Urban eco system and city watch

8/12/2019 Urban eco system and city watch

1/24


2/24


3/24

Urban Ecology:

Is the scientific study of the relation of living organisms with each otherand their surroundings in the context of the proposed urban environment.The urban environment refers to environments dominated by high-densityresidential and commercial buildings, paved surfaces, and other intensehuman influences, which create a unique landscape dissimilar to manypreviously studied environments in the field of ecology

Urban ecology is a recent field of study compared to ecology as a whole.

subset of ecology. The study of urban ecology carries increasingimportance because, within the next forty years, two-thirds of the worldspopulation will be living in expanding urban centers. The ecologicalprocesses in the urban environment are comparable to those outside theurban context. However, the types of urban habitats and the species thatinhabit them are poorly documented. Often, explanations for phenomenaexamined in the urban setting as well as predicting changes because ofurbanization are the center for scientific research.


4/24


5/24

Urban areas can not exist in isolation. They require inputs from, and

waste assimilation functions of, other ecosystems. Ecological footprintanalysis has shown that many cities require a productive land and seaarea several times the city's size in order to support the population.

The urban ecosystem contains both individual and layered (nested)systems from three spheres: (a) the natural environment, (b) the built

environment and (c) the socio-economic environment. In order todevelo olicies and ro rams that advance sustainable develo ment

and the equitable allocation of resources, each system within the urbanecosystem needs to be recognized as a living entity that constantlychanges. This differs from the typical segregated and static managementapproach. Each system requires dynamic balancing and integration. In

addition, the interdependencies and interactions between each systemand between the urban ecosystem as a whole and other ecosystemsneed to be understood. Unhealthy urban ecosystems can lead to localand wider environmental degradation, social problems, economicdecline, human health problems and further disconnection from nature.


6/24

Multidisciplinary in nature, urban ecosystem management requires a

composite of social, environmental, economic and decision making toolsand institutions that are flexible and can adapt quickly to changes in oneor more systems.

The urban ecosystem approach encourages the alignment of cities to thatof natural ecosystems where resources, processes and products are used

more effectively, creating less waste, requiring less input and viewing by- .


7/24

Urbanization:

As countries industrialize, rapid growth and development are bound tooccur, mostly in cities and its surroundings leading to rise in population.Greater impact is on the environment and ecology due to spaceconstraint and increase in population density. Therefore environmentaldegeneration and loss of natural resources are the major consequencesof improper and unsustainable urbanization process.

Urbanization in India was mainl after inde endence due to ado tion ofmixed system of economy which gave rise to the development of private

sector. Population residing in urban areas in India, according to:1901 - 11.4%.

2001 - 28.53%

2011 35.65%According to a survey by World Population Reports - by 2030, more than50% of country's population is expected to reside in urban areas. Asper World Bank, India will lead world's urban population surge by 2050.


8/24

Problems of Urbanisation:

Rapid rise in urban population, in India, has caused many problems likeincreasing slums, low standard of living and environmental degradation.India's urban growth rate is 2.07% which is significant. India has morethan 300 million people living in metropolitan areas leading to increase inslums, with so many people over crowding cities and forced to live inunsafe conditions. Water, sanitation, housing, roads and electricity arelacking adding to key environmental issues.

Carrying Capacity (CC):

It is important for every region to consider and understand its CarryingCapacity before implementing any developmental programme. This will

not only give rise to balanced development but also sustain the growthwithout compromising its natural resources and ecological assets.


9/24

ECO-CITIES:

Eco-cities, also known as Sustainable Cities, are cities that are designed

to require minimal input from the rest of the world and to exert minimaloutput on the world around them. In other words, sustainable citiesproduce their own energy, food and water in a way that doesnt causedetriment to the world in forms such as waste generation, water and airpollution, traffic congestion, health and hygiene.


10/24

Some of the ways that Eco-cities manage to create this balance include

the following:

1. Cities are reduced in terms of their geographic area: They are built upinstead of sprawled out. This means that people dont travel extensivelythroughout the city because everything they need is right there. Thisreduces harm to the environment in many different ways.

2. Focused attention on sustainable landscaping throughout the city:

Based on concepts of xeriscaping and natural landscaping, the eco-citiesare designed to work hard to create a citywide landscape that makes themost out of the natural area to reduce wastage of water and energy.

3. Use of renewable energy sources. It is increasingly common forgovernments to consider the use of solar power, wind power and otherrenewable power. Eco-cities are on the cutting edge of this importantgreen trend.


11/24


12/24


13/24

Principles of Eco-Cities

1. Restore Degraded Land

* Use urban development to restore health and vitality of the land.* Rehabilitate and maximize ecological health and potential of land as aconsequence of the development of human settlement.

* Clean-up contaminated land* Rebuild de raded areas

* Re-establish native vegetation* Encourage farming practices which sustain ecological health* Introduce green corridors of native vegetation


14/24

2. Fit the Bioregion* Create human settlements which work with the natural cycles of theregion.* Conform to the parameters of the bioregion, fit the landscape with thepatterns of development which follow the inherent form and limitationsof the land, understood in socio-biophysical terms.

* Maintain the natural cycles of water and nutrients in the landscape*the climate* Conserve water and recycle waste water & effluents* Use locally produced building materials as much as possible* Respond to the culture of the region re-habitation


15/24

3. Balance Development:

* Balance development with the carrying capacity of the land.* Balance the intensity of development against the ecological carryingcapacity of the land whilst protecting all viable existing ecologicalfeatures.* Develop and enhance links between urban and rural areas of anintegrated city-region approach.* Reduce the impact of the city on the land beyond its boundaries (the

ecological footprint)* Encourage the diversity of land-use: residential, commercial,recreational, educational, etc* Develop urban food producing gardens

* Recognize the place of all living organisms in the environment urbandesign for non-human species


16/24

4. Create Compact Cities:* Reverse sprawl and stop ad-hoc development from consuming thelandscape.* Develop human habitation at relatively high density within inviolablegreen belts of natural or restored ecologically viable landscape with theoverall development density constrained by ecological limits.

* Have clearly identifiable (but not hard) boundaries for urban areas* Provide for most dail needs within the cit

* Create walkable cities and promote non-motorised forms of transport* Develop integrated transport networks which minimise car use* Access by proximity* 3-dimensional built form


17/24

5. Optimise Energy Performance:

* Generate and use energy efficiently.* Operate at low levels of energy consumption, using renewable energyresources, local energy production and techniques of resource reuse. Allecological development should seek to be energy self-sufficient. Theprimary energy base for development should come from renewablesources.

* Minimise energy consumption** Generate power locally* Reduce fossil fuel consumption* No nuclear power* Design buildings with solar access and natural ventilation

* Use effective insulation and thermal mass in buildings* Climate responsive design materials


18/24

6. Contribute to the Economy:

* Create work opportunities and promote economic activity.* Support and develop ecologically and socially responsible economicactivity. Materials and component manufacture should be derived from,or be located in the local bioregion to the maximum practicable extent.* Finance for ecological development from ethical sources, excludefinancial support derived from exploitative activity. Capital input to

ecological development should be local and financial structures should

inhabitants of the development.* Develop ecologically responsible industries* Develop exportable green technologies and services* Create appropriate information technologies

* Provide incentives for innovation and enterprise linked to ecologicallyresponsible performance


19/24

7. Provide Health and Security:

* Create healthy and safe environments for all people.* Employ appropriate materials and spatial organisation to create safeand healthy places for people to live, work and play in the context of anecologically resilient environment.* Reduce pollution and promote environmental quality* Ensure a safe water supply, recycle effluent, maintain clean air

* Provide food security urban agriculture & vertical farmingProv e a tat or an ma s an r s Ur an B o vers ty


20/24

8. Encourage Community:

* Cities are for everyone.

* Create cities with strong citizen involvement communityparticipation, not just consultation. The community should govern itself.* Community needs must drive ecological development. Ecologicaldevelopment must meet community requirements including thecommunity of life that is the ecosystem.* Create development as a community driven process* Ensure community involvement in public administration and

management* Provide community facilities


21/24

9. Promote Social Justice and Equity:

* Equal rights and access to services, facilities and information.* Employ economic and management structures which embodyprinciples of social justice and equity.* Ensure equal rights and access to essential services, facilities andinformation.* Alleviate poverty and create work opportunities.* Involve all levels of the community in development processes

* Provide affordable housing* Public use of public space* Direct democracy


22/24

10. Enrich History and Culture:

* Respecting the past whilst looking to the future.

* Maximise the value of previous worthwhile human endeavour in termsof both heritage and manufactured artifacts.* Restore and maintain cherished local monuments and landmarks* Identify and celebrate the spirit of place* Celebrate and encourage cultural diversity* Respect indigenous peoples inhabitation of the land

* Diverse cultural and social groups provide the basis for socially vital

* Support and promote cultural diversity, incorporating ecologicalawareness into all aspects of the making and maintenance of humansettlement.* Art and craft should be integral to both the construction and the

operation of ecological development from the individual site to the cityand its region.* The whole process of creating ecological development and itssubsequent operation requires education and skill development.


23/24

* Develop culture by involving all aspects of the arts including music,electronic media and technology* Develop culture by integrating the arts and sciences with both daily lifeand special events and occasions* Promote ecological awareness as part of cultural development

*Support community art and craft events, fairs, ftes and functions and

* Encourage multicultural art and festivitiesSpaces should be created for cultural expressions, such as music,amateur theater, and the arts.


24/24

URBAN ECOSYSTEMS NEED TO BE COMPREHENSIVELY

MANAGED & SUSTAINED IF HUMAN BEINGS NEED TO LIVE A

BETTER LIFE ON THIS PLANET

THE ONLY WAY FORWARD IS TO BUILD ECO-CITIES IN

FUTURE AND REDESIGN EXISTING CITIES / URBAN AREAS

Documents

Urban eco system and city watch