.As a laboratory for truly sustainable ‘one planet living’, Bedzed had not been equalled in the UK in 2008, at the time of the publication of the second edition of this book.”(168-169)
Parks And Public Places
a. public spaces and parks: crucial feature of livable cities
b. public parks are important for people: need green space and biodiversity
c. Enrique Penalosa: former mayor of Bogota- public spaces are important, they are a place where people can meet as equals
d. parks: physical and emotional health of the city
e. roads receive much more funding than parks
f. Bogota, 1,300 new parks created, new investments in water, sewage, schools, libraries, transportation, pavement
g. “Spaces for people but above all, spaces that demonstrate respect for the more vulnerable of society’s members: the poor, the old and children. Parks are an important means to children’s happiness and therefore, to a more convivial, constructive and civilized society.”(170)
Eco Villages-From Dream To Reality
A. “Hundreds of such developments have occurred, driven by the idea that if we want to survive as a species we have to learn to live sustainable lives close to nature.”(170)
b. “Since the 1970s, the dream of creating alternative settlements or eco villages has been spooking around in the minds of ever larger numbers of people.
“Let your community be small, with only a few people;
Keep tools in abundance, but do not depend on them
Appreciate your life and be content with your home
Sail boats and ride horses, but don’t go too far
Keep weapons and armor; but do not employ them;
Let everyone read and write,
Eat well and make beautiful things.
Live peacefully and delight in your own society;
Dwell within cock-crow of your neighbors,
But maintain your independence from them.”
c. “Eco-villages aim to be living models of sustainability and examples of how action can be taken immediately. They also seek to address the degradation of our social, ecological and spiritual environments, enriching the lives of many people who profoundly lack meaningful content. According to the international Ecovillages Network, there are now some 15,000 such villages worldwide, including 11,000 existing villages with sustainable lifestyles in various parts of the world.”
d. “They have contributed to the development of a) renewable energy systems, b) waste water treatment, c) new forms of architecture, music and dance
Aldinga Arts Eco-Village
a. developed by architect John Maitland
b. 1) residential, 2) arts, 3) community, 4) commercial development is being built on 33 acres of farmland
1. renewable energy: solar hot water, photovoltaic and wind power
2. Water supply from household rainwater tanks; mains needed only occasionally
3. storm water retention in ponds, fed by swales from roads and buildings
4. sewerage to be treated and reclaimed water used for irrigation on site
5. a sophisticated communications network to support home industries
6. internal roads constructed for safe travel by pedestrians and cyclists
7. edible and indigenous planting in common areas & private gardens
8. health, financial, building, and gardening services provided on site
9. a central facility for visual and performing arts & culture
10. centralized postal services, refuse, and recycling collection
“But livability is not just about the layout of cities, it is also about co-determination-people wanting to be actively involved in shaping their local environment. This means that livability is also about local power and community control.”(174)
Monday, October 26, 2009
Blackboard Reading: Economics In A Full World
Economics In A Full World
- a. growth is thought to be the solution to everything
- b. wealth “will” trickle down
- c. don’t try to “redistribute” wealth
- d. lower interest rates > new jobs
- e. rely on the Kuznets curve, pollution will decrease
Finite Biosphere
- a. the economy is a subsystem of a finite biosphere
- b. natural capital: fish, minerals, fossil fuels
- c. man made capital: roads, factories, appliances
- d. “uneconomic growth”: negative externalities are produced faster than goods
- e. humankind must make the transition to sustainable economy
- f. there are inherent biophysical limits of the global ecosystem
- g. an ecological catastrophe would sharply lower living standards
- h. mainstream/neoclassical economists consider sustainability to be a fad
- i. the biosphere is finite, non-growing, and a closed system
- j. subsystems such as an the economy
Lifetime
- a. in 67 years, the human population 3x
- b. total energy used has increased per person
- c. microeconomics: costs & benefits to different behaviors
- d. an ever-growing economy is unsustainable
- e. 1) GDP, 2) utility, 3) throughput, 4) natural capital, 5) total capital: natural + man-made capital
- f. GDP: development + growth
- g. well-being/satisfaction of wants isn’t measured by GDP
- h. low-entropy resources are taken from nature & made into high-entropy wastes
- i. man-made capital isn’t superior to natural capital
- j. strong sustainability: more boats won’t create more fish
- k. cap & trade: regulate the ability
- l. free markets is incompatible with sustainability
- m. higher taxes needed for Social Security
- n. need more durable products
- o. products need to be recycled @ the end of their lifespan
- p. the wealthy spend most of their $ on houses, cars, trips
- q. investment in a sustainable economy, for replacement & qualitative improvement, not speculation
- r. trade has to be regulated
- s. high incomes & luxuries should be taxed
- t. labor intensive industry, higher employment
- u. wealthy countries: more consumption is not increasing happiness
- v. need to think in terms of physical resources
Blackboard Reading: The Future Of Sustainability: Re-thinking Environment And Development In The Twenty-First Century,The World Conservation Union
The Future Of Sustainability: Re-thinking Environment & Development In The Twenty-First Century,The World Conservation Union
a. the issue of sustainability in the 21st century
b. meeting the challenge of sustainability
c. rethinking the “sustainability process”
d. the concept of sustainability became popular in 1969
e. it is possible to industrialize & have economic growth while minimizing environmental damage
f. sustainable development: meets the needs of the present while preserving the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
g. combat 1) environmental degradation that comes with economic growth, 2) create growth to eliminate poverty
h. 1) environmental, 2) social, 3) economic sustainability
i. preservation of the environment > 1) for personal well-being, 2) for the common good
j. the “greening” of business must occur
k. paradox: 1) 21st century is said to be sustainable because a) business, b) government and c) civil society cooperate
l. evidence that enterprise is 1) less sustainable
m. trade offs can be made: environmental, social, and economic goals
n. strong sustainability: few trade offs, weak sustainability: many tradeoffs
o. economy is emphasized over sustainability
p. the economy is a product of society
q. the environment creates society
r. the biosphere has a limited capacity to absorb pollutants & provide resources & services
s. capacity is close to limits in many places
t. development as usual is often said to be “sustainable.”
u. sustainability is an ethical concept
v. 1970, Club of Rome’s “Limits to Growth,”
w. 1) ecological processes, 2) life support systems, 3) genetic diversity, 4) sustainable utilization of species & ecosystems
1. consumption of living resources as raw material & sinks for waste is high & growing
2. level of poverty is high & inequality is growing
3. degradation of ecosystem services > hurts poor people
4. half of urban pop. in Africa, Asia, Latin America & the Caribbean have diseases associated with inadequate water & sanitation
5. per capita fish consumption declined between ’85 and ’97
6. desertification > affects the livelihoods of millions of people
7. human claim on nature has increased
8. development: 1) economic growth, 2) urbanization, 3) global industrialization
9. the 30 year model of conventional development is unsustainable
10. China: massive increase in consumption of 1) grain, 2) meat, 3) steel, 4) oil, 5) timber
11. the earth is @ a tipping point
12. the model is applauded by the global media as desirable
13. we can’t consume without limits
14. demand for 1) low fuel prices, 2) high material & energy consumption, 3) ignorance of the social & environmental conditions under which global products are created
15. environmentalist challenges to business are outside of the mainstream
16. economies are highly integrated now
17. fears of 1) security, 2) cultural change, 3) political threat
18. climate change > sea change & extreme events
19. difficulty of poverty
20. technology: 1) social, 2) environmental, 3) economic, 4) health consequences.
21. nuclear fission can change governance
22. critical natural capital takes a long time to replace
23. numerous hurricanes, tropical storms, earthquakes, flooding, and famine in 2005 and 2006
24. the problem of peak oil
25. “The idea that there is always somewhere to absorb externalities is flawed, and it is a myth of progress that living systems always recover from human demands”
26. biodiversity needs to be preserved
27. pollution of lakes > extinction of species
28. the biosphere is not infinite
29. human wellbeing is not necessarily measured in material goods extracted from nature
30. there is a link between human wellbeing & security
31. a) human health, b) security, c) solidarity must be protected
32. have to meet human needs now & in the future
A New Economy
a. a market is a human institution
b. markets can change the environment
c. markets can exist out of regulatory powers
d. markets can preserve environmental services
e. markets can preserve biological diversity
f. need to transition to a low-carbon economy
g. economy must reflect 1) industrial, 2) economic, 3) and social processes
h. an economy of services instead of objects
i. need less value based on waste
j. engage the 1) imagination, 2) vision, 3) passion, and 4) emotion
k. happiness, freedom, fulfilment, diversity of options vs. jobs, income, wealth, possessions, consumption, power
l. environmental limits, difficult to address politically
m. consumption: positive change or global degradation?
n. environmentalism promising “hell to come” is not the right vision
o. fossil fuel, automobile throw away > 1) reuse, 2) recycle, 3) new energy
p. 1) non-media mass communication, 2) search engines can formulate/disseminate new paradigms
q. 1) businesses, 2) governments, 3) environmental development organizations, 4) civil society groups, 5) religious groups must act
r. taxation of businesses
s. social enterprise can be a vehicle for positive change
t. businesses need 1) governmental regulation, 2) financial incentives
u. citizens: decisions as consumers
v. challenges demand vision & boldness
a. the issue of sustainability in the 21st century
b. meeting the challenge of sustainability
c. rethinking the “sustainability process”
d. the concept of sustainability became popular in 1969
e. it is possible to industrialize & have economic growth while minimizing environmental damage
f. sustainable development: meets the needs of the present while preserving the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
g. combat 1) environmental degradation that comes with economic growth, 2) create growth to eliminate poverty
h. 1) environmental, 2) social, 3) economic sustainability
i. preservation of the environment > 1) for personal well-being, 2) for the common good
j. the “greening” of business must occur
k. paradox: 1) 21st century is said to be sustainable because a) business, b) government and c) civil society cooperate
l. evidence that enterprise is 1) less sustainable
m. trade offs can be made: environmental, social, and economic goals
n. strong sustainability: few trade offs, weak sustainability: many tradeoffs
o. economy is emphasized over sustainability
p. the economy is a product of society
q. the environment creates society
r. the biosphere has a limited capacity to absorb pollutants & provide resources & services
s. capacity is close to limits in many places
t. development as usual is often said to be “sustainable.”
u. sustainability is an ethical concept
v. 1970, Club of Rome’s “Limits to Growth,”
w. 1) ecological processes, 2) life support systems, 3) genetic diversity, 4) sustainable utilization of species & ecosystems
1. consumption of living resources as raw material & sinks for waste is high & growing
2. level of poverty is high & inequality is growing
3. degradation of ecosystem services > hurts poor people
4. half of urban pop. in Africa, Asia, Latin America & the Caribbean have diseases associated with inadequate water & sanitation
5. per capita fish consumption declined between ’85 and ’97
6. desertification > affects the livelihoods of millions of people
7. human claim on nature has increased
8. development: 1) economic growth, 2) urbanization, 3) global industrialization
9. the 30 year model of conventional development is unsustainable
10. China: massive increase in consumption of 1) grain, 2) meat, 3) steel, 4) oil, 5) timber
11. the earth is @ a tipping point
12. the model is applauded by the global media as desirable
13. we can’t consume without limits
14. demand for 1) low fuel prices, 2) high material & energy consumption, 3) ignorance of the social & environmental conditions under which global products are created
15. environmentalist challenges to business are outside of the mainstream
16. economies are highly integrated now
17. fears of 1) security, 2) cultural change, 3) political threat
18. climate change > sea change & extreme events
19. difficulty of poverty
20. technology: 1) social, 2) environmental, 3) economic, 4) health consequences.
21. nuclear fission can change governance
22. critical natural capital takes a long time to replace
23. numerous hurricanes, tropical storms, earthquakes, flooding, and famine in 2005 and 2006
24. the problem of peak oil
25. “The idea that there is always somewhere to absorb externalities is flawed, and it is a myth of progress that living systems always recover from human demands”
26. biodiversity needs to be preserved
27. pollution of lakes > extinction of species
28. the biosphere is not infinite
29. human wellbeing is not necessarily measured in material goods extracted from nature
30. there is a link between human wellbeing & security
31. a) human health, b) security, c) solidarity must be protected
32. have to meet human needs now & in the future
A New Economy
a. a market is a human institution
b. markets can change the environment
c. markets can exist out of regulatory powers
d. markets can preserve environmental services
e. markets can preserve biological diversity
f. need to transition to a low-carbon economy
g. economy must reflect 1) industrial, 2) economic, 3) and social processes
h. an economy of services instead of objects
i. need less value based on waste
j. engage the 1) imagination, 2) vision, 3) passion, and 4) emotion
k. happiness, freedom, fulfilment, diversity of options vs. jobs, income, wealth, possessions, consumption, power
l. environmental limits, difficult to address politically
m. consumption: positive change or global degradation?
n. environmentalism promising “hell to come” is not the right vision
o. fossil fuel, automobile throw away > 1) reuse, 2) recycle, 3) new energy
p. 1) non-media mass communication, 2) search engines can formulate/disseminate new paradigms
q. 1) businesses, 2) governments, 3) environmental development organizations, 4) civil society groups, 5) religious groups must act
r. taxation of businesses
s. social enterprise can be a vehicle for positive change
t. businesses need 1) governmental regulation, 2) financial incentives
u. citizens: decisions as consumers
v. challenges demand vision & boldness
Blackboard Reading, The Conundrum Of Urban Sustainability, William E. Rees
The Conundrum Of Urban Sustainability, William E. Rees
a. the majority of mankind will be living in cities
b. most of the human environment will be “built environment.”
c. human beings are dependent on the environment
d. cities are major drivers of global ecological change
e. sustainable cities > required for sustainable rural communities
f. cities are the problem & key to “global sustainability”
g. transition to a higher plane of civilization?
h. rural: inferior peasant culture?
i. city: 1) engine of economic growth, 2) seat of government, 3) center of culture, 4) wellspring of new knowledge, 5) repository of cumulative learning
j. urbanization > human ecological transformation > 1) dramatic in spatial relationship of human populations to the land, 2) humans are materially dependent on the land & biophysical services of the land
k. paradox: 1) distance humans physically/psychologically from the ecosystems that support them, 2) low incentive to conserve local ecological resources, 3) agricultural land near sprawling cities is lost to food production, 4) dependence on imports > low awareness of ecological & social consequences of the production process, 5) social pressures & high income increases the propensity & capacity of urbanites to consume, 6) urbanization can speed up the loss of local & global carrying capacity
m. conundrum: 1) urbanites lose direct connection to nature, 2) cities require more food, more material commodities, more energy, 3) processing & consumption of resources returns a lot of degraded/toxic waste back to the environment with a high cost on local ecosystems and global ecosystems, 5) modern cities draw on global resources and dump their garbage globally
Upping The Urban Ante
a. world is 50% urban
b. world’s population increased 200M to 2B
c. 1.1% of the 1950 level was added each year
d. 1990s: rate of urbanization increased
e. world’s urban pop. grew 50%
f. 2025: 5.1B will live in cities, up 70% from beginning of 1st quarter of the century
g. there are more cities
h. cities are getting bigger
i. By 2015, 23 of 27 cities will be 10M or more
j. 1990s: 25% of urban dwellers didn’t have proper water, 50% didn’t have proper sewage
k. millions of dwelling units, stores, offices, schools, hospitals, water treatment, waste treatment, roads, parking facilities, transportation, communications, urban infrastructure is required
Cities & Sustainability
a. can we become sustainable the way cities are growing?
b. the economies of scale & agglomeration economies of the city might enhance the future of humanity
c. human use already exceeds global carrying capacity
d. more prosperous nations have been ignored on the sustainability hook
e. 80% of populations in high income countries live in cities
f. high income cities: heavy burdens on nature
g. the wealthiest 25% of humans consume 80% of the world’s economic output
h. 64% of world’s production/consumption/pollution is associated with rich countries
a. the majority of mankind will be living in cities
b. most of the human environment will be “built environment.”
c. human beings are dependent on the environment
d. cities are major drivers of global ecological change
e. sustainable cities > required for sustainable rural communities
f. cities are the problem & key to “global sustainability”
g. transition to a higher plane of civilization?
h. rural: inferior peasant culture?
i. city: 1) engine of economic growth, 2) seat of government, 3) center of culture, 4) wellspring of new knowledge, 5) repository of cumulative learning
j. urbanization > human ecological transformation > 1) dramatic in spatial relationship of human populations to the land, 2) humans are materially dependent on the land & biophysical services of the land
k. paradox: 1) distance humans physically/psychologically from the ecosystems that support them, 2) low incentive to conserve local ecological resources, 3) agricultural land near sprawling cities is lost to food production, 4) dependence on imports > low awareness of ecological & social consequences of the production process, 5) social pressures & high income increases the propensity & capacity of urbanites to consume, 6) urbanization can speed up the loss of local & global carrying capacity
m. conundrum: 1) urbanites lose direct connection to nature, 2) cities require more food, more material commodities, more energy, 3) processing & consumption of resources returns a lot of degraded/toxic waste back to the environment with a high cost on local ecosystems and global ecosystems, 5) modern cities draw on global resources and dump their garbage globally
Upping The Urban Ante
a. world is 50% urban
b. world’s population increased 200M to 2B
c. 1.1% of the 1950 level was added each year
d. 1990s: rate of urbanization increased
e. world’s urban pop. grew 50%
f. 2025: 5.1B will live in cities, up 70% from beginning of 1st quarter of the century
g. there are more cities
h. cities are getting bigger
i. By 2015, 23 of 27 cities will be 10M or more
j. 1990s: 25% of urban dwellers didn’t have proper water, 50% didn’t have proper sewage
k. millions of dwelling units, stores, offices, schools, hospitals, water treatment, waste treatment, roads, parking facilities, transportation, communications, urban infrastructure is required
Cities & Sustainability
a. can we become sustainable the way cities are growing?
b. the economies of scale & agglomeration economies of the city might enhance the future of humanity
c. human use already exceeds global carrying capacity
d. more prosperous nations have been ignored on the sustainability hook
e. 80% of populations in high income countries live in cities
f. high income cities: heavy burdens on nature
g. the wealthiest 25% of humans consume 80% of the world’s economic output
h. 64% of world’s production/consumption/pollution is associated with rich countries
Blackboard Reading, Green & Brown Agenda Briefing Paper Series On Urban Environmental Improvement & Poverty Reduction
Green & Brown Agenda Briefing Paper Series On Urban Environmental Improvement & Poverty Reduction
a. there are often conflicts between advocates of the “Green Agenda” and the “Brown Agenda”
b. Green Agenda: 1) reduce the impact of urban based production, 2) decrease consumption and waste generation
c. Brown agenda: 1) need to reduce the environmental threats to health that arise from poor sanitary conditions, crowding, inadequate water provision, hazardous air & water pollution & local accumulation of solid waste
The Two Agendas:
a. Brown: 1) sanitary agenda of the 1800s, 2) short term environmental effects, 3) more local & immediate issues, 4) associated with poverty
b. Green: 1) sustainability revolution, 2) desire to reach a better balance with nature, concerned with, 3) long term environmental effects, 4) more dispersed/delayed issued, 5) issues will effect future generations, 6) associated with affluence
Conflicting agendas: helping the poor vs. protecting the future
a. problem: water shortage, short term solution: use far-off water supply
b. local air pollution, short term: higher stacks, more distant oil/coal power stations
c. local solid waste problem, short term: dumping waste outside urban area
d. problem land shortage, short term: promote urban sprawl
e. problem: sanitation, short term: use vast quantities of water
f. people have the right to have their basic needs met!
Complementary agendas: helping the poor & protecting the future
a. concern with complex & unintended side effects of human activity
b. Brown: immediate
c. Green: delayed
d. prevention is the best cure
e. concern with equity
f. need to make water affordable, subsidize it, have systems that don’t leak
g. the poor are deprived of environmental resources
Brown v. Green
a. human health vs. ecosystem health
b. immediate vs. delayed
c. local vs. regional and global
d. low income groups vs. future generations
e. manipulate nature to serve human needs vs. protect & work with nature
f. work with people vs. educate people
g. provide more environmental services vs. use less environmental services
h. inadequate access & poor quality of water vs. overuse of water, need to protect water sources
i. high human exposure to hazardous pollutants in air vs. acid precipitation & greenhouse gas emissions
j. inadequate provision for collection & removal of solid waste vs. excessive generation, need for recycling
k. inadequate access of land for low income groups vs. loss of natural habitats and agricultural land to urban development
l. inadequate provision for safely removing poop and waste water from living environment vs. loss of nutrients in sewage & damage to water bodies from sewage released into waterways
m. urbanist vs. environmentalist
1. more careful & equitable use of environmental resources > 1) better environmental services, 2) less ecological damage
2. recycling of waste > 1) remove waste from urban neighborhoods (B) while reducing damage to natural resources (G)
3. preservation of urban wetlands (G) can improve sanitation (B)
4. the Northern Green agenda may not be appropriate for Southern cities
The importance of assisting locally-driven initiatives
a. cities that can address their own local environmental problems efficiently and fairly are more likely to respond to the G & B agenda
b. local environmental issues have to be given prominence
c. Leicester’s environmental city initiative
d. Stockholm: city with good environmental management history
e. far more justification for tackling local environmental issues in the South
Conclusion
a. it is a major challenge to finance initiatives for the B & G agenda
b. priority: locally driven environmental initiatives in poor communities
c. governance is important
a. there are often conflicts between advocates of the “Green Agenda” and the “Brown Agenda”
b. Green Agenda: 1) reduce the impact of urban based production, 2) decrease consumption and waste generation
c. Brown agenda: 1) need to reduce the environmental threats to health that arise from poor sanitary conditions, crowding, inadequate water provision, hazardous air & water pollution & local accumulation of solid waste
The Two Agendas:
a. Brown: 1) sanitary agenda of the 1800s, 2) short term environmental effects, 3) more local & immediate issues, 4) associated with poverty
b. Green: 1) sustainability revolution, 2) desire to reach a better balance with nature, concerned with, 3) long term environmental effects, 4) more dispersed/delayed issued, 5) issues will effect future generations, 6) associated with affluence
Conflicting agendas: helping the poor vs. protecting the future
a. problem: water shortage, short term solution: use far-off water supply
b. local air pollution, short term: higher stacks, more distant oil/coal power stations
c. local solid waste problem, short term: dumping waste outside urban area
d. problem land shortage, short term: promote urban sprawl
e. problem: sanitation, short term: use vast quantities of water
f. people have the right to have their basic needs met!
Complementary agendas: helping the poor & protecting the future
a. concern with complex & unintended side effects of human activity
b. Brown: immediate
c. Green: delayed
d. prevention is the best cure
e. concern with equity
f. need to make water affordable, subsidize it, have systems that don’t leak
g. the poor are deprived of environmental resources
Brown v. Green
a. human health vs. ecosystem health
b. immediate vs. delayed
c. local vs. regional and global
d. low income groups vs. future generations
e. manipulate nature to serve human needs vs. protect & work with nature
f. work with people vs. educate people
g. provide more environmental services vs. use less environmental services
h. inadequate access & poor quality of water vs. overuse of water, need to protect water sources
i. high human exposure to hazardous pollutants in air vs. acid precipitation & greenhouse gas emissions
j. inadequate provision for collection & removal of solid waste vs. excessive generation, need for recycling
k. inadequate access of land for low income groups vs. loss of natural habitats and agricultural land to urban development
l. inadequate provision for safely removing poop and waste water from living environment vs. loss of nutrients in sewage & damage to water bodies from sewage released into waterways
m. urbanist vs. environmentalist
1. more careful & equitable use of environmental resources > 1) better environmental services, 2) less ecological damage
2. recycling of waste > 1) remove waste from urban neighborhoods (B) while reducing damage to natural resources (G)
3. preservation of urban wetlands (G) can improve sanitation (B)
4. the Northern Green agenda may not be appropriate for Southern cities
The importance of assisting locally-driven initiatives
a. cities that can address their own local environmental problems efficiently and fairly are more likely to respond to the G & B agenda
b. local environmental issues have to be given prominence
c. Leicester’s environmental city initiative
d. Stockholm: city with good environmental management history
e. far more justification for tackling local environmental issues in the South
Conclusion
a. it is a major challenge to finance initiatives for the B & G agenda
b. priority: locally driven environmental initiatives in poor communities
c. governance is important
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Chapter Seven, p. 131-152
a. 2003, Bankok streets were clogged by elephants
b. $8 pound fine in London for traffic congestion, traffic congestion went down 30%
c. Bankok, world’s most congrested city
d. Bankok: 10,000,000 people
e. chronic respiratory problems in Bankok
f. Delhi: air pollution/congestion
g. heavy investment in mass transit > frees up roads > more cars!
h. walking: 3 to 4 kilometers/hour
i. underground bus/train: 40 kilometers
j. car: 80 kilometers/ hour
k. cities lost shape with cars
l. local business in cities loses out to suburban establishments
m. transport: major component of sustainability
n. assembly line led to cheap Model T Ford
o. $850 in 1913
p. $360 in 1925
q. 1925: GM ripped out the streetcars
r. WWII: people wanted a garden in the suburbs
s. settlements became low-density, car-dependnet
t. planning, regulations, taxes: car use is lower in Europe
u. <10% of trips in USA: walking, biking, public transport
v. 3x as much energy-use as Europe in USA (84,000 mega-jules vs. 27,0000)
w. America: one car for every 1.3 people (1/1.30 x 300,000,000)
y. 228,000,000 cars in America...
z. 970,000,000 in China if they catch up to us
1. German car-makers actually care about environmental/social impacts
The Problems Of Sprawl
1. population in NYC grew 5%, surface area grew 61%
2. 90% of LA inhabitants drive to work
3. LA (10 million) uses 3x the land space of London (7 million)
4. Hong Kong (6 million) people live in high rises
5. Phoenix (3.2 million) packed into same area as LA (10 million)
6. Us government keeps road construction cheap through subsidies
7. without subsidies, developers would build in cities!
8. 1/4 mile plots in Australian suburbs
9. sprawl makes life difficult for old & young people
10. sprawl hurts in-city shopping centers
11. sprawl makes public transit too expensive
12. biking isn’t that common even if land could accomodate it
13. Australia is putting bike lanes to shops, schools
14. dense settlements, more socially diverse than suburbs
15. Adelaide: rebates on in-city housing: 40% > more entertainment at night
16. motorists only pay 25% of what roads cost
17. employers have to provide free-parking
18. fuel would have to go up 150% to pay for road construction/transportation infrastructure
19. education: people might consider their actions on society/ the environment
1. public subsidies GO
2. create the urban growth boundary
3. create dense urban centers
4. subsidies on public transit
5. support for transport with a low environmental impact
1. Portland is trying to counter sprawl (1.5 million people)
2. 1979, growth boundary
3. a park was installed by the river
4. Hillsboro, has a light-rail station: Orenco Station
142
1.public transport is making a comeback
2. Hong Kong, Vienna, Zurich, Curitiba, Amsterdam, Montpellier: new tram systems
3. easy access to services, jobs, education, social connections
4. mass transit, walking, cycling: fast journeys, low transport costs, healthier people
5. cities become cleaner, less frustrating, & more liveable
6. congestion/urban toll roads-tackle congestion
7. Curitiba, S. Brazil, 1.7 million people, good public transport planning
Curitiba:
1. Curitiba: planned along structural roads/axes
2. businesses and housing are acclimated along axes
3. price needs to be medium
European Cities
1. many cities began before motor car
2. urban growth was linked to development of public transit
3. prices of fuel, costs of car use are much higher
4. planning restrictions limited urban growth
Vienna
1. was 37% cars, 37% public transport, walking 23%, bikes: 3%
2. gives non-car traffic the priority
3. businesses/development will be located along rail-line
4. improves road conditions
5. cuts down traffic volumes
6. punctual/regular service on all lines
7. separate lanes & preferential traffic signals
8. shorter intervals @ low demand hours
9. good night-time service
10. increased efficiency/frequency of the basic network
11. route extensions in connection with urban development projects
12. improvements in rolling stock
13. flexible operating modes such as collective taxis in peripheral zones
14. improved public perception of the the transport service
1. reduce parking space in the streets
2. regular monitoring og the public parking spaces
3. multi-story car parks to increase road space
4. additional park & ride facilities on the periphery of Vienna
5. the bike network is being continuously improved
Zurich
1. biggest city in Switzerland
2. high quality, wide range of services
3. innovative “zone” buses
4. tram tracks separated from the rest of the road
5. special fares by publicity campaigns
6. reduced fares for young people
7. surveys on needs and social trends, focused on specific consumer groups
8. Zurich’s auto-rate hasn’t increased since 1980
9. training in fuel efficient driving
10. promotion of fuel efficient cars
11. encouragement of fuel-efficient freight transport
12. private parking management to reduce daily car commuting
13. concessionary public transport tickets
Copenhagen
1. 100,000 meters(square) were traffic free space
2. 80% of movement is pedestrian
3. Heidelburg, Karlsruhe, Essen, Montpellier, are adopting Copenhagen’s reforms
Remodeling Cities
1. well planned mass transit systems don’t need to be fast
2.diverse local activities keep people in the city
3. walking, cheapest form of transport
4. walkable: more social interaction, physical fitness, diminished crime
Alternative Vehicles
1. electric/hybrid-electric motors should be pursued
2. electric cars should be promoted for short trips
3. hydrogen power: energy efficient, pollution-free
4. wind power, solar energy, crop & refuse derived ethanol could make hydrogen a sustainable & viable option
Best:
1. compact urban development
2. effective use of mass transit
3. new vehicle technologies
b. $8 pound fine in London for traffic congestion, traffic congestion went down 30%
c. Bankok, world’s most congrested city
d. Bankok: 10,000,000 people
e. chronic respiratory problems in Bankok
f. Delhi: air pollution/congestion
g. heavy investment in mass transit > frees up roads > more cars!
h. walking: 3 to 4 kilometers/hour
i. underground bus/train: 40 kilometers
j. car: 80 kilometers/ hour
k. cities lost shape with cars
l. local business in cities loses out to suburban establishments
m. transport: major component of sustainability
n. assembly line led to cheap Model T Ford
o. $850 in 1913
p. $360 in 1925
q. 1925: GM ripped out the streetcars
r. WWII: people wanted a garden in the suburbs
s. settlements became low-density, car-dependnet
t. planning, regulations, taxes: car use is lower in Europe
u. <10% of trips in USA: walking, biking, public transport
v. 3x as much energy-use as Europe in USA (84,000 mega-jules vs. 27,0000)
w. America: one car for every 1.3 people (1/1.30 x 300,000,000)
y. 228,000,000 cars in America...
z. 970,000,000 in China if they catch up to us
1. German car-makers actually care about environmental/social impacts
The Problems Of Sprawl
1. population in NYC grew 5%, surface area grew 61%
2. 90% of LA inhabitants drive to work
3. LA (10 million) uses 3x the land space of London (7 million)
4. Hong Kong (6 million) people live in high rises
5. Phoenix (3.2 million) packed into same area as LA (10 million)
6. Us government keeps road construction cheap through subsidies
7. without subsidies, developers would build in cities!
8. 1/4 mile plots in Australian suburbs
9. sprawl makes life difficult for old & young people
10. sprawl hurts in-city shopping centers
11. sprawl makes public transit too expensive
12. biking isn’t that common even if land could accomodate it
13. Australia is putting bike lanes to shops, schools
14. dense settlements, more socially diverse than suburbs
15. Adelaide: rebates on in-city housing: 40% > more entertainment at night
16. motorists only pay 25% of what roads cost
17. employers have to provide free-parking
18. fuel would have to go up 150% to pay for road construction/transportation infrastructure
19. education: people might consider their actions on society/ the environment
1. public subsidies GO
2. create the urban growth boundary
3. create dense urban centers
4. subsidies on public transit
5. support for transport with a low environmental impact
1. Portland is trying to counter sprawl (1.5 million people)
2. 1979, growth boundary
3. a park was installed by the river
4. Hillsboro, has a light-rail station: Orenco Station
142
1.public transport is making a comeback
2. Hong Kong, Vienna, Zurich, Curitiba, Amsterdam, Montpellier: new tram systems
3. easy access to services, jobs, education, social connections
4. mass transit, walking, cycling: fast journeys, low transport costs, healthier people
5. cities become cleaner, less frustrating, & more liveable
6. congestion/urban toll roads-tackle congestion
7. Curitiba, S. Brazil, 1.7 million people, good public transport planning
Curitiba:
1. Curitiba: planned along structural roads/axes
2. businesses and housing are acclimated along axes
3. price needs to be medium
European Cities
1. many cities began before motor car
2. urban growth was linked to development of public transit
3. prices of fuel, costs of car use are much higher
4. planning restrictions limited urban growth
Vienna
1. was 37% cars, 37% public transport, walking 23%, bikes: 3%
2. gives non-car traffic the priority
3. businesses/development will be located along rail-line
4. improves road conditions
5. cuts down traffic volumes
6. punctual/regular service on all lines
7. separate lanes & preferential traffic signals
8. shorter intervals @ low demand hours
9. good night-time service
10. increased efficiency/frequency of the basic network
11. route extensions in connection with urban development projects
12. improvements in rolling stock
13. flexible operating modes such as collective taxis in peripheral zones
14. improved public perception of the the transport service
1. reduce parking space in the streets
2. regular monitoring og the public parking spaces
3. multi-story car parks to increase road space
4. additional park & ride facilities on the periphery of Vienna
5. the bike network is being continuously improved
Zurich
1. biggest city in Switzerland
2. high quality, wide range of services
3. innovative “zone” buses
4. tram tracks separated from the rest of the road
5. special fares by publicity campaigns
6. reduced fares for young people
7. surveys on needs and social trends, focused on specific consumer groups
8. Zurich’s auto-rate hasn’t increased since 1980
9. training in fuel efficient driving
10. promotion of fuel efficient cars
11. encouragement of fuel-efficient freight transport
12. private parking management to reduce daily car commuting
13. concessionary public transport tickets
Copenhagen
1. 100,000 meters(square) were traffic free space
2. 80% of movement is pedestrian
3. Heidelburg, Karlsruhe, Essen, Montpellier, are adopting Copenhagen’s reforms
Remodeling Cities
1. well planned mass transit systems don’t need to be fast
2.diverse local activities keep people in the city
3. walking, cheapest form of transport
4. walkable: more social interaction, physical fitness, diminished crime
Alternative Vehicles
1. electric/hybrid-electric motors should be pursued
2. electric cars should be promoted for short trips
3. hydrogen power: energy efficient, pollution-free
4. wind power, solar energy, crop & refuse derived ethanol could make hydrogen a sustainable & viable option
Best:
1. compact urban development
2. effective use of mass transit
3. new vehicle technologies
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