Compact City

The Compact City is a network of these neighbourhoods, each with its own parks and public spaces and accommodating a diversity of overlapping private and public ... Domain4- PerformanceBasedBuiltEnvironment CompactCity Thereisawidespreadconsensus thatprogresstowardssustainabledevelopmentisessential.Humanactivity cannotcontinuetouseresourcesatthepresentratewithoutjeopardizing opportunitiesforfuturegenerations.Citiesarethemainarenaofhuman activity,buttheyarealsothegreatestconsumersofnaturalresources. However,urbansustainabilityisnotjustaboutenvironmentalconcerns,it isalsoabouteconomicviability,liveabilityandsocialequity.Recently, muchattentionhasfocusedontherelationshipbetweenurbanformand sustainability,thesuggestionbeingthattheshapeanddensityofcities canhaveimplicationsfortheirfuture.Fromthisdebate,strongarguments areemergingthatthecompactcityisthemostsustainableurbanform. CompactCityisahighdensityurbansettlement thathasthefollowingmaincharacteristics: Centralarearevitalisation High-densitydevelopment Mixed-usedevelopment Servicesandfacilities:hospitals,parks,schools, leisureandfun Inrecentyearscityplanners,developersand policymakershaveincreasinglylookedtowardsdesigningamorecompact cityinordertoachieveamoresustainableurbanform.  Policies ofurbancompactioninvolvethepromotionofurbanregeneration,therevitalisation oftowncenters,restraintondevelopmentinruralareas,higher densities,mixed-usedevelopment,promotionofpublictransportandthe concentrationofurbandevelopmentatpublictransportnodes.There aremanyperceivedbenefitsofthecompactcityoverurbansprawl,which include:lesscardependencythusloweremissions,reducedenergy consumption,betterpublictransportservices,increasedoverall accessibility,there-useofinfrastructureandpreviouslydevelopedland, aregenerationofexistingurbanareasandurbanvitality,ahigher qualityoflife,thepreservationofgreenspace,andthecreationofa milieuforenhancedbusinessandtradingactivities.Assustainable developmentreliesuponthecombinationofeconomic,socialand environmentalelements. Thefollowingaresome oftheissuesthatshouldbeaddressedforthecompactcitytoshow improvementsacrossallthreespheres. ConnectedCentresof SocialandCommercialActivities Thecreationofthemodern CompactCitydemandstherejectionofsingle-functiondevelopmentandthe dominanceofthecar.Theissuestobeaddressedare: howtodesigncitiesin whichcommunitiesthriveandmobilityisincreased howtodesignforpersonal mobilitywithoutallowingthecartounderminecommunallife howtodesignforand acceleratetheuseofcleantransportsystemsandre-balancetheuseof ourstreetsinfavourofthepedestrianandthecommunity TheCompactCityaddresses theseissuesbecauseitgrowsaroundcentresofsocialandcommercial activitylocatedatpublictransportnodes.Theseprovidethefocalpoints aroundwhichneighbourhoodsdevelop.TheCompactCityisanetworkofthese neighbourhoods,eachwithitsownparksandpublicspacesandaccommodating adiversityofoverlappingprivateandpublicactivities.London’shistoric structureoftowns,villages,squaresandparksistypicalofapolycentric patternofdevelopment.Mostimportantly,theseneighbourhoodsbringwork andfacilitieswithinconvenientreachofthecommunity,andthisproximity meanslessdrivingforeverydayneeds.Inlargecities,Masstransitsystems canprovidehigh-speedcross-towntravelbylinkingoneneighbourhoodcentre withanother,leavinglocaldistributiontolocalsystems.Thisreducesthe volumeandimpactofthroughtraffic,whichcanbecalmedandcontrolled, particularlyaroundthepublicheartofneighbourhoods.Localtrains,light railwaysystemsandelectricbusesbecomemoreeffective,andcyclingand walkingmorepleasant.Congestionandpollutioninthestreetsare drasticallyreducedandthesenseofsecurityandconvivialityofpublic spaceisincreased. return totopofpage Community-BasedSociety SustainableCompactCities couldreinstatethecityastheidealhabitatforacommunity-basedsociety. Itisanestablishedtypeofurbanstructurethatcanbeinterpretedinall mannerofwaysinresponsetoallmannerofcultures.Citiesshouldbeabout thepeopletheyshelter,aboutface-to-facecontact,aboutcondensingthe fermentofhumanactivity,aboutgeneratingandexpressinglocalculture. Whetherinatemperateoranextremeclimate,inarichorpoorsociety,the long-termaimofsustainabledevelopmentistocreateaflexiblestructure foravigorouscommunitywithinahealthyandnon-pollutingenvironment. return totopofpage Proximity Proximity,theprovisionof goodpublicspace,thepresenceofnaturallandscapeandtheexploitationof newurbantechnologiescanradicallyimprovethequalityofairandoflife inthedensecity.Anotherbenefitofcompactnessisthatthecountryside itselfisprotectedfromtheencroachmentofurbandevelopment. The concentrationofdiverseactivities,ratherthanthegroupingofsimilar activities,canmakeformoreefficientuseofenergy.TheCompactCitycan provideanenvironmentasbeautifulasthatofthecountryside. return totopofpage Overlapping Thewholepremiseofthe CompactCityisthatinterventionstriggerfurtheropportunitiesfor efficiency.ACompactCitycomposedofoverlappingactivities,forinstance, ismoreconvivialandcanreducetheneedforcarjourneys,whichinturn dramaticallyreducestheenergyusedfortransportation-usuallyaquarter ofacity’soverallenergyconsumption.Fewercarsmeanlesscongestionand betterairquality,whichinturnencouragescyclingandwalkingratherthan driving.Betterairqualitymakesopeningwindowstofreshairmore attractivethanturningonfilteredair-conditioners. return totopofpage RichUrban Landscaping Thereareotherimportant environmentaladvantagestoacompactformofcitythathasfewerroadsbut morelandscapedpublicspaces.Parks,gardens,treesandotherlandscaping providevegetationthatshadesandcoolsstreets,courtyardsandbuildings insummer.Citiesaregenerally1-20Cwarmerthantheir hinterland.Theoveralleffectofrichurbanlandscapingistoreducethe heat'bloom'ofcities,measurablyreducingtheneedforair-conditioning. Plantsdampennoiselevelsandfilterpollution,absorbcarbondioxideand produceoxygen-furtherfactorsthatreducetheneedforair-conditioning tosupplycooledfreshairtobuildingsinwhatwouldotherwisebehotand pollutedurbanareas.Urbanlandscapeabsorbsrain,reducingthedischarge ofurbanrainfallandstormwater.Landscapeplaysanimportant psychologicalroleinthecityandcansustainawidediversityofurban wildlife. return totopofpage ReducedWasteof Energy ACompactCityreducesthe wasteofenergy.Generatingelectricpowerproduceshotwaterasa by-product,whichinconventionalpowerplantsissimplywasted.Local CombinedHeatandPowerplants(CHPs)canbeusedbothtodistribute electricityand,duetotheirproximity,topipehotwaterdirectlyinto buildings.Thiscanmorethandoubletheefficiencyofconventionalurban powerdistribution.Cityrubbish,whichisusuallyeitherdumpedaslandfill orincinerated,bothwithpollutingeffects,canbeburnedbylocalCHPsand supplyupto30percentofacommunity’senergyneeds.Inacitythat combinesavarietyofactivities,itiseasiertotransferwasteheatfrom oneactivitytoanother.Excessheatgeneratedbyoffices,forexample,is usuallydissipatedintotheenvironment,butitcanbereusedinhospitals, homes,hotelsorschoolsiftheyarereasonablyclose. return totopofpage RecycledHumanWaste Humanwastethatisrichin nutrientsiscurrentlydischargedinsuchhighconcentrationsthatit poisonstheenvironment.Itcaninsteadberecycledtoproducemethanefuel pelletsandfertilizers.Greywatercanbefilteredthroughnaturalsystems onsiteandbere-usedforirrigationofurbanlandscapeortorestocklocal aquifers.Experimentalseweragetreatmentschemesthatdischargetheirwaste belowindustrialforestryhavebeenshownbothtoincreasethegrowthrate oftheforests,woodsandparksandtorestocklocalaquiferswithpurified water.Cleanwaterisrecognisedasthecriticalresourceofthecoming millennium,andwemustdevelopsystemsthatmaximisetheefficiencyofits use. return totopofpage CompactCityIssues Thefollowingaresomeofthe issuesthatneedtobeaddressedbyplannersandpolicymakersfora successfulCompactCity: Whatnextwhenacompact cityachievesitshighestpossibledensity? CompactCityimplicationsforindividuallifestyles Thelinkbetween citycompactnessandsocialequity:Sustainabledevelopmentinvolvesmore thanjustenvironmentalconversation;itembracestheneedforequity. Bothintra-generationalequityprovidingfortheneedsoftheleast advantagedinsociety,andinter-generationalequity,ensuringafair treatmentoffuturegenerationsneedtobeconsidered. Equityandcommunityissues:Theurban periphery,doughnutsofdeprivation,socialinclusion/exclusion,crime andsecurityissues Urbanmanagementandsafety Industrystructureandtheredistributionofpopulation Familysize,lifestyle,cultureetc.effectondwelling /buildingsize,typeanddesign,housingneeds,relocationand transactioncosts,health,educationinfrastructure,facilitiesand servicesetc. CompactCityimplicationsfor politicians/planners:healthissues,education,communication, informationsystems,industrial,etc. Theeffectof intensification/decentralizationontheincrease/decreaseinurban vibrancy: Towncenters offeringmoreculturalandentertainmentfacilities,becauseofthe concentrationofretailandemploymentactivities.  Moreneighbors, aswellasneighborsofincreasinglydiversesocio-economicbackgrounds effectsonlocalidentityorasenseofcommunity.  Safetydueto securitycameras,increasedpolicingandtheconcentrationof entertainmentfacilitiesinthetowncenter. Profitabilityof businessandtradingactivities,suchasentertainmentfacilities, restaurants,barsandclubs.   Theeffectof compactnessontheneedtotravelandfeasibilityofpublictransport, thusreducingemissionsandcontributingtoenvironmentalsustainability. Theeffectof compactnessonthe efficiencyofservices,suchaspublic transport,sewersandrubbishcollectionetc. Theimpactof intensificationpoliciesontheurbanlandscape. The‘environmental clash’betweenhousing,industryandtrafficthatcannolongerbesolved throughthetraditionalmethodsofplacingdistancebetween ‘environmentallyintrusiveactivities’and‘environmentallysensitive areas’throughzoning.Asaresultofitsmixed-useandcompaction ideologiesthecompactcitypolicymakesitdifficulttosolve environmentalconflictsbykeepingasufficientdistancebetweenintrusive forcesandenvironmentallysensitiveareas,activitiesandfunctions. return totopofpage References Rogers,R.andGumuchdjian,P.,1997,CitiesforSmall Planet,FaberandFaberLimited,ISBN:0-571-17993-2,London Jenks,M.,Burton,E.andWilliams,K.(Editors),1996, TheCompactCity:ASustainableUrbanForm?,SponPress;ISBN: 0419213007 deRoo,G.andMiller,D.(Editors),2000,Compact CitiesandSustainableUrbanDevelopment:ACriticalAssessmentofPolicies andPlansfromanInternationalPerspective(UrbanPlanningandEnvironment), AshgatePublishingLimited,ISBN:0754615375 Elkin,T., McLaren,D.andHillman,M.,1991,RevivingtheCity:towardssustainable urbandevelopment,London Williams,K.,BurtonE.andJenks,M., 2000,AchievingSustainableUrbanForm,London return totopofpage ConnectedCentres Community-Based Society Proximity Overlapping RichLandscaping ReducedEnergy RecycledWaste Issues References RelatedWebSites RelatedWebSites   return totopofpage