Sustainable CitiesSustainable Cities

Dr Andrew TallonDr Andrew Tallon

Department of Geography Department of Geography and Environmental and Environmental Management, UWEManagement, UWE

Outline of talkOutline of talk

• IntroductionIntroduction

• Sustainability and citiesSustainability and cities

• Definitions and components of sustainable citiesDefinitions and components of sustainable cities

• Compact versus dispersed citiesCompact versus dispersed cities

• Case study: Beijing, ChinaCase study: Beijing, China

Sustainability and citiesSustainability and cities

1.1.Cities as a threat to environmentCities as a threat to environment• 2% world’s land surface; 50% world’s population; 2% world’s land surface; 50% world’s population;

consume 75% world’s resources; generate consume 75% world’s resources; generate majority of world’s waste and populationmajority of world’s waste and population

2.2.Environment as a threat to citiesEnvironment as a threat to cities• Environmental problems generated by cities felt Environmental problems generated by cities felt

most severely within citiesmost severely within cities

3.3.Impacts of environmental problemsImpacts of environmental problems• Environmental problems impact most severely Environmental problems impact most severely

upon most vulnerable groupsupon most vulnerable groups

Defining sustainabilityDefining sustainability

• Brundtland (1987) ‘development that Brundtland (1987) ‘development that meets the needs of the present without meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’…butgenerations to meet their own needs’…but

• 1.1. What are ‘needs’ now?What are ‘needs’ now?• 2.2. What will ‘needs’ in future be?What will ‘needs’ in future be?• 3.3. Why should people care about future Why should people care about future

needs?needs?• 4.4. ‘Needs’ not absolute (developed and ‘Needs’ not absolute (developed and

developing world)developing world)

Characteristics of a Characteristics of a sustainable citysustainable city• Physical propertiesPhysical properties

• Provisions of the cityProvisions of the city

• Environmental and ecological conditionsEnvironmental and ecological conditions

• Socio-economic conditionsSocio-economic conditions

• Visual-formal qualityVisual-formal quality

DefinitionDefinition

• ‘‘[a city that] enables all its citizens to [a city that] enables all its citizens to meet their own needs and to enhance meet their own needs and to enhance their well-being without damaging the their well-being without damaging the natural world or endangering the living natural world or endangering the living conditions of other people, now or in the conditions of other people, now or in the future’ (Giradet, 2003: 9)future’ (Giradet, 2003: 9)

The ‘compact city’The ‘compact city’

Supposed advantages of compact citySupposed advantages of compact city• Conservation: farmland, rural ecosystems, biodiversityConservation: farmland, rural ecosystems, biodiversity• Reduced need for cars/fuel consumptionReduced need for cars/fuel consumption• Public transport, walking, cyclingPublic transport, walking, cycling• Efficient use of energy for heating; reduced urban Efficient use of energy for heating; reduced urban

heat islandheat island• Access to services/facilitiesAccess to services/facilities• Efficient utility/infrastructure provisionEfficient utility/infrastructure provision• Urban regeneration in mixed-use neighbourhoodsUrban regeneration in mixed-use neighbourhoods• ‘‘Community’; ‘liveable’Community’; ‘liveable’• Greater social equalityGreater social equality• High density urban livingHigh density urban living

The ‘dispersed city’The ‘dispersed city’

Problems of decentralised urban formsProblems of decentralised urban forms

• Extensive consumption of landExtensive consumption of land

• High rates of storm water pollutionHigh rates of storm water pollution

• High rates of water consumptionHigh rates of water consumption

• Increased fuel consumptionIncreased fuel consumption

• High rates of energy consumptionHigh rates of energy consumption

• Low rates of waste water recyclingLow rates of waste water recycling

• Failure to accommodate extensive or efficient Failure to accommodate extensive or efficient public transportpublic transport

Critique of the compact cityCritique of the compact city

• UnpracticalUnpractical: impossible to halt : impossible to halt suburbanisation processsuburbanisation process

• UnrealisticUnrealistic: planning limited in its power: planning limited in its power

• UndesirableUndesirable: people do not want to live : people do not want to live in ever denser neighbourhoodsin ever denser neighbourhoods

Case study: Beijing, ChinaCase study: Beijing, China

• Population: 9m (1980); 19.6m (2010); 6 Population: 9m (1980); 19.6m (2010); 6 million migrantsmillion migrants

• Rapid industrialisation policy since 1970sRapid industrialisation policy since 1970s

• Land and property market from 1980sLand and property market from 1980s

• Rapid economic growth: average 18% Rapid economic growth: average 18% 1990-20091990-2009

• Service sector dominant since 1990s Service sector dominant since 1990s (retail, real estate, business services, (retail, real estate, business services, science and technology)science and technology)

Beijing: urban sustainability Beijing: urban sustainability challengeschallenges• Strong growth and change from low-end Strong growth and change from low-end

manufacturing to service-oriented economymanufacturing to service-oriented economy

• Increase in population, production, consumption, Increase in population, production, consumption, mobility (largest consumer of cars)mobility (largest consumer of cars)

• Population 19.6m (forecast 18m by 2020)Population 19.6m (forecast 18m by 2020)

• Pressure on jobs, housing, transport, welfarePressure on jobs, housing, transport, welfare

• Urban povertyUrban poverty

• Air pollution, fresh water shortage, insufficient Air pollution, fresh water shortage, insufficient waste treatmentwaste treatment

Beijing: urban sustainability Beijing: urban sustainability challengeschallenges• Climate change; reduction in rainClimate change; reduction in rain

• Shift in focus from public welfare to private Shift in focus from public welfare to private sectorsector

• Over-reliance on export; dependence on FDIOver-reliance on export; dependence on FDI

• Housing, transport pressures in centre (4.8m Housing, transport pressures in centre (4.8m motor vehicles; x10 since 1990)motor vehicles; x10 since 1990)

• Disappearing heritage (Hutong)Disappearing heritage (Hutong)

• Lack of clear, coherent, systematic Lack of clear, coherent, systematic developmentdevelopment

Beijing: policy responsesBeijing: policy responses

• Economic clusters for high-end servicesEconomic clusters for high-end services

• Multi-centres (e.g. Olympic Park)Multi-centres (e.g. Olympic Park)

• Sustainable development strategySustainable development strategy

• Traffic management (restricted car Traffic management (restricted car driving; lottery for licence; public driving; lottery for licence; public transport; road development)transport; road development)

• Aim: world city statusAim: world city status