Sustainable urban development Flashcards
Environmental impacts of urban areas - local scale
Air pollution, water pollution, flood risk and large amounts of waste.
Urbanisation causes loss of open spaces, resulting in loss of habitats and biodiversity.
Environmental impacts of urban areas - Global scale
Increased demand for resources
Cities are home to 1/2 of the worlds population, but account for 3/4 of resource use.
Cities are responsible for 60% of GHG emissions.
Ecological footprint
The amount of land that is needed to produce everything an individual consumes.
Factors affecting ecological footprints
Wealth - consumption is higher in HICs
Size - Compact cities are easier to travel around on foot or by bike
Public transport - Efficient + cheap
Natural factors affecting the sustainability of urban areas
How the environment, resources and waste are managed
Renewable energy resources
Walk, cycle, public transport.
Physical factors affecting the sustainability of urban areas
How well a city is able to support the people living there
Enough resources (houses and jobs)
High quality housing, secure supplies of nutritious food, safe water and energy.
Social factors affecting the sustainability of urban areas
How people live together, quality of life, healthcare
Access to basic services (hospitals + schools) and good living conditions
Politically stable, peaceful, and respect human rights.
Economic factors affecting the sustainability of urban areas
Maintaining economic growth without effects such as inequality and environmental damage.
Bristol sustainability
European Green Capital 2015
4 times the national daily average of cyclists
Gen ECO bio bus - 130 buses running on methane from the city’s sewage
100 charging stations for electric cars.
Liveability
How good the living conditions are in an area.
It depends on job opportunities, crime rates, open space and access to education.
Dense populations
One way that sustainable development is easier in urban areas, dense populations mean that the provision of services (e.g. clean water + public transport) is easier and cheaper.
Opportunities to make cities more sustainable
Sustainable development in urban areas is easier due to increased understanding of the importance of sustainability, therefore more research and investment.
Governments also tend to invest more money into urban areas as it will benefit more people.
Challenges associated with urban development
Significant investment cannot always be afforded
Public services need to expand rapidly to meet the needs of the population.
Not everyone is willing to change their habits e.g. driving less and using less water.
Appropriate infrastructure isn’t always available - roads may be too narrow for cycling lanes.
1/3 of the UK population leave the tap water running whilst brushing their teeth, wasting 24 litres of water a day.
Strategies for increasing urban sustainability
Reducing number of cars - park and ride (over 100 schemes in the UK), cycling lanes (Bristol has them on nearly all of its major roads and over 300 cycle parking spaces)
Increasing green spaces - parks reduce pollution and increase biodiversity
Improving waste disposal
Reducing water use - Cape Town, SA have reduced water pressure so that showers and hose pipes use less water.
Hose pipe ban - 2012, UK imposed a £1000 fine.
BedZED
Energy efficient buildings
A sustainable community of 100 homes, offices, a college, and community facilities.
Solar heating
Dual flush toilets
Easy view water meters
Buildings are ventilated as fresh water outside is drawn into the building and pre-heated by outgoing stale air via heat exchangers.
The facility produces 37% less CO2 than an average development of the same size.
