Complexity of sustainable urban planning but a wide range of opportunities

Cities are becoming a complex issue due to their density resulted of demographic growth and the centralization of the economic activities. The impact of this process is contamination and that involves health issues, waste, water management, inequality, etc.

Therefore, it is important to start thinking on sustainable urban planning, not only the politics but also citizens in order to  shape cities and raise awareness. According to the EU report “Cities of Tomorrow”, which gives a diagnosis of the situation and directions,  social, economic and environmental challenges have to be addressed both at neighbourhood level and in broader territorial contexts. Moreover, the report criticizes the focus on the functional approach for many cities without the social and cultural approach. I also share the limitation that gives the report to implement changes in the direction of sustainable cities as lack of financial resources, low fiscal or regulatory power or insufficient endogenous development potential.

However, in spite of the complexity of sustainable urban planning, it also opens new challenges and opportunities of economic activities but also improving the social environment of the citizens. These challenges need a solid base of knowledge but also a big picture of the issues. It is important to take into consideration sector as engineering, environment, efficiency, architecture, social, economic, citizenship participation, public transport, schools, innovation, diversity and I am sure that I have forgotten more aspects. I think collaboration is basic in order to exchange good practices. Therefore, networks like C40cities, ICLEI, European Green Capital are important but citizen initiatives are also fundamental . Another initiative interesting is The agenda 21 because it gives a good base to help cities in implementing actions.

Another concept I find interesting is eco-neighbourhood that is growing in Europe. The dimensions of eco-neighbourhood are:

• Environmental: energy efficiency and renewable energies, water management, rainwater catchment, green spaces (green roofs), mobility options, recycling, waste management

• Social: generational mix, citizen active participation, safe and healthy accomodation, residential and working space coexistence

• Economic: local commerce and activities, ecologic products (vertical orchards), housing accesibility

The benefits are in my opinion the involvement of neighbours; the energy efficiency; GHG emissions reduction and costs savings; intergenerational collaboration; diversity; increase of economic activities.

However, limitations exist because we are not living in a perfect world. As it is mentioned above, money and political will is one more time a big limitation. The lack of global vision could also have an impact on the design of the eco-neighbourhood: access, public transport,  high price for the rent, diversity issues or exclusion of certain social class (construction of “nice ghetto”).

Some recommendations I could make are linked to dialogue, knowledge exchange and including social aspects. Dialogue between all stakeholders who have a direct links with the cities and members of the communities who live in these cities. Secondly, sustainable urban planning is a sector that good practise exchange is fundamental. For example, in the case of the eco-neighbourhood between a Swiss city and a Mexican city, Lausanne (Switzerland) could support with its technological expertise and Coyoacan (Mexico) could bring experience in capacity building. Finally, in Europe this kind of neighbourhoods is focused on environmental aspects and perhaps not enough on social capital, on humans.

I think sustainable urban is a great and challenging world, however other issues should be fixed to allow this kind of city growing and building. If not, cases like Metro cable in Caracas o Metro bus in Bogota could fail because they have not taken into consideration other facts like criminality for Caracas or the people affluence in Bogota.

The other question I want to raise is the centralization of the economic activities in one or few cities, meanwhile rural and land are depopulated. Why don’t we rethink the decentralization, even more now we have access to technologies and innovation? And finally, acting step by step; idea by idea could give more results without to start from scratch.

3 comentarios / 11 May 2013 por Stephanie Barrial
IMSD /

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