Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Kuldeep
Dipankar Pal
o Urbanization
• Process in which people increasingly move from rural
areas to densely population cities
o Jobs define urban vs. rural, not populations
• Rural area occupations involve harvesting natural
resources
• Urban area occupations involve jobs not connected with
natural resources
o People are moving to cities due to decrease in
employment opportunities in rural areas
Vikas Mann
Kuldeep
Dipankar Pal
Characteristics of Urban Population
Hong Kong has a whopping 43 buildings over 200 metres tall, 30 of which
were built in the year 2000 or later. It also boasts four of the 15 tallest buildings in
the world. Hong Kong’s skyline shows a large selection of distinct sky-reaching
towers.
Chicago, Illinois
When Chicago built its first steel high-rise in 1885, it was not the tallest
structure in the world but the first example of a new form of engineering that would
change nearly every city on earth. Chicago has 19 buildings over 200 metres tall
(three of which are among the top 20 tallest buildings in the world, including the
tallest in North America).
Shanghai, China
China's biggest and most advanced city, Shanghai was said to be the most
cosmopolitan city in the beginning of the 20th century, but lost its glory during
the “Mao era”. It is now quickly regaining its position as one of the biggest
economic powerhouses in the world as well as a showcase of modern
architecture. In Shanghai you’ll find 25 structures that are over 200 metres tall,
one of which is the insanely tall, the 468m downtown Oriental Pearl TV Tower.
Vikas Mann
Kuldeep
Full Satellite View of City
Dipankar Pal
Vikas Mann
Kuldeep
Dipankar Pal
Transportation and Urban Development
o Transportation
availability affects
city’s spatial
structure
o Ex: An east coast
US city
• (a) 1700-
1700-1850
• (b) 1850-
1850-1910
• (c) 20th century
Vikas Mann
Kuldeep
Dipankar Pal
Suburban Sprawl
o Suburban Sprawl
• Patchwork of vacant and developed tracts around the edges
of cities
o Problems
• Loss of wetlands
• Air pollution
• Water pollution
• Loss of biological
habitat
o 11 states now have
new growth management laws (Smart Growth)
Vikas Mann
Kuldeep
Sustainable Cities Dipankar Pal
Case in Point-
Point- Curitiba, Brazil
Vikas Mann
Kuldeep
o POET
• Population
• Number of people
• Organization
• Social structure of city
• Environment
• City infrastructure and natural environment
• Technology
• Human intervention that directly affects the urban
environment
o Four variables are dependent on each other and
interact like parts of a natural ecosystem
Vikas Mann
Kuldeep
Dipankar Pal
Making Cities More Sustainable
Humans heal faster if they can see a tree from their hospital window.
http://margaret.tarampi.com/Ulrich_1984.pdf
Green spaces …absorb particular matter., “Beautify”, Provide habitat for insects, animals and
organisms, Reduce noise., Clean water., Encourage outdoor activity make healthier populous., Give
kids a place to play, Buffer wind.
Ecology- Restoration in Urban Setting
The idea that we do not have natural areas enough to preserve, what must have been preserved.
We have to integrate ecological preservation/restoration into the human enterprise.
Vikas Mann
Ecosystem and Imbalance Kuldeep
Dipankar Pal
Ecosystem is the environment where biotic/ living things live and interact with
nonliving things/abiotic factors such as coral reef, forest, grassland, farm etc. In 1935,
the word “ ecosystem” was invented by a British ecologist Sir Arthur George Tansley,
who depicted natural system in “ constant interchange” among their biotic and abiotic
parts. Biotic parts such as plants, animals and bacteria etc. Abiotic parts such as the soil,
air, water etc.
Ecology is a branch of science that was developed by scientist to make the study
easier about the relationship between biotic things and their physical environment which
is the abiotic factors – and ecosystem is part of the concept of ecology in an organized
view of nature.
Biosphere is the earth’s zone of air, water and soil that has the capability in
supporting life. T his zone reaches about 10 km into the atmosphere and down to the
lowest ocean floor. In simpler term, the biosphere is the surface of the hierarchy on
earth where living environment and organism thrive. It contains various categories of
biotic communities known as biomes that is described by their overbearing vegetation
such as deserts, tropical rainforest and grasslands. T he biomes are in turn composed of
various ecosystems.
Non-equilibrium Theory: Recent ecological theory focuses on “processes and BACKYARD HABITAT
dynamics – function – rather than primarily on states and structures” (Pickett
et al. 2003, p.374). This non-equilibrium theory recognizes that “ecological
systems can have more than one state, including unstable states.
STREET TREES
HABITAT
Urban Ecosystem
Ecologists and designers have established a number of strategies for
maintaining ecological health that can be applied to urban systems:
Patches: Large patches are desirable. They usually have a larger population
of any given species than a smaller patch, which makes it less likely that the
species will become locally extinct. Large patches are also likely to have
multiple habitat types present, which sustains higher biodiversity (Dramstad URBAN POND HABITAT
et al. 1996, Forman 1995). Finally, large patches often have larger interior
habitat, which supports species that cannot tolerate Edge Zones.
Materials:
Resource consumption: Materials.: Speaking
globally, we consume roughly 10 billion metric tons
of engineering materials per year, an average of 1.5
metric tons per person though it is not distributed
evenly.
Global carbon (C) emissions from fossil fuel use were 9.795 gigatonnes (Gt) in 2014
(or 35.9 GtCO2 of carbon dioxide). Fossil fuel emissions were 0.6% above
emissions in 2013 and 60% above emissions in 1990 (the reference year in the Kyoto
Protocol).
Based on a 2015 GDP forecast of 3.1% by the International Monetary Fund, the
Global Carbon Project projects a 2015 decline of 0.6% in global emissions.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Waste Vikas Mann
Kuldeep
Dipankar Pal
Human Sources :
Fossil fuel emissions (including cement production) accounted for about 91% of
Global Emissions
total CO2 emissions from human sources in 2014. This portion of emissions
originates from coal (42%), oil (33%), gas (19%), cement (6%) and gas flaring (1%).
Changes in land use are responsible for about 9% of all global CO2 emissions.
In 2013, the largest national contributions to the net growth in total global Fossil Fuel Land-Use
emissions in 2013 were China (58% of the growth), USA (20% of the growth), Year Total & Cement Change
India (17% of the growth), and EU28 (a decrease by 11% of the growth). 2014 9.795 GtC ~ 0.9 Gtc
Natural Sinks: 2013 9.735 GtC
For the decade from 2005 to 2014, about 44% of CO2 emissions accumulated in 2012 9.575 GtC
the atmosphere, 26% in the ocean, and 30% on land.
2011 9.449 GtC
Cumulative Emissions: 2010 9.995 Gtc 9.140 GtC 0.855 GtC
From 1870 to 2014, cumulative carbon emissions totalled about 545 2009 9.567 Gtc 8.700 GtC 0.867 GtC
GtC. Emissions were partitioned among the atmosphere (approx. 230 GtC or
42%), ocean (approx. 155 GtC or 28%) and the land (approx. 160 GtC or 29%). 2008 9.666 Gtc 8.740 GtC 0.926 GtC
2007 9.472 Gtc 8.532 GtC 0.940 GtC
Atmospheric Accumulation: 2006 9.355 Gtc 8.363 GtC 0.992 GtC
The 2014 level of CO2 in the atmospheric was 43% above the level when the
Industrial Revolution started in 1750.
Waste: Existing cities have expanded and new ones have been established, levels of solid and water waste have also grown, increasing
demand for land-fill sites and wastewater processing plants. Landfills are significant sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as
methane, that can be up to 26 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO2) as a greenhouse gas, and servicing landfills requires
large scale transportation of waste, often over large distances.
Developing new conceptual frameworks, infrastructures and waste program in cities of the future will determine the extent to
which the operational costs of the city increase or decrease. In a rapidly urbanizing future, it is clear that dealing with waste through
conventional means could prove more expensive and environmentally damaging. Newer, low footprint waste disposal, recycling and
re-use, re-design of systems and products, and cleaner technology processes and technologies are required if the challenge of waste
is to be adequately tackled.
Food Vikas Mann
Kuldeep
Dipankar Pal
Food demand is increasing as a result of population growth and
changes in diets. (Tilman et al. 2011).
Overall demand for agricultural products (including food, feed, fibre
and biofuels) is expected to increase by 1.1% per year from 2005/07 to
2050, down from 2.2% per year in the previous four decades. As the
population grows and more countries and population groups attain per
capita food consumption with little scope for major increases, global
food demand will grow at much lower rates. For a long time to come,
some countries might have difficulty increasing food consumption due
to low incomes and significant poverty.
Despite declining growth rates in food demand, the absolute quantities
of food necessary to feed the world in 2050 are substantial. If current
trajectories in population growth, dietary shifts and food waste
management remain unchanged, meeting global food demand in 2050
will require the following production increases:
cereals production must increase by 940 million tonnes to reach
3 billion tonnes;
meat production must increase by 196 million tonnes to reach
455 million tonnes; a
oil crops by must increase by 133 million tonnes to reach 282
million tonnes.
If consumption patterns do not change, agricultural production will
need to increase by 60% relative to 2005 to meet food demand in 2050.
(Alexandratos and Bruinsma 2012)
Resource Efficiency Vikas Mann
Kuldeep
Dipankar Pal
Resource Efficiency is a key driver of success that promotes
Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), facilitates a transition
to a Green Economy and thus contributes to achieving global
sustainable development. In cities, resource efficiency enhances the
quality of life in urban areas by minimizing resource extraction, energy
consumption and waste generation and while simultaneously
safeguarding ecosystem services. UNEP defines resource efficiency
from a life cycle and value chain perspective. This means reducing the
total environmental impact of the production and consumption of
goods and services, from raw material extraction to final use and
disposal.
Benefits:
There is a strong link between quality of life in cities and how cities
draw on and manage the natural resources available to them. Resource
efficient cities combine greater productivity and innovation with lower
costs and reduce environmental impacts, while providing increased
opportunities for consumer choices and sustainable lifestyles. In
addition, ‘urban mining’, the reduction of influx of resources by
making better use of the existing stocks of materials available in the
urban environment through increased recycling rates, is a strategy that
can scale up these benefits. Resource efficiency is key for cities to
contribute to local and global sustainability and offer at the same time
high potential for financial savings.
Thank You