Deck 22: Sustainable Cities

Question 1

Write a brief essay that includes at least three reasons why you (a) enjoy living in a large city, (b) would like to live in a large city, or (c) do not wish to live in a large city. Be specific in your reasoning. Compare your essay with those of your classmates.

Answer 1

Urban sprawl refers to growth of low-density development that occurs at the edges of towns and cities. It leads to the elimination of wild lands and agricultural lands.
Yes, I do believe that urban sprawl is a problem and it should be controlled. It is because of the following facts:
• It has caused an increase in flooding and runoff.
• It leads to an increase in unemployment in the central cities.
• It causes an increase in the use of energy and also it increases the waste production.
Hence, urban sprawl is a problem and it should be controlled.

Question 2

What are this chapter's three big ideas Explain how Portland, Oregon, and other cities are applying the six principles of sustainability (see Figure 1-2, p. 6, Figure 1-5, p. 9, or back cover) to become more sustainable urban areas.

Answer 2

The 6 principles of sustainability can be applied to urbanization. Cities can use solar power on rooftops to provide electricity and heat water.
The concept of biodiversity is the model by which the process of running a city should be viewed: a natural ecosystem has almost no waste, because that which is waste for one form of life is often fuel for another. Cities can increase their green spaces, plant more vegetation, protect wetlands and forests on their outskirts, and build diversity concepts in their downtown rejuvenation plans.
The principle of chemical cycling can be applied to the ways that cities solid waste. Because no new chemicals are being created, we must consider every manufactured item as one that is taking precious resources and converting them for human consumption. Solid waste must be treated so that the chemicals used can be re-used and not wasted. Strong recycling laws and programs, especially for e-waste, will allow for the recovery and re-use of precious resources.
We must make it economically attractive for developers and city planners to create sustainable plans for urban growth, which is inevitable. City officials can use permits and zoning laws to support the concepts of eco-cities and planned urban villages. Citizens must realize that automobiles are costly and destructive to the city's air, and they contribute to traffic congestion and noise pollution.
We must put political pressure on local and national governments to pass laws that make environmental sense, even if the laws are not always friendly to developers and some industries. Grass-roots movements have put political pressure on legislators with varying degrees of success. We can look to certain municipalities around the world as leaders in smart growth.
Finally, every individual, municipality, and government must understand that respect for the earth, its life, and its resources are a moral/ethical issue. It is not just about using resources responsibly; it is about the right of each individual to live a life that provides them with a healthy environment, one that is free of man-made substances that pollute or threaten their health and development.

Question 3

The campus where you go to school is something like an urban community. Choose five eco-city characteristics (p. 622) and apply them to your campus. For each of the five characteristics:
Write an explanation of your research process and why you chose each rating.

Answer 3

NO ANSWER

Question 4

Under normal driving conditions an internal combustion engine in a car produces approximately 200 grams (0.2 kilograms, or 0.44 pounds) of CO 2 per kilometre driven. Assume that a city you are studying has 7 million cars and that each car is driven an average of 20,000 kilometers (12,400 miles) per year.
By what percentage, and by what average distance driven, would use of cars in the city have to be cut in order to reduce by half the annual carbon footprint calculated in question 1

Question 5

List three major trends in global urban growth. Describe the three phases of urban growth in the United States. What is urban sprawl List five factors that have promoted urban sprawl in the United States. List five undesirable effects of urban sprawl.

Question 6

One issue debated at a UN conference was the question of whether housing is a universal right (a position supported by most less-developed countries) or just a need (supported by the United States and several other more-developed countries). What is your position on this issue Defend your choice.

Question 7

The campus where you go to school is something like an urban community. Choose five eco-city characteristics (p. 622) and apply them to your campus. For each of the five characteristics:
Write a proposed plan for how the campus could improve its rating.

Question 8

What is the key concept for this section What are the major advantages and disadvantages of urbanization Explain why most urban areas are unsustainable systems and how these factors contribute to their unsustainability: lack of vegetation, water supply problems and flooding, pollution, health problems, the heat island effect, and light pollution. What is noise pollution and why is it an urban problem Describe the major aspects of poverty in urban areas. Summarize Mexico City's major urban and environmental problems and what government officials are doing about them.

Question 9

Portland, Oregon ( Core Case Study ), has made significant progress in becoming a more environmentally sustainable and desirable place to live. If you live in an urban area, what steps, if any, has your community taken toward becoming more environmentally sustainable Given the story of Portland, what steps could your community take that it has not taken to follow Portland's example

Question 10

If you own a car or hope to own one, what conditions, if any, would encourage you to rely less on your car and to travel to school or work by bicycle, on foot, by mass transit, or by carpool

Question 11

The campus where you go to school is something like an urban community. Choose five eco-city characteristics (p. 622) and apply them to your campus. For each of the five characteristics:
Create a scale of 1 to 10 in order to rate the campus on how well it does in having that characteristic. (For example, how well does it do in giving students options for getting around, other than by using a car A rating of 1 could be not at all, while a rating of 10 could be excellent. )

Question 12

What is the key concept for this section Distinguish between compact and dispersed cities, and give an example of each. What are the major advantages and disadvantages of using motor vehicles List four ways to reduce dependence on motor vehicles. List the major advantages and disadvantages of relying more on (a) bicycles, (b) bus rapid-transit systems, (c) mass-transit rail systems within urban areas, and (d) rapid-rail systems between urban areas.

Question 13

Under normal driving conditions an internal combustion engine in a car produces approximately 200 grams (0.2 kilograms, or 0.44 pounds) of CO 2 per kilometre driven. Assume that a city you are studying has 7 million cars and that each car is driven an average of 20,000 kilometers (12,400 miles) per year.
Calculate the carbon footprint per car, that is, the number of metric tons (and tons) of CO 2 produced by a typical car in 1 year. Calculate the total carbon footprint for all cars in the city, that is, the number of metric tons (and tons) of CO 2 produced by all the cars in 1 year. ( Note: 1 metric ton = 1,000 kilograms = 1.1 tons.)

Question 14

Do you believe the United States or the country in which you live should develop a comprehensive and integrated mass-transit system over the next 20 years, including an efficient rapid-rail network for travel within and between its major cities How would you pay for such a system

Question 15

Using the GREENR database, search global population by 2050. (You may need to utilize other related portals to obtain the depth of information necessary to complete your research.) Find three different projections for the global urban population in 2050 and explain how the projections were made. To do this, try to find out the assumptions behind each of the projections with regard to urbanization trends and other factors. Based on your reading, choose the projection that you believe to be the closest to reality and explain why you chose this projection.

Question 16

What is the key concept for this section What is land-use planning What is zoning and what are its limitations Define smart growth and list five tools that are used to implement it. What are three ways to preserve open spaces around a city

Question 17

Explain how Portland, Oregon, has attempted to become a more sustainable city ( Core Case Study ).

Question 18

Consider the characteristics of an eco-city listed on p. 622. How close to this eco-city model is the city in which you live or the city nearest to where you live Pick what you think are the five most important characteristics of an eco-city and, for each of these characteristics, describe a way in which your city could attain it.

Question 19

Do you think that urban sprawl is a problem and something that should be controlled Develop an argument to support your answer. Compare your argument with those of your classmates.

Question 20

What is the key concept for this section What is cluster development What are the five key goals of new urbanism What is sustainable community development and what are six indicators that scientists study to assess a community's level of sustainability Explain why becoming carbon-negative is an important goal for communities.

Question 21

The campus where you go to school is something like an urban community. Choose five eco-city characteristics (p. 622) and apply them to your campus. For each of the five characteristics:
Do some research and rate your campus for each characteristic.

Question 22

Congratulations! You are in charge of the world. List the three most important components of your strategy for dealing with urban growth and sustainability in (a) more-developed countries and (b) less-developed countries.

Question 23

Under normal driving conditions an internal combustion engine in a car produces approximately 200 grams (0.2 kilograms, or 0.44 pounds) of CO 2 per kilometre driven. Assume that a city you are studying has 7 million cars and that each car is driven an average of 20,000 kilometers (12,400 miles) per year.
If 20% of the city's residents were to walk, bike, or take mass transit instead of driving their cars in the city, how many metric tons (and tons) of the annual emissions of CO 2 would be eliminated

Question 24

Describe the eco-city model and how it applies the principles of sustainability. Describe the potential for urban indoor farming. Give five examples of how Curitiba, Brazil, has attempted to become a more sustainable and livable eco-city.

Question 25

What is the key concept for this section Distinguish between urbanization and urban growth. What percentage of the world's people live in urban areas List two ways in which urban areas grow. What are some of the reasons why people move to cities

Question 26

What is the eco-village movement How do eco-villages apply each of the three scientific principles of sustainability