1. URBANIZATION

2. Managing Residential & Commercial Land Use – Building Construction Current Building Practices Heavy dependence on toxic compounds Heavy dependence on energy to build the house Example Wood for framing (trees collect solar energy) – one 3 bedroom house needs 1 acre of forest, transport, milling, shipped, power tools, etc Heavy dependence on energy to operate a house Heavy input into waste stream Example Average 3 bedroom house produces 4-7 tons of solid waste

3. Managing Residential & Commercial Land Use – Building Construction Sustainable practices Use nontoxic and recycled materials Use nontoxic finishes on wood surfaces Choose sites near businesses and shopping Recycle material from older buildings Use cellulose insulation rather than fiberglass Use ecologically efficient carpeting (recycled) Use nontoxic cleaning fluids Purchase materials from local sources Landscape with drought resistant plants – plant deciduous trees on the sunny side Compost waste Consider a grey water system Design for decreased energy use

4. Managing Residential & Commercial Land Use – Urbanization Trends 1800 – 6% lived in urban environments 1990 – 75% live in cities Pros of city living Less land per person Mass transit means less energy use More efficient recycling Better sanitation More educational and cultural opportunity Cons of city living Disconnected with true costs of food consumed Consumerism rampant Unable to naturally treat wastewater and solid waste Energy intensive (cooling and heating buildings)

5. Managing Residential & Commercial Land Use – Urbanization Causes of urban growth Immigration “pull” factors – drawn to cities Improved sanitation Improved access and choice of food Improved medical care More opportunity for employment and upward mobility Higher salaries Recreational and cultural events Diverse lifestyles, more luxury Immigration “push” factors – leave rural areas Decreased employment or economic downturn Subsistence farmers unable to compete with industrial monoculture Cultural conflict in homogenous villages Increased need for medical care Unavailability of land

6. Managing Residential & Commercial Land Use – Urbanization Current urban problems Traffic and transportation Air pollution Water pollution Housing Crime Mental illness or substance abuse

7. Managing Residential & Commercial Land Use – Urbanization Urban renewal Involve residents in the planning of government-subsidized housing A sense of community grows when residents take responsibility for upkeep and safety of “projects”

8. Managing Residential & Commercial Land Use – Urbanization City planning Cities have a typical evolution – around religious or intellectual centers, around railroad or road junctions, wealthy live in suburbs, roads lead to malls, land cheaper outside of city, city core becomes financial center & wealthy live in city, perimeter village become urban centers Transportation – planning is vital to minimize traffic & keep population moving Multiuse design & clustering – decreases transportation costs & fosters sense of community Social equity in placement of subsidized housing – least affluent not asked to pay health costs of living in undesirable areas Open space – parks and greenbelts reduce noise & air pollution, provide habitat (greenspace on building tops reduces heat dome effect)

9. Urban Sustainability Urbanization and urban centers have positive and negative environmental impacts

10. Urbanization impacts the environment Resource sinks = cities must import resources from long distances They rely on large expanses of land elsewhere for resources They need natural land for ecosystem services (air and water purification, nutrient cycling, waste treatment)

11. People don’t feel the consequences of choices Isolated urban residents don’t feel the environmental impact of their choices Long distance transportation of resources requires a great deal of fossil fuels But, a world without cities would require more fossil fuels to transport resources and goods

12. Efficiency in urban areas Efficiency = the concentration of people in cities allows efficient consumption of resources City density facilitates social services that improve the quality of life Medical services, education, water and sewer systems, waste disposal, transportation

13. Consumption in urban areas Consumption = heavy use of outside resources extends ecological footprints of cities to a level far beyond their actual sizes Cities take up only 2% of the land surface, but consume more than 75% of the world’s resources Urban dwellers have far larger ecological footprints that rural dwellers But, urban residents tend to be wealthier, and wealth correlates with consumption

14. Cities preserve land but export pollution Because people are packed densely in cities, more land outside cities is left undeveloped If cities did not exist, we would have much less room for agriculture, wilderness, biodiversity, or privacy Cities export wastes and transfer the costs of activities to other regions Citizens are exposed to pollution such as heavy metals and chemicals The poor (and often racial minorities) bear the brunt of pollution because they are too poor to move

15. Cities have noise and light pollution Noise pollution = undesired ambient sound Degrades aesthetic surroundings Can induce stress and harm hearing Decible Comparison Chart Light pollution = lights obscure the night sky, impairing the visibility of stars Can also lead to sleep deprivation Interfere with sea turtle hatchlings

16. Earth at Night

17. North America By Night

18. Urban centers foster innovation Cities promote a flourishing cultural life They spark innovation and creativity Promote education and scientific research They are engines of technological and artistic inventiveness They serve as markets for organic produce, recycling, and education

19. Some seek sustainability for cities Cities must replace the one-way linear metabolism of importing resources and exporting wastes Destabilizes environmental systems and are not sustainable Urban ecology = cities can be viewed explicitly as ecosystems Fundamentals of ecology and systems apply to cities

20. Urban sustainability: cities should… Use resources efficiently Recycle Develop environmentally friendly technologies Account fully for externalities (external costs borne by someone not involved in the transaction) Offer tax incentives for sustainable practices Use locally produced resources Use organic waste and wastewater to restore soil fertility Encourage urban agriculture

21. Cities can become sustainable Singapore produces all its own meat & 25% of its vegetable needs Curitiba, Brazil, has a highly effective bus network, as well as provides recycling, environmental education, job training, and free health care Developed countries should invest in resource-efficient technologies to reduce their impacts Developing countries should invest in basic infrastructure to improve health and living conditions