Contemporary Sustainanlity Issues In Urban Areas Flashcards
What is the national waste target for England
50% of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2020
Also a target of a reduction in the amount of household waste not reused,recycled or composted of 45% by 2020
Is landfill a sustainable way of managing waste?
Least sustainable way
Alternative ways of managing waste to landfill
Reduction -prevent Waste Reuse Recycle Energy recovery Composting
Describe Reduction waste management
Reduce the amount of packaging, refuse to accept plastic bags. But products without excessive packaging
Describe Reuse waste management
Most successful way is bag for life
Reusing milo containers, soft drinks bottles,jam jars
Describe recycling waste management
Paper, glass,metal cans,plastics,Clothes can be recycled
Computers difficult - separation. Has costs. Households unwilling to organise waste into recyclable items?
Describe energy recovery waste management
Waste material can be converted into energy main method of incineration it’s a practical method of disposing of hazardous waste materials. Some modern incinerators generate electricity or power neighbourhood heating schemes
Describe composting waste management
Organic waste can be used to make compost to fertilise gardens or farmland. On a larger scale anaerobic digestion is used it’s an advanced form of composting
Describe landfill waste management
Waste is dumped on old quarries or hollows which is convenient and cheap. It’s unsightly and a serious threat to groundwater and river quality as toxic chemicals can leach out and contaminate water. Decaying matter can also produce methane gas. Space is running out for landfill so it’s an expensive option
Why is urban transport increasing and what are the other contributory factors?
Car ownership is increasing. In uk more than 30% led households have more than 2 cars. Due to
- large and growing urban working population
- economic growth
- growth in urban incomes
- growth in number of journeys
Strategies to manage urban transport issues
1) road schemes and restricted access
2) road traffic management schemes
3) streamlining of public transport
4) new mass transit systems
Describe road schemes and restricted access
New radial routes around the city eg in London. M25 built and widened in places as number of cars increased.
- London congestion charge.
- Bus lanes with priority at junctions encourages public transport and decreasing car traffic.
Describe road traffic management schemes
- Strict on street parking controls and expensive multi storey parking
- Restrictions on vehicular access
- One way systems and traffic calming measures
- Encouraging the use of public transport eg park and ride schemes - York
Case study for waste disposal
Nairobi, Kenya and harrogate
Nairobi Kenya waste case study
Collect and make use of others rubbish. Waste tips scavenged for recoverable/recyclable materials.
- cars tyres cut up - sandles
- Washing machine doors - kitchen bowls, storage
- Glass bottles collected and returned for refilling
- Food waste collected fed to animals
- Tin cans/oil drums -charcoal stoves, lamps, buckets
Waste case study harrogate
Fortnightly collection of cans/glass and newspapers/magazines
Reduced price composter for tax payers
Recycling point at large supermarkets and municipal tip
Case study for waste and other environmental issues (brown agenda)
Kolkata India or Cairo Egypt
Issues in kalkata
Low lying land so many squatter settlements flood easily destroying homes and bringing disease in polluted floodwater
Solutions to Kolkatas issues
- Improve infrastructure by reinforcing banks of river and stopping people squatting near banks of river
- Improving sewage disposal
- Improving water supply
- Replacing mud tracks between shacks with concrete roads
- Installing street lighting in many bustees to improve safety
- Widening roads and improving public transport from bustees to city centre
Issues in Cairo, Egypt
- 30% of city has no public sewage system,
- 55% of waste water is untreated as travels through open canals and river to sea
- Many live in inappropriate locations eg cities of the dead and on rooftops
- Serious air pollution caused by traffic and open air cooking stoves
- waste disposal unorganised
Solutions to Cairo’s waste issues
- Replace existing sewers and extend system to parts of city not currently served
- Provision of pipes carrying clean water into cities of the dead.
- Provision of low cost accommodation in high rise flats
- Schemes to reduce number of vehicles on road -extend underground metro system
- Organisation of a subsidised waste collection system across city
- Giving zabaleen funds to purchase additional carts -waste collectors - increase recycling
Case study for transport management
Manchester metrolink opened in 1992
Manchester metrolink where it serves
Initial link ran from bury in north to altringham in south. Serves 18 stations and 6 street level stations in city centre. There are plans to extend the network to Oldham,Rochdale, Manchester airport and Trafford centre
Manchester metrolink operation
Interchange facilities provided at Manchester mainline railway station,Piccadilly and Victoria. Operates at intervals of 5 minutes at peak time and 12-15 mins at quieter times
How many vehicles make up metrolink
Fleet of 32 vehicles make 52000 journeys every day - 19 million a year
How many car journeys along metrolink cooridoor have been prevented each year
3.5 million
Transport management congestion charge in London case study
Aims to reduce congestion and raise investment funds for londons transport system
Describe the congestion charge in London
Covers Central london and west London.
Payment of £8 is required each day for each vehicle which travels in zone between 7am and 6pm mon - fri.
Fine of £60-£180 for non payment.
It has reduced congestion by 26%. Money from it spent largely on improved bus services
Case study for traffic Mexico City management strategy?
Mexico City environmental problem smog
Causes of smog in Mexico City
- In a basin surrounded by mountains
- High pressure conditions and temperature inversions trap pollutants
- Motor vehicles produce emissions. 97% carbon monoxide, 66% nitrogen oxide
- Industries:35000 with old unregulated emissions
Problems resulting in Mexico City from smog
Very poor health record, 3000 deaths per yr - poor air quality
Schools closed for upto one month per year
Solutions to Mexico city’s smog problem
- Colour coded permits, drivers have access to city on certain days only which reduces vehicles by 400,000 per day
- Air quality has improved by 15%
Case studies for a sustainable city
Curitiba,Brazil
Traffic issues in Curitiba
Integrated public transport system created. All parts of city linked extending bus routes. 5 structural arteries encouraged diverting traffic from city centre - pedestrians friendly area. Bus system like subway transports large number of people and more reliable than private cars.
What’s were old noisy, polluting busses replaced with in Curitiba
Cleaner, more efficient model. Locally assembled by Volvo so reduces transportation costs.
Buses coloured according to function
What is the key feature of the integrated transport system in Curitiba? How many passengers a day per bus
Introduction of the triple articulated busses (bendy buses ) - passengers per day per bus is 4000
What is good about the busses in Curitiba
Doors are wider and open directly into tube maximising access for all eg disabilities
How often do busses arrive in Curitiba in peak hours?
Every 60 seconds and always full
75% commuters/ workers get public transport
What is Curitiba like with the amount of cars per person
The state capital with highest ratio of cars per person.
Bike paths largely unused
Bus rapid transit system reduced by 4% in 4yrs following increased fares and road accidents
Other social causes in Curitiba which money was put towards
Housing and inequality
Waste disposal
Economic sustainability
Green space
Housing and inequality in Curitiba
1976 city adopted a slum relocation plan to assist low income families in building low income housing near centre of the city. Socially integrated neighbourhoods created that provide public health.education,day care centres and recreational services. Meeting the needs of the poorest saves money and energy as a city - reduces need for travel
How many houses did the COHAB housing strategy provide for the urban poor
50,000 homes
So a lower percentage of people live in slums compared to other city’s in Brazil
Waste disposal in Curitiba
2/3 of waste is recycled. Recyclable non organic waste goes to a plant made of recycled materials. All separated eg plastic, paper, metals. Generates job reduces landfill and cheaper than landfill as generates money. Library of recycled books for children
What do the favelas residents do to cooperate in waste disposal in Curitiba
Cooperate in equation of co responsibility they clean up waste and recycling materials. The green exchange which swaps waste for nutritious food and teaching materials. Council benefits - people collect rubbish from roads collection lorries can’t reach so don’t need to widen roads - costly
Why was Curitiba criticised
It’s planning concentrates on the formal city so favelas have still developed for those than cannot afford the housing. Many don’t feel they are consulted on policies
Economic sustainability in Curitiba
People need appropriate employment opportunities. Curitiba so has traditional industries and companies eg Volvo as well as nearly 6000 other industrial enterprises. Very beneficial in sustaining quality of life in curitibas citizens.
Green space in Curitiba
28 parks and wooded areas in Curitiba creating a city landscape which is unlike any other in a developing city. Parks designed to cope with city floods, allowed to flood and used as boating lakes, sheep graze in grass park to cut the grass. Lots of green spaces not accessible to hundreds of thousands of suburban lower income residents many who live in expanding favelas
