There are already ideas and inventions that are necessary for cities to be part of sustainable development, but we are facing some delays when it comes to implementation.

 

This happens because of a fixed thinking and lack of training among those managing cities. The most important elements of urban sustainability are:

 

Funding and verification. They can be made by:

 

1. Unit actions. Departments must talk to each other, to adopt a unified strategy and sustainable. For example, the transport department can not work against the planning department and so on.

 

1. The purchase of shares by management. This means that the Executive Director should be aware of sustainability goals, implementing them in all departments, and especially in the context of finance.

 

1. New Earnings. Finance departments must be able to successfully become the target of investment to ensure sustainability and contribute to the financial sector. Auxiliary benefits brought by such measures as: creating jobs, reducing inequalities, reducing crime and congestion and improve health and welfare.

 

1. Modeling and verification. Monitoring lifecycle carbon index and the impact of human actions on the environment must be applied consistently by different driving strategies that can be compared. This would generate further cost savings. Objectives should be monitored and properly planned, while their realization should be stimulated by rewards.

 

1. Networking. It is very important that people who hold administrative power can reach other towns or cities to connect to them via the Internet. This is necessary to be aware of what they did other administrative structures and retrieve best practices, so that they can be implemented anywhere.

 

1. Training. All submitted implies the need for constant training programs designed to keep staff informed about the latest techniques, ideas and technologies.

Transport

 

1. Promoting bicycling and walking. The level of awareness regarding the need for plans aimed walking and cycling increases ever more. Developing facilities for those using bicycles (for example, in London and Paris) and recognition of the needs of cyclists are important. The benefits of these measures are manifold: reduce congestion, improve air quality, improve health and thus reducing health costs.

 

1. Planning for local centers. As cities expand, we must consider the development of centers to benefit from local services. Placing housing near jobs and near the area have all facilities would contribute to maintaining local character, to reduce congestion and carbon vapors.

 

1. Charging congestion. It involves the adoption of a tax on movements involving the use of fuels: diesel and petrol. In this way, it would encourage other sustainable ways of traveling.

 

1. Expanding charging points for electric vehicles. It encourages their use in conditions where electric scooters and other small vehicles are easy to use for short journeys. Payments for small vehicles would allow people to use them for travel and then leave them where need to achieve, to be used by someone else.

 

1. Movements without interruption. An adequate public transport network would allow people to change their means of travel (to "jump" from the Metro bus) using the same method of payment, without having to wait too long. At the same time, it is desirable that bikes can be transported in the metro or train.

 

'Smart' Cities and agglomeration sources

 

1. Addressing the wisdom of crowds. It involves communication with people living in one place, to make them say what they think that their city will become much easier living. It has a huge potential, with or without the use of data to public or social media. People should ask: how can we take advantage of what we already have? This applies, in particular, for cities in developing countries. There is no danger as favelas and barracks to be demolished because they lack sustainable development. Instead of people who live there to help and support that they need, the authorities resort to the easiest method: demolition. But remember that those people are not different from those living in developed cities. They are equally oriented for the progress of their communities, improving the quality of life and they have the skills necessary for this.

1. Partnership and collaboration. Successful sustainability projects are when those in power and those in charge of the primare jobs cooperate, instead of acting against each other.

 

Buildings

 

1. Management and remote monitoring. The system by which buildings energy is supervised by remote, allows them to be monitored and controlled from a distance. Thus, identifies key issues and devise action plans, reducing energy use. If employees are informed about the amount of energy used and reduction targets, everyone can participate in streamlining agenda.

 

1. Densification. Densest cities can support themselves because the impact per unit is lower – up to a limit. As a result, it will be more accessible for people to settle into a home. Land use should be mixed from industry retailers together with the light, the space for offices and workshops in order to create jobs locally and social diversity, which are part of the art of creating spaces to be used by the community.

 

1. Climate Resistance. There should be no planning in the field of construction requirements, including protection against natural phenomena: overheating, floods and storms.

 

Energy

 

1. Local energy: the energy and community neighborhoods heating schemes, combined electric and thermal energy, heat pumps (with source either water or land) should all be encouraged.

 

1. Solar Energy: Photovoltaic use of paint on the facade of buildings to produce electricity was pioneers in Swansea by Tata Steel will become available and profitable in a few years. The advantage is that the surfaces should not be directed to the sun to be effective and the panels doesn't take land space. Solar cooling installations will become broadly available, along Passivhaus construction type.

 

1. Anaerobic digestion. The anaerobic digestion of organic waste and green will give more energy to produce natural fertilizer. It can be used as fertilizer and injected into the network using the local network of combined heat and power plants, or energy for transport.

 

Food

 

1. Urban growth. After energy, food consumption is the largest source of carbon emanations, the level of city dwellers, following the transportation, supplies and housing. Urban growth may include: vertical gardens and rooftop parceling, teaching children to grow food at school, agriculture supported by the community, markets for farmers, and in the future, intensive food inside, both of new food products and the traditional.

 

1. Space for nature: if space is made for the natural environment – to improve biodiversity and air quality, reducing thermal island effect  / emissions, and increased welfare – why the plants and trees would not be edible – nuts, fruits, decorative cruciferous vegetables? Using the plant  only for the vegetation maintenance cover should end. Various groups within the communities could handle the planting and maintenance of useful plants for both people and the environment.

 

Author: David Thorpe