ST – 501 THESISBY

SACHIN HARRY

SUSTAINABLE SETTLEMENT

The basic assumption of an eco city or walkers’ township is That all daily activities of at least 60% of the people in the core, such as going to work, going to school, shopping for essentials, every day essential services, recreation facilities such as sports and cultural activities should all be within walking distance – say 500m to 800m from the place of residence.

To facilitate this, commercial spaces, residential spaces, recreational spaces are all to be given a high F.A.R of up to 6 or more interspersed with open landscaped areas.

Walkers Township – A Recap

Within this compact core, there shall be only pedestrians and bicycles / roller skates etc making it people friendly and automobile unfriendly.

Integrated land use combining commercial, residential, recreational and institutional spaces ensures 24 hours activity within the City Centre. This discourages crime, which otherwise is on the increase in dedicated commercial zones which become deserted ghost towns in the night.

Walkers Township – A Recap...cont’d

Advantages of UrbanisationEconomic DevelopmentJobsEducationInnovationTechnological Advances

Disadvantages of UrbanisationHuge ecological footprints – Urban populations occupy 2% of the world’s area but consume 75% of the resources and resulting in high waste output

Lack of Vegetation - Vegetation destroyed –buildings, parking lots, roads; no absorption of pollutants, shade.

Severe water shortageAir & Noise Pollution

Introduction

Population of major cities in the world

A street scene in Delhi

AdvantagesMobility and ConvenienceJobs in

Production and Repair of vehiclesSupplying fuelBuilding roads

Status symbolDisadvantages

Largest source of Air PollutionAccidents: Death & InjuryTraffic Congestion

Motor Vehicles

Current Scenario of Cities

What is the solution?

"We know that if climate change is not stopped, all parts of the world will

suffer. Some will even be destroyed, and we know the solution – sustainable

development."

(Rt. Hon. Tony Blair MP, Former UK Prime Minister, speech to the World Summit on Sustainable

Development).

Definition“Sustainable development is development that

meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

Sustainable Development

Definition “a city designed, built, and managed in a

manner where all its citizens are able to meet their own needs without endangering the well-being of the natural world or the living conditions of other people, now or in the future”.

Sustainable City

Conventional housing development

Cluster development

New Urbanism, Old VillageismWalkabilityMixed-use and diversityQuality urban designEnvironmental sustainabilitySmart transportation

New Urbanism

A “sustainable” town, city or region is one where the combination of community, environment and economic factors collectively provide for the well-being of the community.

Sustainable Settlements

The benefits of having higher population concentrations in and around town and city centres include the ability to provide a wider and higher level of services, infrastructure and employment opportunities close to where people live.

Services include health, community, transport, sporting/recreational, education, retail, entertainment, cultural services and facilities.

The benefits of population concentration positively impact on the environment if planned and managed well by minimizing the urban footprint and reducing the need to use transport.

Sustainable Settlements............cont’d

To help understand how cities can be designed in a more sustainable way we can use a systems approach.

The City as a system

Inputs Processes Outputs

Unsustainable CityHigh level of inputs. Not satisfying our needs (e.g. congestion, poor air quality). Producing large amounts of waste and pollution.

Sustainable CityReduced level of inputs. Satisfying our needs (good quality of life). Reduced levels of waste and pollution.

Need to change the city’s metabolism.The flow of energy and resources in the urban system

Achieving a Sustainable City

Unsustainable Linear Urban Metabolism

Unsustainable Linear Urban Metabolism

Sustainable Circular Urban Metabolism

Sustainable Circular Urban Metabolism

An eco-city allows people to: choose walking, biking, or mass transit for

most transportation needs; recycle or reuse most of their wastes; grow much of their food; and protect biodiversity by preserving

surrounding land.

Eco – city

The Eco-city Concept – “Cities for People, not Cars”.

Eco-cities or Green citiesBuild and design for peopleUse renewable energy resourcesRecycle and purify waterUse energy and matter resources efficiently

Prevent pollution and reduce wasteRecycle, reuse and compost municipal wasteProtect and support biodiversityUrban gardens; farmers marketsZoning and other tools for sustainability

Eco – city......................................cont’d

Urban Indoor FarmingVertical FarmingRooftop GreenhousesHydroponic gardensSkyscraper farmsGrowing local food and Organic farming

Eco – city......................................cont’d

Green roofs – EPA Building in Denver

Dongtan, China, eco-city, 30 miles from Shanghai. 80,000 people by 2020

Tianjin eco-city, China, on the outskirts of Beijing

Freiburg, Germany, green cityCopenhagen, DenmarkCuritiba – South West BrazilEco-village in Los Angeles, California, United States

and, many more.

Possible Case Studies

THANK YOU