Cities should be designed in a green and sustainable manner. Not only does this reduce the footprint of the city and its citizens but it also makes sense in many other ways. Green cities will make more efficient use of utilities therefore reducing the size and amount of infrastructure required to support the city. Green cities promote healthier living by encouraging a more active lifestyle along with increasing the overall happiness of its citizens by having a more integrated and connected community.
Green cities should have streets that tend more to active transportation such as biking and walking than it does to personalized automobile use. This means using wide sidewalks and bike-lanes which are separated from automobile lanes. There should be a safe means of crossing the automobile lanes for pedestrians. The city should be designed with high connectivity. There should be a transit system ample enough so that personalized automobile use is not required for convenient living. Multi-use buildings should be utilized so that amenities are closer together and within walking distance for many residences. The use of big box stores and large shopping complexes with massive parking lots should be avoided. Medium and high density buildings should make up most of the residential living spaces. District heating and cooling should be employed as it is far more efficient than conventional single building heating/cooling systems. Renewable energy sources should be used to power these cities. Use of green spaces and parks should be integrated to help reduce the urban heat island effect along with reducing the amount of impervious surfaces. Existing cities should try to integrate as many of these features as possible and try promote active transportation and living.
Buildings need to be made more efficient. Green technologies and features should be integrated into building codes. The capital cost will be higher but in the long run reduced utility costs will offset this. Building code should require that all new homes use energy efficient furnaces and water fixtures. Manitoba has already implemented this into their building code (Turenne 2010). Buildings should use green roofs to help insulate buildings along with reducing storm water and the urban heat island effect. This will also help increase the vegetative mass in cities. When green roofs aren’t a viable option high-albedo roofing should be used. Buildings should also be designed to maximize day-lighting and in cool climates should incorporate passive solar heating. Warm climates should use shading techniques to assist with cooling while maintaining day-lighting. Buildings should be constructed of materials with a recycled content or else should be sourced from sustainable practices. Preference should be made for locally sourced materials.
There are many other green technologies that can be incorporated into buildings depending on funding, climate and the needs of the building and its occupants. As time progresses more green and sustainable technologies will become available and should continue to be incorporated into existing buildings when feasible. New buildings should be constructed with the highest of efficiencies that funding can support. By doing this along with moving away from a consumer based economy we should be able to preserve the environment and its resources so that future generations can prosper and enjoy a high quality of life.
References
Turenne, P. (2010). Building code update requires eco-friendly fixtures: The Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved from http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/manitoba/2010/10/15/15711351.html
