Ecological Cities
Discussion
Ecological cities enables their residents to live a good quality of life while using minimal natural resources. They do so by:
- using local materials, and local energy, air and water flows (sunlight, wind and rain) to best advantage.
- incorporating natural ecosystems into urban areas, to host local wildlife, and to enhance the experience of urban public spaces.
- using vegetation to control urban microclimates - to stabilise temperature and humidity.
- enhancing the life of the community and relationships between people, by creating convivial social environments.
- supporting an innovative culture which enables people to flourish and develop their creative potential, and use new technologies to improve liveability.
Urban Form
In Richard Register's vision of ecological cities, sprawling, low density cities are transformed into networks of high and medium density urban settlements of limited size separated by greenspace, with most people living within walking or cycling distance of their workplace.
Buildings
Ecocity buildings make best use of sun, wind and rainfall to supply the energy and water needs of occupants. Generally multistory to maximize the land available for greenspace.
Biodiversity
Ecocities are threaded with natural habitat corridors, to foster biodiversity and to give residents access to nature for recreation.
Transport
An ecocity's food and other goods are mostly sourced from within its borders or from nearby areas, in order to cut down on transport costs.
The majority of its residents live within walking or cycling distance of their workplace, to minimise the need for motorised transport.
Frequent public transport connects local centres for people who need to travel further.
Local car sharing allows people to use a car only when needed.
Industry
The goods an ecocity produces are designed for reuse, remanufacture, and recycling.
The industrial processes its uses involve reuse of by-products, and minimise the movement of goods.
Economy
An ecological city has a labour intensive rather than a material, energy, and water intensive economy, to maintain full employment and minimise material throughput.
Urban Ecology Articles
Cities for a Greenhouse World. Paul F Downton. Urban Ecology Australia. Turning our cities into "sustainable communities" is a key response to the social and environmental challenges of adapting to a greenhouse world.
Library
Richard Register
Making Cities Sustainable is a Crucial Challenge. Richard Register. In Context #8. Winter 1998. Try to picture a city that selects the best of what we have learned from science and art, a city that regains consciousness of place and conscience toward nature.
The Ecocity: A City in Balance with Nature. Richard Register. Carbusters. Let's say we've landed about 100 years from now. By now, Ecocities are common. They are sparkling outposts in the deep green forests, oases on the desert, islands on salty waters lost in clouds of sea birds.
Building Ecocities: An Interview with Richard Register. Ecotecture. 2000.1
Book Review: Ecocities - Building Cities in Balance with Nature. Julie Tingley. Climate Change Connection. Manitoba. Current perceptions that the city is separate from nature will have to be changed to a new way of thinking that recognizes cities and humans as an integrative part of nature and the environment.
Case Studies
What We Can Learn from African Villagers - Lessons from the Third International EcoCities Conference. Joan Bokaer, Liz Walker, and Richard Register, interviewed by Scott Sherman. In Yoff, there was a genuine feeling of well-being, of being able to roam around in this pedestrian village of 40,000 people. It's so alive, and there's such a richness. There's a 500-year-old history of sustainable living and cooperative economies and living in close relationship to the natural world, and the social and economic structures which have evolved over all these years.
Ecocity Planning
Environment Ministry Plans 'Ecocities'. Soma Basu. The Hindu. 2000.5
Cities and Sustainability - Green Design. Murdoch University. Any discussion over the future of cities, how they will look, the kind of quality of life they will offer, the density of housing environments etc, will always eventually turn to the question of "How much green space will there be? "
A Modest Growth Proposal. Logan Perkins. Priorities Institute. 2000.1. Denver, Colorado needs get creative with land use planning and encourage growth that is sustainable and offers a high quality of life for all residents. With an expanded vision of our possibilities, we can set an example for other states to admire and replicate.
Sustainable Development and Local Government: Toward Ecocities? Developing sustainability at the local level will require unprecedented emphasis on the efficient use of urban space; on reducing consumption of material and energy resources; on improving community livability; and on organizing administrative and planning processes which can deal effectively, sensitively and comprehensively with the attendant socioeconomic complexities.
Ecocity Principles
Ecopolis Development Principles. Ecopolis Architects
Shenzhen Declaration on EcoCity Development. Internet Conference on Ecocity Development (Feb-June 2003)
Ecocities - The Concept. Central Pollution Control Board. India
Ecocity Design Institute - Some ecocity principles.
Characteristics of Ecocities. www.priorities.org
Links
Internet Conference on Ecocity Development. Feb-June 2003
PreserveNet: Ecocities - These groups look at transportation and urban design as a whole. Most focus strongly on preserving the natural environment.
2007.8.18