14.1: Sustainable Cities

Introduction

Sustainability, from science to philosophy to lifestyle, finds expression in the way we shape our cities. Cities are not collections of structures but rather groups of people living different lifestyles together.

When we ask if a lifestyle is sustainable, we are asking, "Can it endure?" Some archeologists hypothesize that environmental imbalance doomed many failed ancient civilizations, including the Maya, Anasazi, and possibly the Romans.

Given climate change and other environmental concerns we have examined thus far, what could a sustainable city look like, how would it function, and how can we avoid an imbalance that will lead to the collapse of our material civilization? Envisioning the “sustainable city,” we must discern which factors will shape its future form.

The History of Cities and Urbanization

Why are People Moving to Cities? Crash Course Geography

According to the UN, people living in areas now outnumber those in rural areas — a relatively new phenomenon in many parts of the world. What factors have led to this shift in populations from rural to urban areas (known as urbanization), and what historical and structural systems, such as colonialism and Central Place Theory, have influenced the cities we see today? 

Gapminder: Urbanization

Hans Rosling provides a short overview of the urban challenge, showing the last 40 years of development in urbanization and economic growth. (4 min)

Megacities Reflect Growing Urbanization Trend

The capital of the South Asian country Bangladesh, Dhaka, has a booming population. However, it stands as one of the world's poorest megacities. (8 min)

Current Issues (and Solutions) in Cities/Suburbs

Can Our Cities Survive the Heat?

Maiya May explores the most deadly kind of weather, heat, in an unlikely place: Portland, Oregon. She revisits the 2021 heat dome, one of the most anomalous weather events ever recorded on Earth. To understand why some urban settings are hotter than others, she travels to Medellín, Colombia, and Phoenix, Arizona, the United States.

The Impact of Urbanization in Africa

The urban population in Africa is growing faster than anywhere else in the world. Urbanization can contribute to poverty reduction and increased development, but it can also pose major challenges. The main one is access to clean water and sanitation. (6 min)

Hindrances to Sustainable Cities

Sprawl: The outward expansion of human populations (typically in low-density residential and commercial development) into the outer edges of cities/towns.

As sprawl expands, it eats at natural and agricultural lands and isolates people. People have to travel farther and farther to get to work, the grocery store, a hospital, and other places. What this means is that cities/towns have to find solutions for moving water, waste, power, and services, as well as for road development/upkeep, etc., to these communities. As such, there are chronic issues with sprawl on both sides, making opportunity and progress difficult due to economic constraints.

It’s important to note that sprawl can happen at different scales:

• High-density sprawl: High-rise buildings in high densities (Figure \(\PageIndex{a}\))
• Low-density sprawl: Small 1-2 story buildings in high densities. Low-density sprawl can be further categorized, as neighborhoods tend to be segregated by income. (Figure \(\PageIndex{b}\))

Figure \(\PageIndex{a}\): High-density sprawl in Shanghai, China (John Patrick Robichaud, CC-BY)

Figure \(\PageIndex{b}\): Low-density sprawl in a suburb in North America (Pixnio, CCO)

How to Build Sustainable Cities

• Increase mixed-use development: Lends residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or industrial uses, where those functions are physically and functionally integrated, and that provides pedestrian connections, making cities walkable.
• Consider geographic equity: Circulation system defined by ratios of how people move. This means more bikes, walking, public transportation (in many forms), increasing equality of the streets.
• Preserve: Preserve land, culture, and biodiversity as much as possible.
• Mix: Diversify incomes, cultures, green spaces, public transport options, etc.: Allow people to connect and become neighbors, not strangers.
• Focus: Match density of a community to meet transit/service needs.

Sustainable Cities

From towering skyscrapers covered in trees to zero-carbon smart cities, there are so many ways to imagine what a sustainable city of the future might look like. But what does it really mean to be sustainable anyway? Take a look at environmental planning and how it intersects with people and the communities they form. (11 min)

New Urbanism versus Suburbanism

This type of development is called "New Urbanism" and it was built with a focus on walkability, community, and connectivity. 📍Walden, Mechanicsburg, PA

Designing Cities for Sustainability, Resilience, and Happiness

Each facet of the built environment has the capacity to create a positive experience, enhance our health, and strengthen our communities. (12 min) 

7 Principles for Building Better Cities

More than half of the world's population already lives in cities, and another 2.5 billion people are projected to move to urban areas by 2050. The way we build new cities will be at the heart of so much that matters, from climate change to economic vitality to our very well-being and sense of connectedness. Peter Calthorpe is already at work planning the cities of the future and advocating for community design that's focused on human interaction. He shares seven universal principles for solving sprawl and building smarter, more sustainable cities. (14 min) 

Attribution

Rachel Schleiger modified from Environment and Society in a Changing World by PennState OER Initiative (CC-BY-NC-SA)