Sustainable urban infrastructure
Sustainable urban infrastructure expands on the concept of urban
The sustainable development of urban areas is crucial since more than 56% of the world's population lives in cities. Cities are in the lead of climate action, while being responsible for an estimated 75% of the world's carbon emissions. [3][4][5][6]
Concept
A bibliometric study, published in 2019, of the evolution of research regarding sustainable urban infrastructure emphasizes that this concept continues to grow in the research community and change in scope as technology improves.[7] According to the College of Engineering and Applied Science of the University of Colorado Denver, urban infrastructure refers to the engineered systems (water, energy, transport, sanitation, information) that make up a city. Not solely based on evaluating utilities, sustainability efforts in urban infrastructure seek to combat global warming and municipal waste, as well as encourage economic prosperity. Socioeconomic implications of these efforts often involve policy and governance in the implementation of sustainable infrastructure, and their variation results in different programs sized on national, regional, or more local scales.[8] Challenges resulting from increasing population growth have generated a need for sustainable infrastructure that is high performing, cost-effective, resource-efficient and environmentally-friendly.[9]
The United States Environmental Protection Agency maintains that the planning process of sustainable design can lead to the development of a community that is ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable.[10] The design for a sustainable urban infrastructure emphasizes localization and sustainable living. According to the principle of sustainable development, the aim is to reduce an individual's ecological footprint in areas with a high population density.
The criteria for what can be included in this kind of urban environment varies from place to place given differences in existing infrastructure and built form, climate, and availability of local resources and talents.
Generally speaking, the following could be considered sustainable urban infrastructure:
- public transport networks
- distributed generation and integrated energy demand management initiatives and programs
- high efficiency buildings and other development constraints such as only permitting the construction of green buildings and sustainable habitats with energy-efficient landscaping.
- connected green spaces and wildlife corridors
- low impact development practices to protect water resources
- disaster mitigation techniques and plans
- highly integrative communication networks
- systems to increase accessibility of localized and renewable resources
A more systematic view of sustainable urban infrastructure has grown in popularity. Instead of just focusing on housing and space, experts now incorporate ideas regarding urban resource metabolism, the interconnectedness of citizens, and the complex vulnerabilities that cities develop over time.[8] Green infrastructure is a subset of sustainable urban infrastructure, and mostly considers ecological implications, water resources, and nature-based solutions.[7]
Global Initiatives
Generalized
When comparing volume of research and developments, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and China are the most involved in generating solutions for infrastructure. Different national priorities often result in different sustainability foci among countries. According to a review of available projects and research, the United States and United Kingdom prioritize sustainable solutions towards culture, water, disasters, and urban planning. The United States especially has made progress with green infrastructure initiatives (e.g. Green Alley Programs).[11] China and Australia have similar priorities, but Australian tourism takes larger precedence as opposed to disaster prevention, while China is significantly involved in governance, electricity, and land development.[7]
Africa
Existing infrastructure and governance challenges in general can slow progression towards sustainable urban practices. The United Nations'
Australia
In contrast to the increasing Chinese population, the population in Australia faces threatened resiliency due to decreasing population growth rates. More efficient land development, also carried out by an integrated group of bureaucratic bodies throughout Australia, and multiuse utility systems can maximize the social, environmental, and economic benefits of a country regardless of whether the population is increasing or decreasing.[13]
Canada
Sustainable urban infrastructure is also called sustainable municipal infrastructure in Canada. It is an infrastructure initiative that facilitates progress towards the goal of sustainable living in a place or region.[14] Attention is paid to technological and government policies which enable urban planning for sustainable architecture and sustainable agriculture.
In Canada, several organizations related to the
In their view, sustainability concerns apply to all of "maintaining, repairing and upgrading the infrastructure that sustains our quality of life" including at least:
- municipal decision makingand investment planning
- potable watersupply
- wastewaterespecially minimizing the distance that such water travels to be treated and reused
- roads and sidewalks and their integration with transit systems to achieve smoother flow of people
- green procurement.
These and other Canadian official entities, including the
China
The increasing population of China has significantly impacted the ratio of resource consumption to resource production, which has put pressure on the Chinese government and economy to establish a more efficient way of using resources to permit sustained longevity of Chinese society. The
Indonesia
The redevelopment of North Jakarta was the subject of a 2012 project to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing sustainable design, as well as public knowledge about the benefits of such design. City areas along the coast particularly suffer from large socioeconomic gaps, high density slums, and poor development planning. Results from the Structural Equations Model (SEM) revealed that, although sustainable redesigning would help uplift coastal areas, public efficacy towards sustainable urban infrastructure was lacking significantly.[18] Public surveys conducted in Jakarta emphasized the following priorities:
- land use
- public transportation
- built space
- open space
- network infrastructure and waste
- energy
- hydrology
- air and sun
By applying sustainable technology and methods to these components of infrastructure, the government seeks to reinvigorate the socioeconomic wellbeing of North Jakarta. However, in order to effectively create a wholly resilient society, the project stresses that the design process must be shared between government initiatives, the commercial sector, and public opinion. This mutual relationship is reflected in the project philosophy, which viewed cities as an ecosystem of the aforementioned priorities shared effectively among different levels of society in order to thrive.[19] One of the biggest challenges faced when implementing sustainable design is expected to be the quantification of future operational costs and maintenance, which are ideally offset by the benefits of increased sustainability.[18]
Switzerland
The Swiss
Infrastructural aspects
This article possibly contains original research. (March 2015) |
Roadway materials
Roadside and urban infrastructures such as signposts, bollards, and street furniture are prone to damage and deterioration. As infrastructure deteriorates, it requires either replacement or enhancement. Existing public funding sources are inadequate to meet these needs. and zero-landfill from maintenance on items of urban infrastructure for the life of the development.
Renewable energy
Policy and technology are key factors in the implementation of
Smart grid
Distributed generation and energy demand management are components of the smart grid, a term for an electrical grid that uses renewable and energy efficient means of generation. An optimized city might also use the smart grid for communication networks, the Internet, and other electronic signals that build the electronic and cultural infrastructure of urban communities. Electric vehicles and substations link transportation with the grid, and commercial transactions over the Internet directly link the economy. As cities grow larger and more electronically dependent, reliability and security become significant concerns for institutions and private citizens. By using a renewable and efficient system, a city can reduce the threat of a collapse of power and information services.[7]
Transportation
To reduce overall footprint, transportation infrastructure requires a localized consumer base made accessible by integrative design within neighborhoods. This design, which results from effective land development, is ideally overseen by competent governance. Consistent funding and effective investments also allow public transportation to maintain stable services, keeping the city itself more stable as a result. These aforementioned concepts are one interpretation of the "4 Pillars of Transportation" known as
- Governance
- Financing
- Neighborhoods
- Infrastructure
Automobile emissions associated with urban congestion directly correlate with a decline in urban citizen health, making public transportation more optimized for maintaining resilient public and environmental health. Once again, cost-effectiveness is important, in that maintenance costs must be exceeded by benefits (monetary and/or societal), but oftentimes state-owned public transportation suffers significant losses.[28]
Resources
A common governance and administration method subjected to studies, such as from the Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks (CSUN) Laboratory at the
Life cycle assessments of resource materials can also help calculate the environmental footprint of a city. In 2017, at least 84 sampled cities from around the globe had a projected footprint increase of 58%-116% by 2050. If the cities reduced resource consumption on a social and technical basis, and adopted energy efficient practices, the projected footprint improved dramatically. Unfortunately, these statistics are often difficult to compare because the exact conditions, resources, and assets of the cities all differed. The countries are more relatable, however, when globally valued resources are used, thus encouraging international dialogue, planning and foresight.[30]
See also
- Sustainable city
- Environmental design
- Green infrastructure
- Landscape urbanism AALU
- New Urbanism
- Regional Planning
- Smart city
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
- Transit-Oriented Development
- Sustainable Implant
- Eco-cities
- Urban ecology
References
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- ^ Environment, U. N. (26 September 2017). "Cities and climate change". UNEP - UN Environment Programme. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Urban Climate Action Is Crucial to Bend the Emissions Curve". United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 5 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Cities: a 'cause of and solution to' climate change". UN News. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
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- ^ "Specialized Areas of Study". Retrieved 5 March 2015.
- ^ "Action Planning and the Sustainable Community". U.S. EPA. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
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- ^ doi:10.3843/SusDev.15.4:2a (inactive 31 January 2024). Retrieved 17 December 2020.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2024 (link - ^ "Sustainable Infrastructure and Finance - UN Environment Inquiry".
- ^ "The Global Climate Change Regime". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ^ "Canada to withdraw from Kyoto Protocol". BBC News. 13 December 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
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- ^ www.laprensalibre.cr. "Firman acuerdo para garantizar transparencia en construcciones - laprensalibre.cr". www.laprensalibre.cr.
- ^ "Sustainable trade infrastructure in Africa: A key element for growth and prosperity? - International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development". www.ictsd.org.
- ^ Kronsbein (6 February 2017). "SuRe - The Global Infrastructure Standard for a Sustainable Future".
- ^ "Closing the infrastructure gap". Deloitte. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ McKeag, Tom. "Highway, heal thyself". Retrieved 22 November 2016.
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External links
- Cities can Save the Earth: the urban solution to climate change, species extinctions and peak oil
- Canada's National Round Table on the Environment and Economy suggestions re: sustainable urban infrastructure
- Canada's National Round Table on the Environment and Economy Sustainable Cities Initiative
- Communities of Tomorrow industry-research partnership in Regina, Canada
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