Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
to be essentially local and ecologically sensitive to their region, thus enabling both
urban and rural environments to re-establish their own distinct identities and purpose.
City regions need to be diverse, vibrant and organic:
While getting food, energy and water from their surroundings, they in turn
provide other vital components of sustainability, including health services,
festivals, education and manufactured goods. Often the best way to strengthen
the centre of cities is to support the existing local people, business, activities and
culture. They enhance the quality of the environment without gentrification,
encourage walking, and support public places and buildings and design for
people.
(Giddings
et al
., 2005: 26)
William J. Mitchell, author of
City of Bits
(1996),
E-topia
(2000) and
Me++
(2003), sees tremendous potential in the application of emerging media technologies
to urban public and private spheres. He is not alone in developing the notion of
'the intelligent city', defined simply as an urban environment incorporating a degree
of digital infrastructure responding autonomously to a range of stimuli (Briggs, 2005).
Cities and the buildings in them can be 'smart', although the digital infrastructure
is just one element in a city's physical fabric, its 'hardware'. What really animates
the city is the social and cultural interactions, its politics and sociality, its economic
and commercial transactions, and so on. Consequently, Briggs argues that the broader
understanding of the intelligent city allows us to see the city holistically and therefore
sustainably. City intelligence will assess the capability to adapt to an array of pressures
and impacts - global trade, technological developments, new skill and knowledge
requirements, investment flows and climate change - while maintaining the quality
of life and work and without negatively affecting the wider environment. Mitchell
sees the developing digital infrastructure as affecting public policy, planning and
politics, suggesting that intra-urban digital networking potentially offers a contempor-
ary version of the agora, revitalizing democratic debate and participation. Online
communities could complement physical ones, stimulating new social relationships,
entrepreneurial and employment opportunities, economic markets, and informa-
tional connections. Rural telecommunications infrastructure could deliver numerous
educational, health and business services. The disturbing divisions between rural
and urban living may gradually fade. Virtualization and miniaturization could alter
our sense and use of space. Digital sensors will help us monitor our consumption
of renewable and non-renewable resources. An electronically managed vehicle rental
and distribution service could lead to the rejection of the two- or three-car household
by creating highly efficient information, booking and tracking systems. Work could
become more flexible, more mobile and connected. Living and working spaces may
no longer require separate zoning, with leisure, learning, living and working spaces
being more intricately interwoven than before.
Transition towns: powering down
Starting with a group of further education college students in Kinsale, south-west
Ireland, permaculture teacher Rob Hopkins initiated the 'transition town' movement
in 2005. The aim is that any locality - a village, town, city or district - can reduce
