Sustainable Cities

Ch. 22, part 2

Main Ideas How cities grow Transportation around &

between cities Land-use planning Controlling growth Ecocities

How Cities Grow Compact cities grow upward

and downward (below ground) Ex: Hong Kong, Toyko

Most transportation by walking, biking, mass transit

Many high-rise apartments have grocery stores, gyms, etc

Singapore

How Cities Grow Dispersed Cities grow outward

Due to cheap gas, plenty of land, highways

Residents depend on cars Bad for those who cannot drive (elderly) Ex: USA, Canada, Australia

USA is prime example of dispersed cities and the problems

they cause USA - 4.6% of the

world’s people USA - 35% of the world’s

cars In dispersed areas - 98%

of transportation in cars 75% of workers drive

alone to work Use 43% of the world’s

gasoline

Los Angeles

Pros and Cons of personal motor vehicles

Pros: Convenient Comfortable Symbols of power,

sex appeal, social status, success

Much of the economy built around carsProducing cars, supplying fuel, roads, services, repairs

Pros and Cons of personal motor vehicles

Cons: High risk

1.2 million people/year die (3300/day)15 million injured every year50 million animals (wild and pets) killed every

year In USA - >40K people killed/year

Car accidents have killed more people that all American wars combined!

Partner Share We are a “car culture” Think of at least 3 ways

cars are celebrated in our country/culture

Pros and Cons of personal motor vehicles Cons:

World’s largest source of outdoor air pollutionCauses 30K-60K

premature deaths/year (EPA)

Major source of CO2 emissions

2/3 of our oil goes into our cars

1/2 of US land (1/3 worldwide) devoted to roads, parking lots, gas stations

Ideas to reduce motor vehicle use

user-pays approach Tax gas honestly (full-cost

pricing) to cover actual cost of drivingThis tax would be ~ $12/gallon (&

reduce income, sales tax)Phase tax in gradually to

encourage more use of mass transit, more efficient vehicles

Reduce dependence on foreign oilMoney could be used for

investment in mass transit, bike lanes

Some are already doing it!

Cities in Europe, Japan, China developing mass transit systems

USA lagging behind

Challenges in USA Rising gas taxes in US

tricky because: Public doesn’t like it

Most unaware of the hidden costs of vehicle use

Powerful lobbies fight against it

Mass transit not viable in many areas

Dispersed cities make us dependent on cars

Possible Solutions in USA High parking fees

(already done in some cities)

Tolls of roads and bridges leading into crowded cities

Possible Solutions around the world

Bike sharing Car sharing Increase/promote bike

lanes Light rail systems High-speed rail for long

distances

Car Sharing and Ride Sharing

Would you?

Partner ShareWhat are

the pros and cons of a city designed for pedestrian traffic and not cars?

Big Businesses Destroyed our Mass Transit System

In 1917 - all major US cities had efficient electric trolley systems

Big Businesses Destroyed our Mass Transit System

GM, Firestone, Standard Oil, Phillips Pertroleum, & Mack Truck got together to form NATIONAL CITY LINES

By 1950 they had purchased the streetcar systems in 83 cities and promptly dismantled them to encourage car use

Trolley cars awaiting destruction in a GM lot

Big Business Destroyed our Mass Transit System

Courts found them guilty of conspiracy and charged them $1 each

Potential Routes for High-Speed Bullet Trains in the U.S. and Parts

of Canadahttp://www.hsr.ca.gov/

Stopprepare for exam

tomorrowor

work on your lab report

Land Use Planning Used in most urban (and

some rural areas) to determine best present and future use of the land

Usually focuses on encouraging population growth and economic development without considering environmental and social consequences

Why? In USA and many other countries, 90% of

the local revenue comes from property taxes So good to promote more buildings, more

homes --> more revenue for cities to pay for schools, police, fire, water, sewer

Zoning

Designating parcels of land for certain uses Can be used to protect

sensitive areas Can cause problems

when poorly designed

Ex: no businesses in suburban areas --> driving more

Open Space People crave open spaces Parks within cities Parks just outside cities Greenbelts - open areas just

outside city limits for recreation, light forestry Satellite towns around greenbelt

connected to city with mass transit

Central Park, NYC

Sample essay prompt