The Sustainable City

What a sustainable city looks like is a hard concept to wrap ones’ mind around. What infrastructure components would need to be addressed and redesigned to be defined sustainable. We first must revisit our definition of sustainable development; social, economic and environmental factors would need to be incorporated.

After Dr. Ling’s lecture on sustainable land use, in which he described concepts of “new urbanism”, I believe the physical design of a city; nurture the success of the three components of sustainable development or cities. How does the physical design successfully optimize or promote these components?

First to define “new urbanism”; includes structuring more dense cities, creating multiple level multiple functional buildings which increase density and decrease land (km²) necessary, efficient public transportation options connecting city, as well as walk-able resources, efficient waste removal and treatment systems, and addition of green spaces. These components of “new urbanism” encourage success of sustainable development.

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Social Sustainability

By bringing people closer to each other through housing, services and park space; the idea of community experiences rebirth. It is shown that urban sprawl creates isolation and the dissolution of community. Effects of this can be increased depression and mental health issues within North America. By bringing people closer together; through housing, transportation and work, the idea of community can be re-established and human connections can be made.

Economic Sustainability

By creating, building, and manning a “new urbanization” city,; economic growth within a city can still be maintained. Additionally, by increasing density and decreasing land, economically efficient waste removal and other public services can be achieved. New jobs can additionally be created surrounding new technology in regards to power generation from wastes, and other sustainable energy generation practices.

Environmental Sustainability

The nature environment would benefit in many ways from “new urbanism”. By concentrating the density of the population by utilizing a smaller portion of land, the area of natural, untouched environment increases. Habitat and biodiversity, one of our biggest environmental losses, can thrive once again. Additionally by increasing density; transportation would decrease significantly decreasing our carbon footprint and dependence on natural resources. The good that “new urbanism” could do for our environment is un-measurable to say the least.

The key to a sustainable city is merely bringing people closer together. It’s getting back to community; knowing the people that surround your life. The more you care about the others around you and the surrounding environment it seems; the healthier life is.