Environment and Urbanization-2006-Kenworthy-67-85

://eau.sagepub.com/content/18/1/67Theonlineversionofthisarticlecanbefoundat: DOI:10.1177/0956247806063947200618:67EnvironmentandUrbanizationJeffreyRKenworthydevelopmentTheeco-city:tenkeytransportandplanningdimensionsforsustainablecity  Publishedby:  InternationalInstituteforEnvironmentandDevelopmentcanbefoundat:EnvironmentandUrbanizationAdditionalservicesandinformationfor     : : : : byguestonAugust7,2011eau.sagepub.comDownloadedfromTheeco-city:tenkeytransportandplanningdimensionsforsustainablecitydevelopmentJEFFREYRKENWORTHYABSTRACTMakingexistingcitiesandnewurbandevelopmentmoreecologi-callybasedandliveableisanurgentpriorityintheglobalpushforsustainability.Thispaperdiscussestencriticalresponsestothisissueandsummarizestheminasimpleconceptualmodelthatplacesthenexusbetweentransportandurbanformattheheartofdevelopinganeco-city.Thisinvolvescompact,mixed-useurbanform,well-definedhigher-density,human-orientedcentres,prioritytothedevelop-mentofsuperiorpublictransportsystemsandconditionsfornon-motorizedmodes,withminimalroadcapacityincreases,andprotectionofthecity’snaturalareasandfood-producingcapacity.Thesefactorsformtheframeworkinwhicheverythingelseisembeddedandmustoperate,andiftheyarenotaddressedonlymarginalchangesinurbansustainabilitycanbemade.Withinthisframework,environmentaltechnologiesneedtobeextensivelyapplied.Economicgrowthneedstoemphasizecreativityandinnovationandtostrengthentheenviron-mental,socialandculturalamenitiesofthecity.Thepublicrealmthroughoutthecityneedstobeofahighquality,andsustainableurbandesignprinciplesneedtobeappliedinallurbandevelopment.Allthesedimensionsneedtooperatewithintwokeyprocessesinvolvingvision-orientedandreformistthinkingandastrong,community-oriented,democraticsustainabilityframeworkfordecision-making.KEYWORDSeco-city/environmentaltechnologies/publicrealm/sustainabletransport/urbancentres/urbandesign/urbanformI.INTRODUCTIONChangingurbandevelopmentfromitspresentunsustainableformsandpatternsisaverychallengingprocess.Notonlydourbanform,trans-portationsystemsandwater,wasteandenergytechnologieshavetochange,butthevaluesystemsandunderlyingprocessesofurbangovern-anceandplanningneedtobereformedtoreflectasustainabilityagenda.Somewouldarguethatwedonothavemuchtimelefttomakethesechangesbeforetheecologicalprocessesthatunderpinallofhumanity’sactivitiesonearthbecomesoseverelythreatenedthatthesituationwillpitnationagainstnationinastruggletoaccesstheremainingecologicalservicesandresourcesthatsupportlife.(1)Thehighlyauto-dependent,resource-consumingcitiesinNorthAmericaandAustraliaaccountforadisproportionatelyhighamountoftheenergy,materialsandwasteproductionoftoday’surbanareas,andrequireremedialactionsonanunprecedentedscale.Meanwhile,JeffreyKenworthyisProfessorinSustainableCitiesattheInstituteforSustainabilityandTechnologyPolicyatMurdochUniversityinPerth.Heisbestknownforhisinternationalcomparisonofcitiesaroundthethemeofautomobiledependence.Hehaspublishedextensivelyinthetransportandplanningfieldsfor26yearsandisco-authorwithPeterNewmanofSustainabilityandCities:OvercomingAutomobileDependence(1999)andTheMillenniumCitiesDatabaseforSustainableTransport(2001)withFelixLaube.Address:InstituteforSustainabilityandTechnologyPolicy,MurdochUniversity,Perth,WesternAustralia,6150;e-mail:[e-mail],R(2004),TheNextWorldWar:Tribes,Cities,NationsandEcologicalDecline,UniversityofTorontoPress,Toronto,328pages.67Environment&UrbanizationCopyright©2006InternationalInstituteforEnvironmentandDevelopment(IIED).Vol18(1):67–85.DOI:10.1177/0956247806063947(2)andtheydrawheavilyonmyobservationsandcomparativestudiesofcitiesaroundtheworldoverthelast26years.Clearly,urbansystemsareverycomplexandcannotbeshapedbyanysimplesetofguidelines,butitisarguedthatno