How can cities be sustainably built and managed? Flashcards
Environmental management
Management of physical environment
Reducing water pollution through water treatment ponds
Management of physical environment
Cities have large environmental footprints. Through activities and actions such as transport and industry, large amount of waste and pollutants are released into the physical environment, giving rise to environmental pollution. Pollution reduces the quality of the physical environment and its sustainability. Can also spread beyond a country’s boundaries to its surrounding areas and possibly to other countries as well.
Management strategies
Management strategies to regulate the use of natural resources and minimise the negative environmental impact from human activities are necessary.
Reducing water pollution through water treatment ponds
Kranji Reservoir is one of 17 reservoirs in Singapore and is located in an agricultural area. When it rains, rainwater mix with nutrients from the nearby farms and flow into the reservoir, reducing its water quality. Farms have set up drains around their farm plots and water treatment pods to channel sand collect rainwater and excess nutrients. Plants such as cattails are grown in the water treatment ponds to purify the water.
Reducing water pollution through laws
Since 2013, the cities of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei in China have adopted the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan. Laws such as Environmental protection and Air pollution prevention have been enacted, enabling the city government to regulate people’s actions and industrial activities. Each city has also set limits on air pollutants for industries and vehicles. The city governments have implemented a licence plate lottery policy, which limits the number of new vehicles that can be registered, and a vehicle restriction rule which limits the use of private cars according to the license plates. This helps to lower air pollution as well as lesson traffic congestion.
Management of hazards
Hazards have a negative impact on people, the physical and built environments and the economy. It is important and urgent to find sustainable ways to manage hazards in cities. Hazards can turn into disasters, where they can cause damage to people and their properties. The impact from hazards increases greatly through cities’ large population size, high population density and widespread built-up areas. If not managed properly, the human costs of injuries and deaths as well as economic costs of rebuilding as a result could be very high.
Use of better quality building materials
Buildings need to be of good quality to withstand the threat of hazards. When a hazard occurs, some immediate effects include the collapse of buildings, infrastructure damage, injuries and deaths. Japan is recognised as a world leader in designing and building earthquake-resistant buildings. The Mori Tower in Tokyo, Japan was designed to be a refuge for people to escape during earthquakes. The building uses oil-filled shock dampeners. When it begins to sway due to high tremors or high winds, the fluid is sloshed in the opposite direction to counter the movement.
Land use planning
Making decisions on how land resources will be used for different purpose such as housing, recreation and transport. Planning agencies may disallow some of the uses and construction in unsafe locations to prevent hazards from occurring. This info is then shared with land owners and property developers to ensure everyone’s safety.
Improve quality of life
Providing safe housing. Housing refers to structures or buildings constructed to shelter people from weather elements such as extremely high or low temperatures and rain and are also places for rest and social gatherings. In the past, Singapore faced the problem of inadequate and low quality of housing due to high rates of migration and overpopulation. The Singapore Improvement Trust and the Housing and Development Board, were set up to build affordable public housing for the masses. More than 80% of our population lives in good quality public housing surrounded by many amenities. When housing supply is insufficient or too expensive, people may resort to building their homes at locations without obtaining permission. These are referred to as squatter settlements and they can be found in unsafe locations such as steep slopes and along railway tracks. The quality of life among squatter settlements is poor compared to those who live in formal housing.
Providing a variety of transportation modes
Refer to the ways in which people and goods move from one location to another. Three main modes of transport- land, air and water.
Travelling around the city can be easier because people have more transportation options such as buses, trams and trains, which are also more affordable than cars.
Traffic congestion can be reduced when people have more options to travel, such as opting for bigger transport vehicles such as buses and trains which can carry more passengers than cars. Environmental pollution in cities can be reduced as fewer cars on the road can lead to less fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
Considering the needs of different groups
Cities in the world have ageing populations, including Singapore. To ensure a good quality of life for the elderly and persons with disabilities, cities need to be deigned with their needs in mind. Singapore adopts a Universal Design concept for buildings in public areas to create a built environment that is safe and accessible for everyone including children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
Pedestrian paths
Routes are cleared of any obstacles and are at least 1.8m metres wide
Furniture and fixtures are built in a space that is away from the travel path
Traffic crossings
Traffic warning on the ground on the two sides of the traffic crossings aid the visually handicapped and elderly pedestrians.
Warning indicators are provided at road crossings to remind users to be careful when crossing roads.
