The urban sustainability index focuses on trying to grow an urban population in the most productive was while using resources as efficiently as possible. It aims directly on emerging/urban cities to measure their performance using five categories; basic needs, resource efficiency, environmental cleanliness, built environment, and commitment to future sustainability.
One component is the built environment which includes urban density, and mass-transit usage. If we can make the public transit more affordable and efficient, people will avoid taking their cars and in return will reduce greenhouse gases. Either war, the public will choose which option if more efficient to get from point a to b, disregarding the environment. Environmental cleanliness is another component and includes air/industrial pollution and waste management. This is achievable if we can reduce the volume of resource consumption. It’s all about using trash and turning it into something new and usable again. Basic needs is important because it’s the basic needs that we have to have to survive and for a urban population. This includes shelter, health, water supply, and education. Most people will have access to these needs and can show you’re living in an urban population.
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(Originally posted under Links to Weekly Readings) The Urban Sustainability Index aims to provide a measure of performance of cities in emerging markets with a standardized set of categories of Sustainability. It will address the need for a system that is compatible globally and that can be maintained over time. It is to contain basic information about a city’s performance in a consistent and comparable way.
It has five main categories of environmental sustainability.
-level of basic needs met for the citizenry
-efficient use of resources
-environmental cleanliness
-built environment
-commitment to future Sustainability
The researchers for the Urban Sustainability Index identified five common themes in the emerging markets of China.
-industrial restructuring linked to land renewal
-“green” urban planning
-transparent standards and charges
-large scale integrated recycling systems
-cross departmental coordination
All of these themes can be implemented, especially in emerging markets, because there are less established bureaucracies and developments. It becomes more difficult when the cities have a long history in existence. Even so, industrial restructuring linked to land renewal can be achieved as it has in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Otherwise, it would require moving industry further away from the economic center of the city which may not prove to be feasible when comparing cost of relocation, cost of transportation of goods and operating costs.
“Green” urban planning can become an immediate policy change in cities, enforced from any given point in time into the future. In New York City, there are several agencies that enforce these types of efforts along with building codes.
As for the three other themes, of transparent charges, integrated large-scale recycling and cross departmental coordination, would require a long term commitment from the city officials to maintain those efforts in effect through the change of city administrators.
(Originally posted under Links to Weekly Readings) The Urban Sustainability Index aims to provide a measure of performance of cities in emerging markets with a standardized set of categories of Sustainability. It will address the need for a system that is compatible globally and that can be maintained over time. It is to contain basic information about a city’s performance in a consistent and comparable way.
It has five main categories of environmental sustainability.
-level of basic needs met for the citizenry
-efficient use of resources
-environmental cleanliness
-built environment
-commitment to future Sustainability
The researchers for the Urban Sustainability Index identified five common themes in the emerging markets of China.
-industrial restructuring linked to land renewal
-“green” urban planning
-transparent standards and charges
-large scale integrated recycling systems
-cross departmental coordination
All of these themes can be implemented, especially in emerging markets, because there are less established bureaucracies and developments. It becomes more difficult when the cities have a long history in existence. Even so, industrial restructuring linked to land renewal can be achieved as it has in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Otherwise, it would require moving industry further away from the economic center of the city which may not prove to be feasible when comparing cost of relocation, cost of transportation of goods and operating costs.
“Green” urban planning can become an immediate policy change in cities, enforced from any given point in time into the future. In New York City, there are several agencies that enforce these types of efforts along with building codes.
As for the three other themes, of transparent charges, integrated large-scale recycling and cross departmental coordination, would require a long term commitment from the city officials to maintain those efforts in effect through the change of city administrators.