Sustainable Urban Strategies (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Social Sustainability

• Social sustainability is the need for economic and environmental factors to be managed

  • This is to ensure that people can have a better quality of life

• In the past, city planners did not take into account the impact of future growth on the health and stability of their towns and cities

• Any future inner city regeneration/rebranding or urban fringe development needs to consider sustainable urban living 

  • The challenge is for towns and cities to reduce their ecological footprint whilst also tackling social inequalities

Strategies for social sustainability

• There are several strategies that any urban region can use including:

  • reducing the reliance on fossil fuels through the use of renewable

  • using energy-efficient goods in public buildings, homes, offices and shops 

  • using public rather than private transport to reduce pollution 

  • providing green spaces (greening the city) for families to use

  • recycling water to conserve supplies

  • conserving cultural/historical buildings and environmental sites for future generations

  • minimising the use of greenfield sites and using brownfield sites instead 

  • involving local communities and providing a range of employment

Social inclusion

• This last method of social inclusion can be seen through the practice of urban agriculture

  • It is of particular benefit to women, and the urban poor, and adds to the 'greening' of the city along with reusing urban waste

  • Migrant women can feel isolated, either through cultural or religious reasons or language barriers

    • Urban agriculture allows for a safe space for families to meet and exchange knowledge and stories

  • It also contributes to the local economy and helps reduce poverty whilst improving the health of the community

  • It is relatively cheap, easy to set up and maintain

• In Sierra Leone, Freetown has zoned all wetlands and low-lying valleys for urban agriculture to increase water infiltration, reduce flooding, keep the flood zones free from informal settlements and promote urban agriculture production for food supply and job creation

• Brisbane, Australia includes both urban agriculture and green roofs in their action plan to meet predicted global climate change challenges

• For places such as Kibera, and Nairobi, urban agriculture can be a lifesaver and a way for mothers to introduce nutritional foods to their families, all of which improves social sustainability in a sprawling city

Economic sustainability

• Economic sustainability is where economic growth is supported without negatively impacting the environment, society or culture

• Many companies are starting to adopt corporate sustainability

  • They attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by focusing on how their business affects the environment

  • Some methods include:

    • reducing the amount of packaging

    • recycling packaging

    • trading locally 

    • using renewable energy and other low-energy devices (lights, monitors etc.)

• Cities also need to be economically sustainable or they can become bankrupt

  • Detroit, Michigan became the largest city in US history (2013) to file for bankruptcy after its revenue fell due to:

    • a declining population

    • rising unemployment

    • a lack of property and income taxes

• Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, has taken economic sustainability to another level

  • It is an economic free-zone commercial city with a high quality of life

    • It has the lowest global environmental footprint

    • It is all powered by renewable energy

  • The city is a mixed-use, sustainable community, including:

    • employment-generating land uses

    • residential areas

    • parks

    • plazas

    • neighbourhood amenities

  • There is total pedestrianisation within the city, with the transport network below ground

  • Streets and buildings are designed to help reduce the need for:

    • air conditioning

    • heating

    • artificial light

  • Waste is as near to zero as possible, achieved through encouraging changes in behaviour and regulating materials which can be present in the city

  • All residents have to undertake 5 hours of sustainability education each year

Environmental sustainability

• Urban environmental sustainability is looking at the whole of the city, from food to energy to waste management to green spaces and transport and infrastructure

• Cities can invest in public transport, not only does it improve the efficiency and safety of buses and trains, but also reduces pollution and congestion

• Encourage the use of bicycles

  • Bristol was the UK's first city to promote cycling, investing in cycle lanes and supporting bike projects

• Promote car sharing to reduce congestion and improve air quality

  • Many cities have dedicated carpool lanes which makes getting around the city easier and quicker

• Investment in Park and Ride to reduce car usage within the city centre and therefore, improve the overall environment

• Many cities have congestion charges for people who decide to drive into the city centre

  • London has a strict congestion charge and has reduced its levels of pollution by approximately 25% and stopped 13,500 cars a day entering the city centre

• Ecotown developments are another sustainable measure

  • Designed to reduce its overall footprint and encourage strong community ties

  • All homes have energy-saving measures, such as:

    • a community biomass boiler

    • free Wi-Fi to encourage home working

    • less commuting

  • All homes have:

    • triple-glazed windows

    • extra insulation

    • solar panels

    • low energy lightbulbs

    • Energy-efficient kitchen appliances

  • Green spaces to protect and enhance wildlife

Curitiba, Brazil

• Curitiba has introduced several initiatives to make it a sustainable city

  • It was the first city in Brazil to have a dedicated bus lane

  • Over 80% of travellers use the Bus Rapid Transport system and no one lives more than 400 metres from the bus stop

  • The bus fare is the same wherever you go and you can travel all day on one fare

  • Passengers can recycle plastic and glass bottles to pay for a bus fare

  • The city has also increased its use of green spaces and these spaces stop favelas from encroaching into the city centre

  • Flooding is reduced due to the parks and lakes

    • This saves money, lives and rebuilding costs

  • Curitiba recycles over 70% of its waste and the poorer residents of the favelas are paid for the waste they collect - not in money but in food

  • Approximately, 99% of Curitiba's residents were found to be very happy with their city 

Example case study - Singapore's success

Singapore's success

• Planning for a city's future growth is important, or the urban shape that develops first will continue for decades and can lead to a city becoming unsustainable

• Singapore, an island state of 704 km² in Southeast Asia, was carefully planned to cope with future developments after its independence in 1965

• During Lee Kuan Yew’s time as prime minister, the city grew from a small emerging settlement on a marshy island, with no agricultural output, to a developed global hub for trade and a popular stopover destination for international travellers

• Infrastructure was considered from the beginning, along with long-term plans for its future growth

• It has managed its resources carefully and has enabled its people to enjoy strong economic growth and social stability

• The economy depends heavily on exports and refining imported goods, especially in manufacturing

• At the same time, the land is carefully safeguarded to support continued sustainable economic progress and future development