Urban Sustainability – what exactly is it?
Dimensions of sustainabilityand the nature and features of sustainable cities
- Define sustainability
- Explain why model B is a more sustainable approach to managing a city.
The Features of a Sustainable City
Physical / Environmental (natural) / Economic / Socialurban form:- a ‘compact city’: / environmental management / local employment opportunities / adequate provision of schools and health services
ensuring a mix of land uses / waste and recycling management – focusing on renewable resources / production and distribution of renewable energy supplies / green sanitation provision,
increasing the density of development / energy efficiency, / investment in green technology and innovation / public transport provision
containing urban ‘sprawl’ / water management / Waste seen as a resource. / energy access for all
Distribution of open space / air quality conservation / recreational areas
adaption to and mitigation of climate change / Community support – cultural and social amenities accessible to all.
availability of food supplies
‘Green’ housing and buildings.
Active involvement of local communities in the processes of improving their local neighbourhoods
Much of the debate about the sustainability of cities and urban forms has focused on increasing the density of development, ensuring a mix of uses, containing urban ‘sprawl’ and achieving social and economic diversity and vitality – often characterised as the concept of a ‘compact city’.
The hypothesis is that compact urban forms reduces urban sprawl, protect agricultural and amenity land, and lead to more efficient use of existing, previously developed urban land. With a mixture of uses in much closer proximity, alternative modes of travel are encouraged, such as walking and cycling, and public transport use would also increase. This in turn should lead to environmental, social and economic benefits.
Extension: Consider whether there are any factors limiting this approach to sustainability. For example: In the UK, theeffectofsomeoftheseproposed‘solutions’hasbecomeevident. In the UK there has been an increased take up of brownfield land, fuelled by government targets for building 60% of new homes on re-used urban land. However, the intensive use of existing land means there is a potential loss of open space and amenity. Environmentally, less open space is likely to have adverse effects on biodiversity and the provision of environmental/ecosystem services (e.g. water and drainage), Socially,theimpactof‘intensification’may affect the quality of life of users, and the effects may in some respects fall unevenly on the poor.
(Read more about an evaluation of the ‘compact city’ and its sustainability at
The Concept of Liveability
People-centred planning has increasingly been integrated into the concept of the sustainable city. Hence, the idea of liveability. This is where everyone’s quality of life is met now and in the future. So, liveability means different things to different people.
Coming up with a list of the world’s best cities is a near-impossible task. The Economist Intelligence Unit, attempts to quantify the world’s most “liveable” cities—that is, which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions.
The index, measured out of 100, considers 30 factors related to safety, health care, educational resources, infrastructure and the environment to calculate scores for 140 cities.
- What is liveability?
- Explain why liveability is difficult to define
- Study the map. Analyse the distribution of cities that have seen a decline in their liveability score since 2011.