The eco-city: ten key transport and planning dimensions for sustainable city development

Abstract

Making existing cities and new urban development more ecologically based and livable is an urgent priority in the global push for sustainability. This paper discusses ten critical responses to this issue and summarises them in a simple conceptual model that places the nexus between transport and urban form at the heart of developing an eco-city. This involves compact, mixed use urban form, well defined higher density, human-oriented centres, priority to the development of superior public transport systems and conditions for non-motorised modes, with minimal road capacity increases, and protection of the city's natural areas and food producing capacity. These factors form the framework in which everything else is embedded and must operate and without addressing them only marginal changes in urban sustainability can be made. Within this framework environmental technologies need to be extensively applied. Economic growth needs to emphasise creativity and innovation and to strengthen the environmental, social and cultural amenities of the city. The public realm throughout the city needs to be of a high quality and sustainable urban design principles need to be applied in all urban development. All these dimensions need to operate within two key processes involving vision-oriented and reformist thinking and a strong, community-oriented, democratic sustainability framework for decision-making.

Policy learning and sustainable urban transitions: Mobilising Berlin’s cycling renaissance

“…The multi-level perspective suggests that alignment between pressures and opportunities at all three levels facilitate regime shifts (Geels, 2002;Geels and Schot, 2007;Schot and Geels, 2008).This paper focuses empirically on the production and mobilisation of cycling policy knowledge as an illustrative case study for the development of sustainable urban transport regimes. Kenworthy (2006) cites encouraging cycling and walking in favour of motorised modes as a crucial policy in the push for a more sustainable urban form. High rates of cycling is deemed an essential factor in the fundamental restructuring of cities based on '… compact, mixeduse urban form, well-defined higher-density, human-oriented centres, priority to the development of superior public transport systems and conditions for non-motorized modes, with minimal road capacity increases, and protection of the city's natural areas and foodproducing capacity' (Kenworthy, 2006: 67).…”

Adapting adaptation: the English eco-town initiative as governance process

“…By its nature, the eco-city is characterized by several sustainability dimensions that concurrently engage with different policy areas applied to different urban scales, rather than addressing exclusively one policy area (Roseland 1997, Kenworthy 2006, Register 2006, Joss 2011a. As such, the English eco-town initiative belongs to a growing number of eco-city initiatives launched globally during the last 10-15 years (see, for example, World Bank 2010, UNHabitat 2011, Joss et al 2013a.…”

Dense, mixed-use, walkable urban precinct to support sustainable transport or vice versa? A model for consideration from Perth, Western Australia

“…However, on the other hand, if a high-intensity activity center is planned, then there are a series of specific policy settings and design issues that must be expressly decided to reach the aspiration of the redevelopment project. The maxim of "minimum densities and maximum parking" is supported by this modeling (Kenworthy, 2006;Kenworthy & Laube, 1999;Shoup, 2009;1999). Ultimately, this model demonstrates how growth of activity intensity in an area helps determine the transportation system required to fuel that same growth.…”