Development Education Project

Cities attract people, as they are centres of economic and cultural activity. They are exciting and vibrant places to live. But city living also creates problems. Many cities suffer from planning without coherent vision, widespread pollution, widening gaps between rich and poor and they export their waste outside the city for others to deal with. (1)

Cities as Systems
(2) Herbert Girardet points out that we need to see cities as systems whose functioning needs to mimic natural systems. We need to move from a linear metabolism (using and disposing) to a circular metabolism (reusing / recycling) (See the Linear - Circular Metabolism Diagram).

Giradet recounts how the German chemist Justus Liebig tried to persuade the London authorities to build a sewage recycling system for the city in the 1840s. When they decided in the 1850s to build a sewage disposal system instead, Liebig and others set to work on the development of artificial fertilisers, to replenish the fertility of soil feeding cities by artificial means (now that the human fertiliser was being disposed of in the sea). This political and economic decision contributed to the current unsustainability of both agricultural and urban systems.

Britain promoted (through trade and empire) this system of sewage disposal around the world. Although it reduced the incidence of disease in urban areas, it has contributed to loss of soil fertility and water pollution. Have all cities around the world copied this system of sewage disposal or are some designed to be more sustainable?

Ecological Footprints
Urban dwellers can become distanced from the rural environment, or from food production methods. They can be unaware of the impact they have on the areas that provide the resources they need for their livelihood. London’s ecological footprint is 125 times its geographical size - spread across the globe.

(3) Ecological Footprint is how much land it takes to provide the resources used, and dispose of the waste produced, for individuals or groups of people.

The fastest growing cities are in the South, but the Northern model of city development is not sustainable (4). London has the material wealth to buy goods and resources from around the world, but it is eating up far more than its fair share. For Londoners to have more, others will have to make do with less. New and more ‘sustainable’ models of city living and organisation need to be found.

A rubbish disposal truck in Curitaba CASE STUDY: Curitiba and its Visionary Mayor
Curitiba, in south east Brazil, is a city of more than 2 million inhabitants which has benefited from over 30 years of enlightened administration initiated by a former mayor, Jaime Lerner. Commercial and service sector growth has been encouraged along two north-south transport arteries. Providing all city districts with adequate education, health care, recreation and park areas has encouraged local community self-sufficiency. It has one of the best public transport systems in the world and one of the highest rates of recycling. Cities can be sustainable and provide for diverse lifestyles alongside sustainable resource use; for example less land use through high-density living combined with energy efficiency; less use of motor vehicles through pedestrianisation, cycle ways and public transport. (5)

Cities can be sustainable and provide for diverse lifestyles alongside sustainable resource use; for example less land use through high density living combined with energy efficiency; less use of motor vehicles through high density pedestrianisation, cycle ways and public transport.

Sustainable Housing

BedZED

(Beddington Zero Energy Development), in Sutton, Surrey, is a sustainable housing and workspace development, built on a former sewage works. Its use of energy efficiency and renewable energy means it is 'carbon neutral' (i.e. does not add any carbon dioxide to the atmosphere). It has a mix of homes for sale and rent and aims to be a socially inclusive community. It has a lot of green space, recycling facilities and water saving features. It has a legally binding green transport plan. This pedestrian first policy reduces residents’ dependence on cars, and promotes public and environmentally friendly transport. There are many facilities and workplaces on-site thus reducing the need to travel at all.The high quality design means that many people are attracted by the look of the living areas, but become more conscious and involved in sustainability issues as they have been designed into the site. (6)

Developing Cities

Almost one third of the world's urban population are living in slums, mainly in the South. (7) In the North, many cities suffer from dilapidation and social division, especially those that grew up around industrial processes that have now gone elsewhere. Cities, whether they are growing or transforming, face a range of problems with regard to housing, energy (supply, use and emissions), water and sanitation, dealing with waste, integrating transport systems, providing services for all (such as education and health care), ensuring security and sufficient green and open space. If we want cities to provide everyone with a decent quality of life and use resources wisely, we need to educate all people, from householders to business leaders, about how this can be achieved. It is a global problem and North and South can learn from each other.

Joe Ravetz (8) points out that the affluent minority in the North consumes the majority of global resources ("The 20% with the 80%"). Cities in the North need to reduce "their expropriation and colonisation of Southern resources." However he believes they "can provide examples of low impact technology, market infrastructure, consumer aspirations and political institutions - the essential components of a sustainable development path.""At the same time there is much that Northern cities can learn from their Southern counterparts where activities such as recycling, self build and social trading are often much more advanced…sustainable development in a northern city region depends on global linkages and transfer both ways."

It is especially important that decision makers allow young people to genuinely participate and play a part in making their future more sustainable.

Quotes & References

1 "By the year 2005 it is estimated that half the world's population will live in Cities. 2% of the land space will be taken up by cities using 75% of global resources."

4 "In the last 25 years metropolitan New York's population has grown only 5% yet its surface area has grown by 61%."

The Learning for Sustainable Cities Project

Cities Around the World

Why Should We Learn about Sustainable Cities?

Quotes & References