Summary

Urbanization is the study of the social, political, and economic relationships in cities. There are three prerequisites for the development of a city. First, good environment with fresh water and a favourable climate; second, advanced technology, which will produce a food surplus to support non-farmers; and third, strong social organization to ensure social stability and a stable economy. Urbanization levels are affected by two things – migration and natural increase. Global urbanization reached the 50 percent mark in 2008, meaning that more than half of the global population was living in cities compared to only 30 percent 50 years ago. The access to basic services— clean water, sanitation, electricity, and roads—are some of the main urbanization challenges facing the developing world. Long commute times, observed in sprawling metropolitan areas are unsustainable from many aspects. Various negative health and environmental consequences can be identified related to these development trends. Green urbanism is a conceptual model that seeks to transform and re-engineer existing city districts and regenerate the post-industrial city centre. It promotes the development of socially and environmentally sustainable city districts. The principles of green urbanism offer practical steps on the path to sustainable cities, harmonizing growth and usage of resources.

Review Questions

1. Select an aspect of your day-to-day existence that has environmental consequences. Describe the environmental consequences, and briefly discuss more sustainable alternatives.
2. Describe a sustainable neighborhood that you’re familiar with and explain what makes it sustainable.
3. Briefly describe a path to reducing our dependency on fossil fuels for transportation energy consumption.
4. What are the positive and negative impacts that buildings have on the environment and society?
5. Explain the connections between the design of our cities and resource use.

Attributions

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