Greening the Concrete Jungle – How Cities Become Green
Cities can be massive sources of pollution and CO2 emissions, but they also have great potential to be green. They can develop green districts with clear goals, build sustainable buildings, and encourage residents to be active citizens.
Concrete is one of the most common man-made materials, but its production requires a lot of energy and is among the biggest contributors to climate change. Some green cities use carbon-infused concrete, which sequesters CO2 and is stronger than traditional concrete. Parks and public green space
Green spaces are essential for healthy and resilient cities, understood by the World Health Organization as a universal right. These natural areas provide many benefits for urban dwellers: they can absorb stormwater, improve water quality, reduce air pollution, cool temperatures and support biodiversity.
Parks, greenways and trails, street trees and protected conservation areas are examples of public green space. When cities make these features part of their infrastructure, they can solve multiple challenges at once: improve urban landscapes, provide recreational opportunities, promote active transportation and foster a sense of community.
These urban green spaces can also help mitigate the “urban heat island effect,” whereby the warmth generated by buildings, traffic and people is trapped in dense, built-up neighborhoods and cannot escape to the surrounding countryside. Urban areas with more green space have lower temperatures, which can prevent illness and death due to heat-related conditions.
However, cities must be careful about how they develop their green infrastructure to ensure that all residents benefit from it. The location of parks and other green spaces can be a critical barrier to access for underserved communities. Cities should ensure that their greenspace initiatives are inclusive, including community engagement processes that facilitate culturally sensitive conversations around green space visioning and decision making.
City planners can encourage green space development by requiring open space in new developments and providing incentives such as expedited review processes, reduced developer fees and options for developers to pay into municipal funds to support the maintenance of public green spaces (NRPA 2018). Cities can also implement greening strategies such as incorporating community gardens, fostering local businesses interested in implementing parklets or planting street trees, and coordinating with regional planning agencies to create continuous and connected networks of greenspace.
Historically, urban planners have ignored nature, building cities that are concrete jungles with no connection to the environment. But there is a growing movement towards greening the concrete jungle by using the natural environment as a model for sustainable city design. These green districts incorporate elements such as natural flood control systems, smart irrigation systems, solar panels and recycled materials to achieve environmental, economic and social benefits. Several cities are currently developing or expanding green districts, including New York; Portland, Oregon; Toronto; and Shanghai, China. Transit solutions
Whether high-tech or low-tech, transit solutions that allow people to get around quickly and efficiently without a car are key to making cities greener. Buses, streetcars, and subways reduce congestion, avert greenhouse gas emissions, and offer an alternative to the cars and trucks that currently dominate most urban landscapes. And of course, public transit also increases accessibility and equity for those without a car. London green city
A few examples:
Smaller cities that haven’t achieved the population density necessary to support a robust mass transit system can still make progress. They can offer incentives to residents to relocate and build their lives in the area, or they can implement technology that supports new mobility options. Estonian startup Bercman Technologies, for instance, offers a Smart Mobility Hub platform that connects passengers to public transportation services with the tap of an app. The platform enables users to schedule rides in advance and receive timely information on routes and traffic conditions.
These innovations can go a long way in helping smaller cities grow and become more sustainable. They can increase economic opportunities for citizens and save on the cost of vehicle ownership, gasoline consumption, and maintenance. Moreover, they can improve overall quality of life for city dwellers by providing a quieter, safer, and healthier environment.
It’s important to note that it takes more than just a few gimmicks to make a city greener, and this is where good planning can really help. Cities with ambitious sustainability goals can set aside land for parks and green space, prioritize public transit, and encourage development that is both eco-friendly and economically viable.
Ultimately, the most successful cities are those that embrace the entire picture of how they can be greener and healthier. The best way to do that is to start with the big picture and then work backwards from there. It may not be easy, but the benefits are far-reaching. Just imagine a world in which cities can reduce pollution, protect their water supply, and grow and expand responsibly. That’s a future worth working for. The sooner we start, the better. Human-scale places
One of the best ways to green a city is to make it human scaled. Whether it's the High Line in New York, an old railroad bed turned into an aerial walkway, or the pedestrian-only shopping area of Copenhagen, these spaces allow residents to walk around and interact with their environment in a way that is more natural than getting in a car and driving through a city. Human-scaled neighborhoods are self-sufficient, with jobs, schools, shops, restaurants and other amenities within walking distance.
As a result, they use less energy to get around and produce fewer carbon emissions. These spaces also encourage social interaction and reduce the need for private dwellings, which can be more environmentally unfriendly than a neighborhood built for the community as a whole.
Many cities are experimenting with how to make their downtowns more sustainable, but they need to move beyond the local level and plan for entire districts with sustainability in mind. This approach will save water, energy and reduce carbon emissions, while fostering a healthier lifestyle for its residents.
A resurgence in urban greening is already under way across the world, as urban planners and citizens work to transform their cities into smog-free, thriving ecological ecosystems. The key to a green city is good planning, and that means making the streets safe for pedestrians and cyclists, supporting green initiatives, and building and maintaining parks and other green spaces.
The greener cities of the future will be self-sufficient, using their own renewable resources to provide energy and power, while serving as beautiful and healthy places to live. They'll be resilient against climate change-related weather emergencies and use sustainable technologies to manage water and traffic, as well as to reduce pollution and other environmental issues. These cities will be kinder to the natural environment, and they'll also be kinder to the people who live in them. Green is the future of our cities. It's time to begin the transition now. For more information, visit our blog on Greening the Concrete Jungle: How Cities Become Green. And be sure to follow us on Facebook for more green news. Active citizens
Cities are massive contributors to global climate change and pollution, but they also have the power to enact green initiatives that can make them healthier and more sustainable. City leaders can encourage residents to use public transit, bike and walk instead of drive; support energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives; and provide public green spaces for people to gather and enjoy. They can also encourage the development of urban farms and green buildings, and require city-wide recycling and composting.
While some governments might not be as receptive to the idea of being a green city, there are ways that citizens can push them towards making their cities more sustainable. Active citizenry is one of the most effective ways to prod or encourage local politicians into developing great green projects. It can be as simple as requiring a refundable deposit on cans and bottles, encouraging the use of electric cars, or putting up signs for bike lanes.
The study of the green city has focused primarily on policy, but to be truly successful it must include the actions of citizens as well. To this end, a new initiative has been developed that will help cities become more active by providing guidelines and workshops on how to create a culture of physical activity in the city setting.
This initiative will focus on empowering citizens to participate in the decision-making process by involving them in a wide range of activities such as community planning, neighbourhood revitalization, participatory budgeting and environmental assessments. Cities that are interested in becoming an active city can contact the project to learn more.
Getting involved in activism and environmental initiatives can be challenging, especially when the culture of the city does not encourage such behaviour. This was a theme that emerged in the Kulhudhuffushi and Hamilton studies as participants felt that their civic culture did not allow them to engage in activism or live sustainably. However, the fact that these people were able to find a way around this was testament to their determination to be good citizens. Personal experiences and access to networks were a major factor in their ability to be activists and act as responsible citizens.
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