Sustainable Cities

By: Liz Yugov

Introduction

In 2018, 55% of the world population lived in cities. This number is expected to rise to two-thirds of the world population by 2050. It is without a doubt that cities play a major economic role- about 80% of the world GDP is generated in cities. Remarkably so, cities only take up 3% of land on Earth, but amount to 60-80% of energy consumption and at least 70% of carbon emissions [1]. City development is an issue that will affect every citizen, even if they do not live in a city. Inequality is a major concern in cities as the number of people living in slums continues to rise. This inequality in cities can lead to unrest and insecurity, pollution, decrease workers’ productivity, all of these which bring the economy down with it, disrupting more lives than in the immediate urban area [2]. As cities continue to grow, cities should consider practices that will lead to sustainability. Such practices can create career and business opportunities, safe and affordable housing, and most importantly develop resilient societies and economies. A few things cities can do is invest in public transport, create green public spaces, and make urban planning and management more participatory and inclusive [3].

Below are highlights of what cities worldwide are doing to meet their goal of sustainability.

Adelaide

As part of South Australia’s transition to a low carbon economy, Adelaide is aiming for net zero emissions by 2050. Going carbon neutral means no net impact on greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere. To this, Adelaide has a variety of projects to reduce emissions from operational activities throughout the government area [4].

  1. Tracking and managing energy and water to save on bills and cut carbon emissions

  2. Improving buildings for better performance, saving on bills, and contributing to staff comfort and well-being

  3. LED streetlights replacements

  4. Sustainable selection of products based on their social and environmental credentials to make positive change in the marketplace

  5. Sustainable events e.g. eliminating single use plastic straws from all council-run events and working with event organizers to reduce waste and save energy while still giving great experiences

  6. Diverting more waste away from landfill for productive uses

  7. Installation of new solar panels on many city buildings such as the Town Hall, Aquatic Center, Adelaide Central Bus Station, and many other locations

  8. Switching to a 100% renewable electricity to reduce overall emissions by more than half

  9. Zero emissions transport by investing in a fleet of electric vehicles

  10. The City of Adelaide aims to achieve carbon neutral certification via the Commonwealth Governments National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) Climate Active program [5].

 
City of Adelaide’s Climate Action.

City of Adelaide’s Climate Action.

 

Another one of Adelaide’s efforts is developing green spaces. These spaces have more benefits beyond just cosmetic differences; these spaces are shown to improve health, well-being, safety and social aspects of people and even boost the economy and biodiversity of the local area. Adelaide’s target is to plant 1500 trees and increase greenery by an additional 100,000 square meters by 2020 [6].

 
City of Adelaide’s infographic on different forms of greening.

City of Adelaide’s infographic on different forms of greening.

 

One example of living architecture found in Adelaide is the “green wall” on one of the City Council’s office buildings. The green space cools the courtyard and creates an inviting atmosphere for people to meet on their lunch breaks. Excess water is diverted via underground pipes to water the trees in the plaza, further adding to the sustainability of the city while providing another green space [7].

 
Green wall outside the City of Adelaide Customer Center on Pirie Street.

Green wall outside the City of Adelaide Customer Center on Pirie Street.

 

Australia is known to be Earth’s driest inhabited continent. Adelaide is cited as a forerunner in rising against this threat since the city passed a law in 2004 that directed all households to harvest rainwater in a water tank. The city’s wastewater is also treated and repurposed for agricultural irrigation, a popular strategy in Australia. Reclamation and recycling of water is referred to as substitution [8].

Adelaide hopes to move their city to renewable electricity. If the project goes through, approximately 75% of the city’s power will be from wind power and remaining 25% from solar power. This electricity will power community buildings, electric vehicle chargers, barbecues in the Park Lands, water pumps, street lighting and traffic lights. In fact, the city council is the first in South Australia to use 100% renewable electricity. This saves the Council around $300,000 on electricity bills and avoiding around 760 tons of carbon dioxide each year, the equivalent of taking 302 cars off the road every year [9].

One market-based solution that Adelaide is implementing is the Sustainability Incentives Scheme. This plan has rebates available for businesses, households, multi-story buildings, and car parks as a way to invest in community projects for a more sustainable future. Recipients of these rebates are playing a part in the shared goal of a carbon neutral city. This is a good way for the city to invest in sustainable technologies on a community level as the city has made it clear that the rebates can be used on anything from upgrades at work or improvements at home [10].

Between 2007 and 2018, Adelaide has been able to reduce its carbon emissions by 15%. During this time, the residential population grew by 33%, student enrollment increased by 37%, and city users increased by 43%. Sustainability does not have to be at the cost of economic growth; the gross regional product increased by 33% over this decade [11].

Copenhagen

As Denmark aims to be independent of fossil fuels by 2050, Copenhagen’s goal is to become the first carbon neutral capital by 2025. In 2017, 10% of industrial employees had green jobs [12]. Copenhagen’s plan is to focus on developing industrial clusters, or existing commercial areas that have a competitive advantage. The clusters that the City of Copenhagen has outlined are Cleantech, Healthtech and Creative clusters.

By becoming a smart city, companies in Copenhagen have access to decades of high-quality electronic data and registries. This makes Greater Copenhagen a preferred laboratory for technologies to build, monitor and manage the data infrastructure of large cities to address the challenges of climate change and urbanization [13]. CLEAN is an initiative that aims to create a platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration between Danish and international companies, institutions, organizations and authorities worldwide. Through these collaborations, members can promote growth and employment, support entrepreneurs, and to increase awareness of Danish strategies in the Cleantech area. As a core member of CLEAN, the City of Copenhagen:  

  • identifies concrete green challenges for CLEAN to solve

  • participates in specific projects and innovation platforms

  • supporting various efforts in financing [14]

Some other Cleantech projects Copenhagen is involved with are:

  • Bioenergy

    • Danish companies have developed efficient methods of combustion, gasification and liquefaction of biomass and pioneered enzyme technologies to maximize efficiency

    • Companies are able to excel in latest technologies in carbon mitigation due to strong biotech

  • Green transportation

    • Rapidly accelerated innovation and commitment for electric vehicles, biofuels, hydrogen and fuel cells

    • Public-sector collaboration with the energy industry, research institutions, car manufacturers and suppliers of electric vehicle charging facilities.

  • Waste management

    • Greater Copenhagen has taken the lead on the development of a number of test facilities to demonstrate the potential of future waste management technologies, recovering and recycling the highest possible amount of energy and resources from waste.

  • Water management

    • Denmark is Europe's leading hub for water management expertise, service and solutions

    • Denmark's lead position in the entire commodity chain of the water industry- from management of water resources and quality to distribution and wastewater treatment- as a result of ambitious national regulation [15].

The Copenhagen Health Cluster (CHC) is a way for businesses, municipalities, and regions to collaborate in developing digital healthcare solutions for a future that can readily deal with healthcare challenges. This is especially important because of Denmark’s aging population [16]. Copenhagen involves itself with these areas of the Healthtech cluster:

  • Intelligent public demand / scaling e.g. Copenhagen assembles the municipalities and the region with accordance to the public

  • Collaboration on tangible innovation projects

  • Examination and testing

  • Internationalization, or selling “Copenhagen Solutions” to strategically selected partners [17]

In the Creative cluster (which tends to have a lot of international companies), Copenhagen:

  • supports many events, such as Copenhagen Cooking and Copenhagen Fashion week

  • pursues strategic public projects in the creative sector

  • focuses on innovation by engaging in selected public-private partnerships [18]

In addition to these ambitious projects, Copenhagen is home to Copenhill. Copenhill repurposes waste into energy for tens of thousands of homes and businesses. It also doubles as a year-round artificial ski and snowboard slope, and also happens to be one of the longest in the world. Visitors are also welcome to hike up to the green space at the top [19].

Copenhagen’s Copenhill.

Copenhagen’s Copenhill.

Considered one of the greenest cities in the world, Copenhagen has many other achievements. Over two thirds of its hotels are eco-certified. Vending-style machines in the city return deposits when you insert a can or plastic cup, indicative of how serious recycling is to the city. Many pizza, burger, hotdog and craft beer places use all organic ingredients and Geranium is the only all-organic restaurant in the world to boast three Michelin stars. In addition to the green scene, Denmark is regarded as one of the happiest places on Earth, and Copenhagen, one of the best cities to live in [20].

San Francisco

San Francisco’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets follow a schedule: 25% reduction from 1990 emissions by 2017, 40% by 2025, and 80% by 2050. San Francisco has been able to meet their goals; in 2012, greenhouse gas emissions were at 23% below 1990 levels, all the while growing its economy and population [21]. As a smart city, San Francisco has been able to employ information and communication technologies for more efficient and smarter use of resources, which has brought more cost and energy savings, improved service delivery and quality of life, and reduced environmental footprint, while simultaneously supporting innovation and a low carbon economy. These technologies not only reduced energy use, but also streamlined waste management and expanded the city’s transportation system [22].

San Francisco is famous for its cable cars, which also happens to be the largest fleet of electric trolleys in the United States. The historic Muni streetcars are run with clean GHG-free electricity from the City’s hydro power system. In addition, San Francisco’s Transit-First programs have moved residents to sustainable modes of transportation in 50% of all trips, ahead of its 2018 goal. In 2015, the non-electric public transit busses, fire trucks and all other diesel powered fleet vehicles in the city transitioned to 100% renewable diesel, reducing the GHG footprint by 56% and improving air quality in the area. To top this off, in 2016, San Francisco was the only city in the United States to be awarded a US Department of Energy grant to increase market transformation of fuel cell electric vehicles [23].

40% of the city’s carbon emissions come from cars and trucks. As part of San Francisco's effort to reduce carbon emission, the San Francisco Department of the Environment encourages the use of smart commuting, electric transportation, and biofuels to help the city meet its reductions goals. One system is SFpark, implemented by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). 30% of San Francisco's congestion stems from circling for parking. SFpark hopes to reduce this percentage by gathering and sharing real-time information about where parking is available so drivers can find open spaces and free up the roads. Another effort was ChargePoint, a network of public EV charging stations. A unique feature of ChargePoint is the ability to provide real-time status and track usage to generate reports to determine where additional chargers should go. Right now, San Francisco has 110 public EV charging stations- the highest per capita of any city (13.5 chargers per 100,000 people) [24].

ChargePoint’s chart of top cities for electric vehicles (EVs).

ChargePoint’s chart of top cities for electric vehicles (EVs).

As part of the “0-50-100-Roots” Climate Action Strategy, the city wants to achieve zero waste to landfill without incineration by 2020, maintain 50% all trips by sustainable modes by 2018, achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030, and sequester carbon through urban forestry and composting. Currently, San Francisco’s waste diversion rate (how much waste is diverted from landfills or incinerators) is 80%. Ultimately, San Francisco wants to send nothing to landfills by 2020. The success of this effort is due to the ground-breaking legislation San Francisco has been able to implement. The San Francisco Department of the Environment has also popularized two online tools for residents in the Bay Area to use to reduce waste and increase access to recycling to composting [25]. One of these is RecycleWhere, which lets residents know where they can go for safe and convenient recycling or disposal of household objects from batteries to couches. Another resource is Zero Waste Signmaker, which allows residents to make customized recycling, compost, and landfill signs for their home or business to make recycling easy [26]. In fact, 99% of properties in San Francisco have mandatory composting and recycling service [27].

In 2016, San Francisco required solar photovoltaic or living room installations on new residential and commercial buildings, becoming the first major city in the country to do so. That year, the city also implemented the Watch and BayREN energy efficiency programs to provide professional auditing services, upgrades, and $2.5 million in incentives to hundreds of commercial and multi-family property owners. The program saved almost two megawatts of energy. In its green building efforts, San Francisco boasts 6.9 million square feet of LEED certified municipal properties, up from 4 million square feet in 2014. A total of 103 million square feet of San Francisco are LEED certified and two thirds are LEED Gold or Platinum [28].

Under the Citywide Street Tree Census as part of the Urban Forest Plan, San Francisco plans to add over 50,000 street trees over the next two decades. San Francisco has also awarded over $13 million in grants to nonprofits and community based organizations targeting low income communities in order to increase access to solar and energy efficiency projects, promote green jobs, reduce air pollution, and build community gardens [29].

Singapore

Home to 5.6 million people, the island of Singapore is only 17 miles long and 31 miles wide. However, with the city design, open spaces, boardwalks, beaches, and overall urban planning, it is easy to forget that Singapore is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. In fact, Singapore continuously tops Mercer’s Quality of Living ranking for Asia [30].

In 2018, Singapore was ranked the most sustainable city in Asia and fourth in the world, according to the Asia Sustainable Cities Index by Arcadis. Singapore’s high levels of economic output landed the city the global highest score in the Profit sub-index for high levels of economic output. Singapore boasts a high employment rate and attracts many international investors. Singapore also was second only to Seoul in the Planet sub-index among Asian cities. This is due in part to Singapore’s EV incentives and urban cycling, as well as access to cleaner air and water than most other Asian cities [31].

Currently, about 430 million gallons of water a day are demanded in Singapore and this number is expected to double by 2060. PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency hopes to ensure water sustainability by collecting every drop of water, reusing water endlessly, and desalinating more water. Additionally, Singapore has been working with the leading French global water treatment company SUEZ, which is just one of 180 water companies in Singapore’s hydrohub. SUEZ has successfully opened an Innovation Center to help progress long-term sustainable water initiatives in the region. One goal is implementing information and communications technology (ICT) and analytical software to develop a smart water grid with automated meter readings to track usage, a support tool for stormwater management, and research in energy-efficient used water treatment [32].

Singapore also has a commitment to equal access to amenities and affordable housing for its residents. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) builds apartments that are then sold to citizens with a 99-year lease. The Board manages close to one million flats, which house over 80% of the population. The apartments feature a range of choices to meet the needs of its residents, from one bedroom to multigenerational. The flat may become a key source of retirement funds with a variety of options to sell or sublet. Most importantly, the apartments are meant to be affordable, costing only 20-25% of income. Families who cannot afford their own apartment can get help from the HDB through the public rental program [33].

Another one of Singapore’s goals is to have a Green Mark Certification on 80% of its buildings by 2030 [34]. The Marina Bay Sands complex embodies this vision and is indicative of Singapore’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

 
Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino complex.

Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino complex.

 

Every detail of this luxury hotel complex has been carefully planned out and includes:

  • A computerised system that dims or brightens lights depending on weather and time of day.

  • Air conditioning operated by water-cooled chillers. The heat emitted from these chillers provides the hotel hot water. Sensors automatically turn off the air-conditioning if the doors are open for a long time.

  • In the basement, food waste is compressed by giant digesters and turned into recycled water.

  • Rainwater is collected on the roof of the accompanying ArtScience Museum and reused in the building’s washroom system [35].

Another common feature of Singapore is high-rise terraces and gardens, aimed at replacing the greenery lost on the ground due to urban development [36]. These projects are funded by the Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme, which is committed to funding up to 50% of installation costs. Since its introduction in 2009, the program has helped in greening over 110 buildings in Singapore with extensive green roofs, edible gardens, recreational rooftop gardens, and green walls [37].

Vancouver

In 2016, Vancouver held the 23rd spot globally in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index, the highest among North American cities. Vancouver received the highest score globally in air pollution, demonstrating the success of the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Plan. The policies in this plan also earned the lowest carbon footprint of any major North American city [38].

Vancouver has highly successful transit infrastructure. The city has an extensive network of bike lanes, car sharing systems, and a bike share program introduced in 2016 [39]. Vancouver has also made an effort to green its fleet of transport vehicles. In 2018, the city transitioned to 100% renewable diesel fuel, a major step towards 100% renewable fuels in our fleet as 55% of the fleet is diesel-powered. The fleet also boasts over one hundred electric vehicles, hoping to increase that number to two hundred by 2021. Vancouver’s fleet of sustainable vehicles includes anything from passenger vehicles, to service vehicles, to bulldozers [40]. The city itself is also very walkable, making getting around downtown easily eco-friendly [41].

Vancouver hopes to transition to zero emissions buildings (ZEBs) in all new construction by 2030. A ZEB is highly energy efficient and uses only renewable energy. To achieve this goal, the city is setting limits on emissions and energy use and the limits will be reduced over time. The plan, however, does not focus on retrofitting. Restaurants can continue cooking with natural gas and residents are not being asked to replace gas appliances. Some benefits of this program include: 

  • Improved comfort by better managing temperature

  • Improved health by circulating fresh air throughout the building more effectively

  • Reduced noise due to better insulation and airtightness

  • Less energy required, lowering energy bills

  • More durable buildings [42]

Vancouver hopes to transition to 100% renewable energy before 2050. Given its location,  hydroelectric power is popular British Columbia, allowing the city to pump a lot less CO2 compared to other cities with a similar climate [43]. As part of its mission to cut carbon emissions, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and keep energy affordable, Vancouver is developing neighbourhood renewable energy systems. These systems supply heating, hot water, and in some cases cooling to multiple buildings. The systems also use low-carbon renewable energy sources, such as sewage waste heat. By implementing the neighbourhood energy systems, the need for individual buildings to have boilers is eliminated [44].

Another long term goal Vancouver has is to achieve zero waste by 2040. This goal will be achieved by:

  • Conserving resources

  • Preventing waste of all types, including wasted food

  • Composting and converting food into fuel

  • Repairing and maintaining products and materials to extend their lives

  • Sharing, reusing, and refurbishing products and materials before recycling [45]

City of Vancouver’s approach to waste reduction.

City of Vancouver’s approach to waste reduction.

The City of Vancouver also offers green grants through the Greenest City Fund to support projects that help achieve Vancouver’s Greenest City goals. Between 2012 and 2019, the city has been able to fund about $2.75 million to over 1,000 projects. The project offers two types of grants: Greenest City grants for larger projects led by registered charities or BC societies and Neighborhood Small grants for residents with grassroots endeavors [46].

Sources

  1. United Nations Development Programme, Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Development: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-11-sustainable-cities-and-communities.html

  2. United Nations, Sustainable Cities: Why They Matter:

    https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/11.pdf

  3. United Nations Development Programme, Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Development: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-11-sustainable-cities-and-communities.html

  4. Carbon Neutral Adelaide: https://www.carbonneutraladelaide.com.au/about

  5. City of Adelaide, Reducing council emissions: https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/about-adelaide/our-sustainable-city/reducing-council-emissions/

  6. City of Adelaide, Greening our city: https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/about-adelaide/our-sustainable-city/greening-our-city/

  7.  ibid.

  8. WWF, Adelaide green city: https://wwf.panda.org/?204334/Adelaide-green-city/

  9. City of Adelaide, Renewable electricity: https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/about-adelaide/our-sustainable-city/renewable-electricity/

  10. City of Adelaide, Sustainability Incentives Scheme: https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/about-council/grants-sponsorship-incentives/sustainability-incentives-scheme/

  11. City of Adelaide, Tracking city carbon emissions: https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/about-adelaide/our-sustainable-city/tracking-city-carbon-emissions/

  12. Copenhagen Capacity, Cleantech in Greater Copenhagen: https://www.copcap.com/set-up-a-business/key-sectors/cleantech

  13. Copenhagen Capacity, Cleantech in Greater Copenhagen: https://www.copcap.com/set-up-a-business/key-sectors/cleantech

  14. City of Copenhagen, Sustainable City Initiatives: https://international.kk.dk/artikel/sustainable-city-initiatives

  15. Copenhagen Health Cluster, About us: https://www.cphhealthtech.com/about

  16. Copenhagen Health Cluster, About us: https://www.cphhealthtech.com/about

  17. City of Copenhagen, Sustainable City Initiatives: https://international.kk.dk/artikel/sustainable-city-initiatives

  18. ibid.

  19. John Wilmott, Have you been to the world’s greenest city?: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/discovering-hygge-in-copenhagen/worlds-greenest-city/

  20. ibid.

  21. Climate Mayors, Climate Action Compendium: http://climatemayors.org/actions/climate-action-compendium/

  22. SF Environment, Designing a Smarter, More Sustainable San Francisco: https://sfenvironment.org/designing-a-smarter-more-sustainable-san-francisco

  23. Climate Mayors, Climate Action Compendium: http://climatemayors.org/actions/climate-action-compendium/

  24. SF Environment, Designing a Smarter, More Sustainable San Francisco: https://sfenvironment.org/designing-a-smarter-more-sustainable-san-francisco

  25. Climate Mayors, Climate Action Compendium: http://climatemayors.org/actions/climate-action-compendium/

  26. SF Environment, Designing a Smarter, More Sustainable San Francisco: https://sfenvironment.org/designing-a-smarter-more-sustainable-san-francisco

  27. Climate Mayors, Climate Action Compendium: http://climatemayors.org/actions/climate-action-compendium/

  28. Climate Mayors, Climate Action Compendium: http://climatemayors.org/actions/climate-action-compendium/

  29. ibid.

  30. Leading the Way: Singapore’s Sustainable Future: https://www.visitsingapore.com/mice/en/bulletin-board/leading-the-way-singapores-sustainable-future/overview/

  31. Lim, Singapore is the most sustainable Asian city, 4th in the world: Arcadis: https://www.businessinsider.sg/singapore-is-the-most-sustainable-asian-city-4th-in-the-world-arcadis

  32. Leading the Way: Singapore’s Sustainable Future: https://www.visitsingapore.com/mice/en/bulletin-board/leading-the-way-singapores-sustainable-future/overview/

  33. Kolczak, This City Aims to Be the World's Greenest: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/green-buildings/green-urban-landscape-cities-Singapore/

  34. Leading the Way: Singapore’s Sustainable Future: https://www.visitsingapore.com/mice/en/bulletin-board/leading-the-way-singapores-sustainable-future/overview/

  35. ibid.

  36. Kolczak, This City Aims to Be the World's Greenest: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/green-buildings/green-urban-landscape-cities-Singapore/

  37. Singapore National Parks Board, Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme 2.0: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/skyrisegreenery/incentive-scheme

  38. Prasloski, Vancouver is the most sustainable city in North America: https://www.tourismvancouver.com/media/articles/post/vancouver-ranks-among-the-most-sustainable-cities-in-the-world/

  39. ibid.

  40. City of Vancouver, Green fleets: https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/green-fleets.aspx

  41. Prasloski, Vancouver is the most sustainable city in North America: https://www.tourismvancouver.com/media/articles/post/vancouver-ranks-among-the-most-sustainable-cities-in-the-world/

  42. City of Vancouver, Zero Emissions Buildings: https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/zero-emissions-buildings.aspx#zero-emissions-building-plan

  43. Adler, How did Vancouver get so green?: https://grist.org/cities/how-did-vancouver-get-so-green/

  44. City of Vancouver, Neighborhood Energy Strategy: https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/neighbourhood-energy-strategy.aspx

  45. City of Vancouver, Zero Waste 2040: https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/zero-waste-vancouver.aspx

  46. City of Vancouver, Green grants: https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/green-grants.aspx

PSCI