Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
therefore, the link between design and behaviour is of critical importance.
The experiences at EcoVillage at Ithaca suggest that physical design may be
a catalyst or facilitator of some changes in consumption, especially as they
relate to utilities and possibly also to transportation, but no overall conclu-
sion on the interaction between design and behaviour can be drawn from
this study [87].
2.4.2 Sustainability Assessment
The EF helps when assessing development on the global scale, but on the
local scale there is a need for a much more comprehensive tool. A key aspect
to sustainability assessment is the assistance it provides to complex, contro-
versial urban policy issues. One example is the density of cities and planned
developments—a very controversial policy area in some urban settings.
There is a strong global economic rationale for redeveloping car-dependent
cities into focused centres and corridors to make better use of infrastruc-
ture at the scale required to provide such local services as public transport,
shops and community services within walking distance. The lesser need for
transport, the reduced urban sprawl and EF, the far greater opportunities for
housing diversity, and other equity issues all provide additional justification
at local and global levels. However, those local residents in the area where
redevelopment is planned often perceive it as a threat to their local envi-
ronment and social amenity. Sustainability assessment of such development
can ensure there are real global economic, environmental and social benefits
(often regional benefits but they may as well be global for many local people),
but it can also ensure that developers include real local economic, social and
environmental benefits. It can be used to ensure that there is a clear rationale
for any development in terms of local environmental benefit (enhancing the
local sense of place) and of local socioeconomic benefit (clear provision of
better services). With these in place, the local and global issues can be seen to
be resolved and a net benefit provided [84].
'Good' planning begins with an assessment of users' needs [99]. For exam-
ple, transit stops are located in a way that is sensitive to demand. However,
planning may also help to shape demand. Indeed, the very existence
of planning reveals some general level of acceptance that land markets
require guidance to ensure the provision of needs but in a sustainable
manner. There are a number of arguments against sprawl; in some cases,
suburban development has devoured many wetlands, with consequences
for future water quality and supply [100,101], while in other parts of the
world it has engulfed arable land. Auto-dependence and associated air pol-
lution have severe implications for those with respiratory problems, and
carbon dioxide emissions may contribute to climate change with unforesee-
able consequences [87].
Cities will always be centres of consumerism. However, we can change
the way they utilise resources. This can be done by conceptualising cities as
