This content will think of three varied initiatives that might be implemented to make city living more eco friendly, along with more practical and sustainable in the long term: keep reading.
One among the main characteristics of sustainable cities is the easiness of movement: private cars are not an efficient way of travelling around an urban centre, considering the density of vehicles and the traffic and pollution that it can cause. Instead, a nice and dependable public transport system is one of the staples of sustainable urban living: not just will it be faster, as more individuals will be able to travel using the same vehicle (and subsequently lowering the range of cars on the road), but it will have incredible environmental effects, as public transport is beginning to employ more and more electric-powered vehicles. Figures like Heidi Alexander work with major metropolitan transportation networks, and are obviously aware of all the perks that each specific means of travel has.
If you take a look at any proposals for brand new urban projects, one thing that you will hopefully see in lots of cases is the presence of green spaces. Something as simple as having trees on the side of a street has been proven to assist have a nice temperature during hotter days, and as we are possibly all aware, trees help make the air we breathe cleaner. These are just a few the many reasons why so many smart city ideas involve more plants. Whilst parks will always be prominent, a few sustainable ideas for the future have implemented small gardens in residential housing, for example on rooftops: this would enable individuals who live in apartments to receive some private green areas, and even grow some leafy greens or herbs. There have even been vertical implementations of gardens, as seen with developers like Lars Huber. Having plants that help bee pollination, such as lavender, is also a renowned idea that can help the planet.
One of the primary aims of sustainable living practices is sometimes to use less energy, or to utilise the same amount of energy much more proficiently: this is both helpful for the planet, as less emissions will be created, and for the person, as it will help saving on things like utility bills. A good thing that might be implemented is sustainable architecture: by building houses with energy-saving in mind, this aim is easily attained, with genuine estate figures like Frank Zweegers considering this plan to urban sustainability. Constructing houses with great insulation will imply that less heating will be required in winter, as the house will stay effortlessly warmer, and viceversa in summer. As an alternative for employing artificial light, having major windows that are cleverly oriented will provide lots of natural light, which will make the living experience much more pleasant.