Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
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Oil,
where the peak in global oil production is emerging at the same
time as indigenous supplies of oil are reducing and the prospects of
significant dependence on Middle Eastern oil has created a major
vulnerability for transport systems in our cities
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Travel time,
where urban sprawl has reached such a distance from
major centres and services that the cessation of fringe development,
better transport options and new urban design solutions have
become a deeply felt need in Australian cities.
These limits are linked to others such as the need for less greenhouse
intensive urban lifestyles and an overall dominance by cars in our cities that
have many social, environmental and economic implications. These limits
will be discussed below as the basis for change towards sustainability in
Australian cities.
Together these limits suggest two key challenges for Australian settlements:
Challenge 1: The need for more ecological building innovations and more
ecologically responsible urban lifestyles (to save water and
energy especially)
Challenge 2: The need for less car-dependent urban design and less car-
oriented lifestyles (to save oil and travel time especially).
Furthermore, two other overall challenges underlie these first two:
Challenge 3: The need for a new government funding process for sustainable
cities in Australia
Challenge 4: The need for true participation on the long-term sustainability of
our cities.
Some key policy conclusions for Australian cities to be more sustainable
will then be deduced.
Challenge 1: Encouraging ecological building innovations in cities
Ecological innovation is a key component of sustainability in our cities that
needs close attention by governments at all levels. Saving energy and saving
water have taken on a new political immediacy in recent years as limits to
electricity supply have become necessary for financial and environmental
reasons, and water supply limits have loomed large as droughts have
