CITIES

Cities can make a signifi cant contribution on their own account to reducing GHG emissions from transport. In fact, the same suggestions apply to cities as to businesses.

City governments can also play a key role by making low-emission transport more attractive to their citizens. Designing streets that are friendlier to pedestrians and cyclists than they are to four-wheeled vehicles will encourage more people to leave their cars at home. Integrating public transport into a
seamless system which enables passengers to switch effortlessly from bus to tram or train or metro will attract more users. Some cities have introduced congestion charging systems, requiring drivers in the central area to pay a fee: they include Singapore, Stockholm, Oslo, Milan and London.

Spatial planning is an important civic function which can help significantly to cut energy use in urban transport. Cities can retain their focus and sense of place if they plan for “densifi cation” as opposed to Los Angeles-style sprawl. By avoiding “sleeping cities” and planning mixed functions in neighbourhoods, commuting can be minimized. This can save GHG emissions, because energy consumption in cities is directly linked to the number of inhabitants per square kilometre.

Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, is planning a new city, to be called Masdar, which will rely entirely on solar energy, with a sustainable, zero-carbon, zero-waste ecology. It will cover six square kilometres and house energy, science and technology communities. Masdar has been planned as a high-density
city, with electric-powered vehicles providing public transport. The designers, the British architectural firm Foster and Partners, say: “Rooted in a zero carbon ambition, the city itself is car-free. With a maximum distance of 200 metres to the nearest transport link and amenities, the compact network of streets encourages walking and is complemented by a personalized rapid transport system. The shaded walkways and narrow streets will create a pedestrian-friendly environment in the context of Abu Dhabi’s extreme climate. It also articulates the tightly planned, compact nature of traditional walled cities.”

A Chinese city, Dongtan, hopes to be the world’s first sustainable city, with all the buildings powered by renewable energy, and self-sufficient in water

THE CYCLE – REDUCE KICK THE HABIT 137