the challenge of green urbanism: mid-sized cities & ecological modernisation dr jason byrne...
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The challenge of green urbanism:Mid-sized cities & ecological modernisation
Dr Jason Byrne
Griffith University School of Environment
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2Griffith School of Environment
Manuel Castells observed in 2002 that: “Our blue planet is fast becoming a predominantly urban world. …For all the talk about the natural environment, it is the living conditions in cities…that determine the future of our livelihood. …Sustainable development is the code word for the most important debate of our time”.
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3Griffith School of Environment
Challenges of an urban world
• Over 50% of world’s people inhabit cities• By 2070 this will be more like 75%• Biggest cities in 19th & 20th century were Euro-American• Biggest in 21st century: Asian, African & Latin-American
megacities (e.g. Shanghai or Lagos)• Growth will occur fastest in mid-sized cities• Cities are complexly interconnected, yet highly socio-
economically polarised• Cities are where we find the largest environmental
impacts but cities also promise for solutions
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4Griffith School of Environment
Urban environmental problems
• Air, water & soil pollution• Socio-economic polarisation (environmental injustice)• Proliferation of culture of hyper consumption• Health: obesity epidemic & infectious diseases (SARS)• Housing shortages & traffic congestion• Sanitation problems (e.g. clean water)• Waste management problems (e.g. sewage, landfills)• Water scarcity & declining soil fertility• Peak oil & the end of cheap energy• Climate change impacts (storms, heat islands, flooding)• Rapidly declining biodiversity• Food scarcity and food contamination
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5Griffith School of Environment
• In short, our cities are vulnerable
• We need to make cities more resilient
– Resilience here refers to the ability to withstand environmental disruptions and to bounce back after a crisis (e.g. storm, flood, fire) with little or no damage to key infrastructure, social capital and life sustaining processes
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6Griffith School of Environment
Overview
• Why mid-sized cities?
• Green urbanism
• Examples– Industrial ecology
– Biomimicry
– Metabolic cities
• Australian initiatives
• Relevance to Bologna and Forli?
Fukoka Building Green Roof, Japan
landscapeandurbanism.blogspot.com
The Wild Project Green Roof, Canada
Currumbin Eco-Village, AustraliaSt. Etienne, France: Green transport www.inhabitat.com/
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7Griffith School of Environment
Why mid-sized cities?(500,000 – 3.5 million???)
• All about scale– Greater share of urbanisation (30+%)– Smaller populations but still diverse– Less inertia in system– Easier to analyse– Potential for rapid response– Potential to diversify economy– Less disruption in retrofitting– Act as incubators– Realise benefits faster– Residents closer to nature– More attractive destinations (lifestyle)
Curitiba
Portland
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8Griffith School of Environment
Ecological cities
Kaika and Swyngedouw (2000: 120) have recently reminded us that cities are: “mediators through which the perpetual process of transformation of natur[al] into [cultural] takes place. …The city is a space of flows, of flux, of translocation.”
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9Griffith School of Environment
Green urbanism: metabolic cities
• Regards previously disparate concerns as interconnected
• Transport, housing, health, energy, environment, governance etc. all interact in concert with each other
• Applies ecological sustainability principles
• Recognises the metabolic character of cities
• Seeks to close material & energy loops
http://www.tuvie.com/wp-content/uploads/dragonfly-vertical-farm
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10Griffith School of Environment
Bio-mimicry
• Draws upon natural design cues • Uses natural materials• Seeks to emulate natural cycles• Examples include:
– Aerodynamic public transport– Heat chimneys in buildings– Photosynthetic energy– Industrial ecology
Eastgate Centre in Zimbabwe
http://www.inhabitat.com
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11Griffith School of Environment
Industrial ecology
• Discourse / paradigm holding that economic growth and environmental harm can be decoupled
• Waste material from one industry become the raw material input of another
• Creates an industrial “ecosystem”
• Economic mutualism not competition
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1267/684784497_41c5685ab2.jpg
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12Griffith School of Environment
http://weburbanist.com/2007/12/11/8-great-green-roofs-a-brief-pictoral-history-of-green-roofs-and-roofing-systems-past-and-present/
• Commodity flow analysis• Energy pathway
analysis• Material flows analysis• Lifecycle assessment• Nutrient cycling• Home range analysis
– (animal habitats)
Analyses
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13Griffith School of Environment
Long Term Ecological Research
• Baltimore, Maryland & Phoenix, Arizona
• Undertaking many of these analyses
• Studying cities as ecosystems• http://www.lternet.edu/sites/bes/• http://www.lternet.edu/sites/cap/
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14Griffith School of Environment
Energy pathway analysis
• Movement of energy through urban ecosystems• Impact of built environments on atmospheric energy• Urban albedos – reflection of solar energy• Heat island effects
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15Griffith School of Environment
Material flows analysis
• How materials flow or move through a system– e.g. movement of goods
through an economy– movement of raw material
through a city– movement of waste
through sewers & drains– tracing how trees become
paper then waste
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16Griffith School of Environment
Nutrient cycling analysis
• Tracing the flow of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium through landscapes
• Determining the impact upon ecosystems
• Examining the role of humans in this process
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17Griffith School of Environment
Home range analysis
• Examining population dynamics• Studying animal-plant interactions• Identifying the foraging areas of
animals• Considering human impacts• Mapping human-animal
interactions
Urban Habitats
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18Griffith School of Environment
Commodity flow analysis
• Transportation– Trucks– Rail– Ships
• Warehousing• Pipe networks• Retailing• Disposal• Re-use
Analysis of truck movements through Los Angeles
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19Griffith School of Environment
Lifecycle assessment
• Examining the ‘cradle’ to ‘grave’ impacts of goods
• Researching impacts of entire sourcing, manufacturing, use and disposal process
• Developing lower impact goods– Biodegradable plastic– Recyclable carpet– Recyclable cars
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20Griffith School of Environment
Bad example – clean coal
• Australia’s largest export is coal• New Australian government
signed Kyoto Protocol (2007)• Committed to carbon-trading• Want to have our cake and eat it• Solution is clean coal technology
– Geosequestration– Biosequestration
• Emissions reduction though:– Energy & water efficiency– Dispersed generation
• Does not solve the problem
saferenvironment.wordpress.com/
www.pophistorydig.com/wp-content/uploads/2008.. http://www.treehugger.com/clean-coal-wars.jpg
GE’s clean coal campaign
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21Griffith School of Environment
Good example: renewables
• Solar power• Wind power• Biofuels & biogas• Geothermal• Tidal• Hydroelectricity
• e.g. use sewage to generate electricity from methane digesters and algae farms Maglev wind turbine: www.inhabitat.com/
http://solarshingles.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html
http://earth2tech.files.wordpress.comNewcastle, UK
San Francisco, USA
China
Arizona, USAwww.futureenergyevents.com
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22Griffith School of Environment
Other examples
• Green buildings• Urban agriculture• Green schools & solar schools• Green transport
– Solar & hydrogen busses
• Water recycling & re-use• Water & energy efficiency• Stormwater harvesting• Biodiesel (from waste oil)
Hydrogen bus - Perth
Solar bus - Adelaide
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23Griffith School of Environment
Planning mechanisms
• State sustainability strategies (e.g. W.A.)
• State of the environment reports (indicators)
• Regional planning schemes
• Climate change adaptation strategies
• Sustainability-based local land use plans
• Transit-oriented development & bicycle planning
• Parks, green corridors, green roofs & city farms
• Water sensitive urban design
• Green building rating scheme
• National ban on incandescent light-bulbs
• Environmental levies & subsidies
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24Griffith School of Environment
Australian Subsidies
• Solar hot water system rebate (up to $4,000)• Photo-voltaic roof panel rebate / credit ($8,000)• Solar electricity feed-in tariff (44 c per kwh)• Roof insulation ($1,600) & energy monitors• Low-flow showerheads (free) & dual flush toilets • Free give-aways and heavily discounted CFB’s• Domestic rainwater tanks ($500 federal; $1000 state)• Water efficient washing machines ($200 - $300)• Worm farms ($50)• Native plant discounts & rebates (up to $100 p.a.)• Vehicle registration discounts for hybrid vehicles
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25Griffith School of Environment
Gold Coast - Australia
Gold Coast, Australia
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26Griffith School of Environment
Gold Coast City Council
• Carbon neutral by 2020• Green power for municipal buildings• Switching to hybrid car & truck fleet• Solar heating of municipal swimming pools• Wastewater recycling & domestic re-use• Rainwater tank & washing machine subsidy• Four free street trees (per person / year) revegetation• Domestic kerbside recycling program• Investigating tidal energy• Target 52% of municipal area as eco-reserve
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27Griffith School of Environment
Bologne & Forli?
• Both cities have committed to sustainability
• Compact urban forms• Pedestrian oriented• Public transportation• Plenty of sunshine (solar)• Potential to become European mid-
sized city leaders• Potential for a network of
collaborators• Potential for international
partnerships with other mid-sized cities
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28Griffith School of Environment
Questions?