- Sustainability can affect the liveabilityof a city, this is a measure of how good living conditions in an area are.
- Liveability depends on many factors, including job opportunities, crime rates, open space and access to
- Different factors matter more to different people, so everyone’s viewof what makes a city liveable will be different.
- There are several factorsthat make sustainable development of urban areas easier than rural areas, including:
- People are more densely concentratedin cities than in rural areas, so the provision of services, such as clean water and public transport is easier and
- Understanding of the importanceof urban sustainability has increased – this has encouraged more research and investment into how urban areas can be made more sustainable.
- Governments may investmore in urban sustainability initiatives than rural ones, because they benefit more people.
- Increasing urban sustainability can be difficult- there are many reasons for this, such as:
- It requires significant investment,which many cities cannot afford.
- Many cities are growing,so public services need to expand rapidly to meet the needs of a larger population.
- Some people are unwillingto change their
- Some cities don’t have appropriate
- ‘In the developing world, urbanisationis happening at a faster rate than in the developed world, and growth is often unplanned this makes it harder to increase urban
Different Strategies for Increasing Sustainability
- Reducing the number of cars on the road, strategies include constructing new cycle lanes,introducing park and ride schemes and improving public transport provision.
- Increasing the amount of green space, green spaces can reduce pollutionand increase Programmes, such as river clean-ups, wetland restoration and tree planting, can provide habitats for wildlife.
- Improving urban waste disposal, many cities have introduced measures to reducethe amount of waste being sent to landfill.
- These include expanding recycling facilities, converting to incineration with energy recoveryand encouraging people to compost green waste.
- Increasing renewable energy use, using renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, decreasesfossil fuel use and carbon emissions.
- Reducing water use, authorities can insist that new buildings are fitted with water metersand water-efficient fittings and ensure that people use less water.
- Making buildings more energy efficient, governments can offer incentivesto encourage homeowners and businesses to improve the insulation in buildings, install solar panels and use energy-efficient light bulbs.