tag:theconversation.com,2011:/es/topics/sustainable-cities-50748/articlesSustainable cities – The Conversation2024-02-27T12:32:52Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2243122024-02-27T12:32:52Z2024-02-27T12:32:52ZE-bike incentives are a costly way to cut carbon emissions, but they also promote health, equity and cleaner air<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/577761/original/file-20240225-22-nb9e6p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C15%2C5019%2C2916&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A man pulls his kids behind an electric bicycle near the pier in Huntington Beach, Calif.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/man-pulls-his-kids-behind-an-electric-bicycle-near-the-pier-news-photo/1311180585">Paul Bersebach/Orange County Register via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>E-bikes have captured <a href="https://velo.outsideonline.com/ebike/ebike-gear/5-e-bike-trends-we-expect-to-see-in-2024/">widespread attention</a> across the U.S., and for good reason. They are <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2023/12/11/e-bikes-are-radically-more-efficient-than-electric-cars/">the most energy-efficient way</a> to move from place to place, providing exercise in the process, and offer enough assistance while pedaling uphill or into headwinds to make them usable for many types of riders. </p>
<p>Greenhouse gas emissions from e-bikes are much lower than those from either gasoline-powered or <a href="https://www.itf-oecd.org/good-go-assessing-environmental-performance-new-mobility">electric cars</a>. Some cities and states are encouraging the use of e-bikes by providing purchase incentives, often drawing on public funds dedicated to curbing climate change.</p>
<p>Currently, over 100 cities and states <a href="https://trec.pdx.edu/news/e-bike-incentive-programs-north-america-new-online-tracker">have or plan to launch e-bike incentive programs</a>, most funded by energy or environment initiatives. However, there has been little research on the effectiveness of these types of programs, how to design them or how to define goals. </p>
<p>We study transportation from many angles, including <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=I3wi1-EAAAAJ&hl=en">innovation</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Macarthur-4">sustainability</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JltA3IAAAAAJ&hl=en">economics</a>. Our new study, published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2024.104114">Transportation Research Part D</a>, investigates the effectiveness of several types of e-bike purchase incentives and the investment required to induce additional e-bike purchases. </p>
<p>We found that incentives do spur extra e-bike purchases, but at a relatively high cost compared with narrowly defined climate benefits. We find that a public agency using a point-of-purchase discount would have to distribute about US$4,000 in incentives to generate one additional e-bike purchase. This is because over 80% of people who buy an e-bike would likely have bought one even without the discount. For perspective, it takes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2017.01.002">about $30,000 worth of incentives</a> to induce an electric car purchase. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">California initiated a $10 million statewide program in 2023 that offers voucher incentives to low-income residents for purchasing electric bikes.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Nonetheless, e-bikes provide many other benefits. They make mobility easier and more affordable for many people, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2023.100940">older adults and people with disabilities</a>. They bolster the case for <a href="https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/cost-benefit-of-bicycle-infrastructure-with-e-bikes-and-cycle-sup">investing in bike paths and infrastructure</a>, which produce <a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/why-us-cities-are-investing-safer-more-connected-cycling-infrastructure">economic, safety and mobility benefits for cities</a>. And they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2017.06.002">boost health by promoting exercise</a>. In our view, cities and states should assess e-bike incentive investments based on this broad range of benefits, rather than focusing solely on a narrow environmental objective.</p>
<h2>Not just a climate tool</h2>
<p>Clean technology incentives tend to be focused on a specific outcome – usually, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This works well for most energy-related upgrades, such as replacing old air conditioners, improving home insulation and generating electricity from wind and solar power. Consumers want the services that these devices deliver – cool air, comfortable conditions indoors and electricity that’s available and affordable. The new devices simply deliver those familiar goods more sustainably. </p>
<p>E-bike incentives are different. They invite people to adopt a new technology that can fundamentally change recipients’ travel patterns. In fact, while replacing car trips with e-bike trips <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102482">can provide substantial climate benefits</a>, those benefits may be smaller than other benefits that are less widely measured. Focusing narrowly on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by replacing car trips means providing incentives to people who drive the most, or who drive the biggest gas guzzlers.</p>
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<p>But what about carless households, transit riders or bicyclists? For them, e-bikes can make it much easier to travel in most North American cities. That increased mobility could provide greater access to jobs, shopping or other important services, such as health care.</p>
<h2>Is investing in e-bike incentives worth it?</h2>
<p>Transportation is the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions">largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions</a>. Electrifying as much of it as possible is an important strategy for slowing climate change. However, e-bike incentives – and, indeed, electric car incentives – are pretty expensive ways to reduce emissions. </p>
<p>The importance of e-bike incentives is that e-bikes are good at replacing car trips and make daily trips easier for people who rely on other options. These advantages provide two main classes of benefits from increasing ownership of e-bikes.</p>
<p>The first set of benefits comes from substituting car-based trips with e-bike trips. Transportation researchers think about a swap like this in terms of vehicle miles traveled.</p>
<p>If I used to drive to work but now ride an e-bike, many benefits will be proportional to the number of miles that I now cover by bike rather than by car. They include reduced traffic congestion, lower fuel and parking costs, increased physical activity and improved health, cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. In North America, <a href="https://nitc.trec.pdx.edu/research/project/1041">about 60% of e-bike trips replace car trips</a>. </p>
<p>A second class of benefits comes from improvements in mobility. These effects are more complex to measure. For many people in U.S. cities who don’t own cars, the basic options for getting around are walking, public transit, ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, or riding a conventional bicycle. In almost all cases, e-bikes would get them to their destinations faster. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A father explains how his family used electric cargo bikes to replace a car in Toronto and the Netherlands.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Carless households <a href="https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/63059">tend to have lower income</a> and lack mobility options. E-bike incentives can make travel more affordable and give people better access to jobs, health care, child care, shopping and other destinations. Such benefits likely far exceed any nominal greenhouse gas accounting from these transportation users. </p>
<p>E-bike purchase incentives are an investment in the broad benefits that e-bikes can provide. We believe they should be measured against the collective goals of the agency providing the incentives, whether its mission is transportation, equitable mobility, public health, economic development or environmental protection. </p>
<h2>Putting more people on two wheels</h2>
<p>Once there’s agreement that e-bikes are worth supporting for many reasons, the challenge is how to induce more e-bike use and realize those benefits.</p>
<p>Point-of-purchase discounts or vouchers are the most popular strategy, because they mimic other clean energy incentives, such as those for high-efficiency appliances or electric cars. Our study found that they are also the most efficient way to influence consumer behavior compared with other purchase incentives, such as rebates. </p>
<p>Other strategies could be more effective but need further research. For example, <a href="https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/bike-libraries-are-increasing-access-to-bikes-across-america">e-bike lending libraries</a> let people test-ride e-bikes without ownership. And employers can <a href="https://transweb.sjsu.edu/sites/default/files/2051-Fitch-Ebike-Employer.pdf">provide e-bikes to employees</a> to help encourage more sustainable and affordable ways to get to work. </p>
<p>Partnering with community organizations or local mobility-oriented programs could be an effective way to get e-bikes into the hands of people who need them and couldn’t afford them otherwise. And giving e-bike owners more reason to use them, such as <a href="https://momentummag.com/is-it-time-governments-start-paying-people-to-bike-to-work/">payments for biking to work</a>, could increase e-bike use and subsequent benefits. </p>
<p>E-bike purchase incentives may be an expensive climate solution, but they also offer other important benefits. Carefully designed incentive programs could help many urban and suburban residents access a faster, healthier and cleaner way to get where they need to go.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224312/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher R. Cherry receives research funding from State and Federal Departments of Transportation and the National Science Foundation. He has consulted for micromobility operators and bicycling advocacy organizations.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John MacArthur has received research support and funding from state and federal agencies, the National Science Foundation, micromobility operators and bicycling advocacy organizations.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Jones does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many incentive programs promote e-bike use, but they aren’t necessarily targeting the right people for the right reasons.Christopher R. Cherry, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of TennesseeJohn MacArthur, Sustainable Transportation Program Manager, Transportation Research and Education Center, Portland State UniversityLuke Jones, Professor of Economics, Valdosta State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2199002024-01-18T18:58:37Z2024-01-18T18:58:37ZTrash TV: streaming giants are failing to educate the young about waste recycling. Here’s why it matters<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569957/original/file-20240117-25-bb72gg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=231%2C0%2C2585%2C1719&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://glenkeaneproductions.com/press">Trash Truck/Glen Keane Productions</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a new parent, I’ve had the joy of watching animated cartoons with my two-year-old son. His favourite show is <a href="https://www.netflix.com/au/title/80234731">Trash Truck</a>, on Netflix, featuring a tight-knit ensemble of five characters: a trash truck, a young boy, a raccoon, a bear and a mouse. The show offers valuable life lessons, emphasising the importance of friendship, sharing, love for animals and respect for parents. </p>
<p>But there’s a problem. The way it portrays the collection of waste grabbed my attention. It’s simply a matter of gathering mixed waste from bins and depositing it in a landfill. There’s no sign of any process for sorting or recycling waste. </p>
<p>This left me pondering why a charming cartoon series with a global audience, capable of educating the future generation about waste recovery, lacks such relevant educational content. </p>
<p>I’m a researcher who has studied waste management for the past six years. I decided to analyse similar series such as <a href="https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0U44E08N4F3GMFVIDRHREE3UU7/ref=atv_sr_fle_c_Tn74RA_1_1_1">The Stinky and Dirty Show</a> (Amazon Prime), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@babybus">BabyBus</a> (YouTube) and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lQw4F6g3A4">Frank the Garbage Truck</a> (YouTube). A clear pattern emerged – all show waste simply being dumped. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-activity-produces-18-of-emissions-and-a-shocking-40-of-our-landfill-waste-we-must-move-to-a-circular-economy-heres-how-206188">Building activity produces 18% of emissions and a shocking 40% of our landfill waste. We must move to a circular economy – here’s how</a>
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<p>To make it clear, in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uoe1UwdjCQk">one episode of BabyBus</a>, a song goes: </p>
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<p>[Garbage truck sings] Garbage truck yeah yeah, looking for garbage here and there […] I have a long arm yeah yeah, look what I can do. […] [Two paper coke cups sing] Big tummy, no no no, it is going to eat me, the trash can is shaking shaking, I don’t want to go […] [Garbage truck sings] Now off to the dump […] [Discarded apple sings] No I don’t want to go to the dump […] [Garbage truck sings] Dirty trash bye bye, smelly trash bye bye.</p>
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<p>This episode dropped four years ago on YouTube. It has hit a whopping 109 million views. That shows how powerful these platforms are for reaching people.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">In BabyBus it’s all about “dumping trash” with no mention of sorting or recycling.</span></figcaption>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/households-find-low-waste-living-challenging-heres-what-needs-to-change-197022">Households find low-waste living challenging. Here's what needs to change</a>
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<h2>Why does waste education matter?</h2>
<p>Many nations have hastily adopted various strategies and developed policies to tackle the <a href="https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/state-of-the-planet/world-waste-facts">ever-growing issue of waste</a>. In particular, scientific literature informing these strategies and policies highlights education as an effective and sustainable solution. </p>
<p>The findings from our multiple research projects reinforce this fact. For instance, we found “<a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ECAM-05-2021-0439/full/html">poor culture and education</a>” is one of the top three barriers to sustainably managing construction and demolition waste and treating it as a resource. In a later study, we <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550922002445">identified education</a> as a priority to enable development of markets for recycled construction waste materials. Most recently, we found “<a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/SASBE-08-2023-0213/full/html?skipTracking=true">education, investigation and demonstration activities</a>” are the main strategy for optimising use of recycled materials in the building and construction sector. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/buildings-used-iron-from-sunken-ships-centuries-ago-the-use-of-recycled-materials-should-be-business-as-usual-by-now-200351">Buildings used iron from sunken ships centuries ago. The use of recycled materials should be business as usual by now</a>
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<h2>Screen time can be learning time</h2>
<p>The United Nations <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">Sustainable Development Goals</a> emphasise the crucial role of children in achieving these global objectives. Its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda#:%7E:text=Children%20and%20young%20women%20and,words%20of%20the%20UN%20Charter.">describes</a> children as:</p>
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<p>critical agents of change […] [who] will find in the new goals a platform to channel their infinite capacities for activism into the creation of a better world.</p>
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<p>We have seen a big increase in waste education for children such as recycling programs at schools in recent years. But according to <a href="https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_940">Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory of human development</a>, the primary environmental influence on children occurs within their homes. A large part of a child’s time is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7018039/">spent at home</a> where they often have uninterrupted access to multimedia content.</p>
<p><a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2789091">Recent research</a> indicates screen time for children has surged particularly during and after COVID-19. While this trend may not be ideal, we can harness it for shaping the mindset of the next generation. In particular, it’s an opportunity to promote environmental sustainability. </p>
<p>The United States’ National Association for the Education of Young Children <a href="https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/ps_technology.pdf">suggests multimedia learning</a>, when used appropriately, helps children understand complicated topics while also providing positive engagement and enjoyment. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568959/original/file-20240111-29-duc80h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568959/original/file-20240111-29-duc80h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568959/original/file-20240111-29-duc80h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568959/original/file-20240111-29-duc80h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568959/original/file-20240111-29-duc80h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568959/original/file-20240111-29-duc80h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568959/original/file-20240111-29-duc80h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Streaming content is an important influence on children’s understanding of issues and their attitudes to them.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source"> Salman Shooshtarian</span></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-old-screen-time-rules-during-coronavirus-heres-what-you-should-focus-on-instead-135053">Forget old screen 'time' rules during coronavirus. Here's what you should focus on instead</a>
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<h2>The power and responsibilities of streaming media</h2>
<p>Online video streaming has transformed the media landscape and viewing habits worldwide. The swift expansion of internet usage, the ubiquity of mobile devices and the surging demand for online video content have driven this change. </p>
<p>The global video streaming market has grown remarkably over the past ten years. By 2022, estimated annual revenue from streaming TV and video hit <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/260179/over-the-top-revenue-worldwide/">US$154 billion</a>.</p>
<p>Waste is everyone’s responsibility, as outlined in many waste management initiatives and activities around the world. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-keep-putting-apartment-residents-waste-in-the-too-hard-basket-200545">We can't keep putting apartment residents' waste in the too hard basket</a>
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<p>With a global total of 1.2 billion viewers, giant streaming media companies such as Netflix (<a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/250934/quarterly-number-of-netflix-streaming-subscribers-worldwide/">247.2 million paid subscribers</a>, Amazon Prime Video (<a href="https://www.searchlogistics.com/learn/statistics/amazon-prime-statistics/">200 million paid subscribers</a>) and Disney+ (<a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/disney-plus-subscribers-150-million-earnings-1235784850/">150 million paid subscribers</a> have a key role to play in educating the next generation. In particular, their animated cartoon series can influence the next generation’s attitude and behaviour. </p>
<p>Given its impact on the young, the global entertainment industry needs to be held accountable to ensure it portrays current knowledge about how we manage pressing issues such as waste.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219900/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Salman Shooshtarian receives funding from the Australia Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre.</span></em></p>An essential part of managing a growing global waste problem is sorting, recovering and recycling it. But you won’t see this on children’s shows that feature waste collection.Salman Shooshtarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2194642023-12-14T13:12:30Z2023-12-14T13:12:30ZArtificial light lures migrating birds into cities, where they face a gauntlet of threats<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565500/original/file-20231213-21-30h0uo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C33%2C7315%2C4869&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The New York City borough of Manhattan at night, viewed from the Rockefeller Center observation deck.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/manhattan-skyline-with-view-to-empire-state-building-from-news-photo/1749117051">Sergi Reboredo/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Light pollution has steadily intensified and expanded from urban areas, and with the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1582/LEUKOS.2010.06.04001">advent of LED lighting</a>, it is growing in North America by <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abq7781">up to 10% per year</a>, as measured by the visibility of stars in the night sky. In our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43046-z">recent study</a>, we found that the glow from cities and urban outskirts can powerfully attract migratory birds, drawing them into developed areas where food is scarcer and they face threats such as colliding with glass buildings.</p>
<p>Each spring and fall, migratory birds journey to or from their breeding grounds, <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bobolink/maps-range">sometimes traveling thousands of miles</a>. En route, most birds need to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele.13618">make stopovers</a> to rest and feed. Some species burn off half of their body mass during migration.</p>
<p>Migratory stopover sites are not random, and birds typically use the same locations from year to year. Because migration takes place on a continental scale, with <a href="https://abcbirds.org/blog/north-american-bird-flyways/">billions of birds crossing North America</a> each migratory season, it’s important for scientists to understand what attracts birds to these locations. </p>
<p>We found that light pollution was a top predictor of the density of migrating birds at stopover locations for both spring and fall migration across the continental U.S.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Artificial light at night is an expanding threat to migrating birds, drawing them into developed areas where they can die from collisions with buildings and are exposed to other threats.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Why it Matters</h2>
<p>Nearly all birds in North America – some 80% – migrate each spring and fall. And of those species that migrate, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2029">70% travel at night</a>. </p>
<p>Nocturnal migration has many adaptive benefits: For example, the weather conditions are better, and fewer predators are active. But it makes most migratory birds highly susceptible to light pollution. In North America alone, it is estimated that up to 1 billion migrating birds <a href="https://doi.org/10.1650/CONDOR-13-090.1">die each year from collisions with buildings</a>. </p>
<p>Scientists don’t yet know why nocturnally migrating birds are attracted to artificial light, but research has shown that light pollution <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2022.12.006">acts as an amplifying agent</a> that draws more songbirds into urbanized areas. It often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13466">co-occurs with other environmental threats</a>, such as water and air pollution and noise. All of these stressors disrupt birds’ behavioral and physiological processes during journeys that already are extremely taxing.</p>
<p>Lighting is part of the fabric of human structures, yet many people don’t think of it as a pollutant or perceive its harmful effects on nature – until events like the <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/10/6/23906778/birds-killed-migration-collision-mccormick-place-lakeside-center">mass bird loss in Chicago</a> on Oct. 4-5, 2023, when nearly 1,000 birds were killed after colliding with the McCormick Place Convention Center, make the problem impossible to ignore.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565502/original/file-20231213-15-ti0ti3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black bird with an orange underside perches on a branch next to half an orange placed there for feeding." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565502/original/file-20231213-15-ti0ti3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565502/original/file-20231213-15-ti0ti3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=445&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565502/original/file-20231213-15-ti0ti3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=445&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565502/original/file-20231213-15-ti0ti3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=445&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565502/original/file-20231213-15-ti0ti3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=560&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565502/original/file-20231213-15-ti0ti3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=560&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565502/original/file-20231213-15-ti0ti3.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=560&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Baltimore orioles migrate twice yearly between their wintering grounds in Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America and their summer breeding zones, which stretch from Louisiana into central Canada.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kyle Horton</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How we did our work</h2>
<p>With colleagues at Colorado State University, Michigan State University, the University of Delaware, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Princeton University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the National Park Service, we sought to understand the complex drivers and large-scale patterns of stopover density by combining remote sensing data with geospatial tools. Mapping stopover locations has been a bird conservation priority for many years; now, for the first time, we have a complete view of where these stopovers are across the United States.</p>
<p>We were able to make novel maps at a continental scale using <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/radar/next-generation-weather-radar">U.S. NEXRAD weather surveillance data</a> – information from the same radars that meteorologists draw on to predict weather patterns on television and weather apps. We created 2,500 models using roughly 1 million locations across the U.S. and 49 predictor variables, including forest cover, precipitation, temperature, elevation and <a href="https://www.energy.gov/eere/ssl/text-alternative-version-what-sky-glow">skyglow</a> – diffuse brightness in the night sky from artificial light.</p>
<p>These maps capture fine-scale details that allow us to see increased densities of migrating birds following the winding banks of the Mississippi River, which provide an important refuge for depleted migrants to rest and refuel. We also created fall and spring hotspot maps highlighting regions where especially high numbers of birds made stopovers. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565636/original/file-20231213-21-au4a3l.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Radar imagery showing masses of light and dark blue above a map of St. Louis." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565636/original/file-20231213-21-au4a3l.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565636/original/file-20231213-21-au4a3l.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565636/original/file-20231213-21-au4a3l.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565636/original/file-20231213-21-au4a3l.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565636/original/file-20231213-21-au4a3l.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565636/original/file-20231213-21-au4a3l.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565636/original/file-20231213-21-au4a3l.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Radar detecting migrating birds lifting off from the St. Louis landscape on the night of May 10, 2023. Density of bird flocks increases from light blue to dark blue to green.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kyle Horton</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We found that the presence of light pollution was a better predictor of bird densities than temperature, precipitation or tree canopy cover. These all were variables that we had expected to correlate with periods when birds would be on the ground, or with high-quality habitats where birds would be likely to stop over. </p>
<p>Other variables were associated with areas that birds were unlikely to use as stopovers. One example was the presence of agricultural crops, such as corn or soybeans. Fields planted with a single crop <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2203511120">don’t provide adequate food or shelter for many bird species</a>, so migrants are unlikely to rest there.</p>
<p>Light pollution is a human-induced change to the environment that may act as an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2021.02.004">ecological trap</a>, drawing birds into substandard habitats and increasing their risk of collisions with buildings. Happily, its immediate effects can be quickly reversed with the flip of a switch. </p>
<p>Working to reduce artificial light through <a href="https://tx.audubon.org/urbanconservation/lights-out-texas">Lights Out campaigns</a> and <a href="https://aeroecolab.com/uslights">migration alerts</a>, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13740">understanding when birds will be in airspaces</a> and <a href="https://www.audubon.org/bird-friendly-buildings">using bird-friendly glass</a> that has patterns across its surface to make it more visible to birds, will reduce bird deaths from light pollution. Understanding the drivers and macro-scale patterns of stopover densities across the continental U.S. will better inform conservation actions like these. </p>
<p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take on interesting academic work.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219464/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kyle Horton receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carolyn S. Burt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Migrating birds need stopover locations en route where they can rest and feed. A new study shows that artificial light draws them away from sites they would normally use and into risky zones.Carolyn S. Burt, Convergence Research Coordinator, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State UniversityKyle Horton, Assistant Professor of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2102812023-10-10T02:50:05Z2023-10-10T02:50:05ZIndonesian urban poor suffer the most in extreme weather caused by climate change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547394/original/file-20230911-22-ceblp3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C10%2C3551%2C2655&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Condition of suburban residents in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, in the face of flooding.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Bramanyuro/Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Extreme weather as a result of <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/">climate change</a> has caused disasters and catastrophes around the globe.</p>
<p>In mid-2023, flash floods inundated roads and displaced millions in <a href="https://www.vox.com/climate/2023/7/11/23791452/vermont-flooding-climate-change">the US, South Korea, Pakistan and Turkey</a>. Asia has seen <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66197937&ust=1692313800000000&usg=AOvVaw3GIEwLSF7ljmYqWrBntVC_&hl=en&source=gmail">more than 100 deaths</a> during this year’s extreme monsoon season. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/10/india-floods-new-delhi-rain-record-deaths">In Northern India,</a> fatal floods following heavy rains resulted in the deaths of 22 people. </p>
<p>In Indonesia, severe floods in April 2023 struck <a href="https://floodlist.com/asia/indonesia-floods-central-kalimantan-april-2023">Central Kalimantan Province,</a> impacting 16,234 people. Numerous homes and public buildings were also affected.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://arc.ui.ac.id/riset/resilient-indonesian-slums-envisioned-rise-building-an-inclusive-governance-with-people-and-water-to-make-socialecological-interactions-for-resilient-to-aquatic-disasters/">our research</a>, we looked at how extreme weather had impacted urban areas. </p>
<h2>Urban poor and water-related problems</h2>
<p>We <a href="https://arc.ui.ac.id/riset/resilient-indonesian-slums-envisioned-rise-building-an-inclusive-governance-with-people-and-water-to-make-socialecological-interactions-for-resilient-to-aquatic-disasters/">studied</a> three flood-prone cities in Indonesia: Pontianak (West Kalimantan Province), Bima (West Nusa Tenggara Province) and Manado (West Sulawesi Province). </p>
<p>We used fieldwork visits, observations, interviews and document analysis. We interviewed 57 informants during the data collection process, including government actors, community leaders, civil society organisation activists, and business people.</p>
<p>Our research aimed to understand how urban development contributed to urban water problems within the wider context of extreme weather change.</p>
<p>It found climate-related problems such as flooding, drought, and heat stress may affect the whole city, regardless of rich or poor neighbourhoods. However, urban poor populations suffer more severely due to some reasons. </p>
<p>While the rich has resources to live in well-planned residential areas, urban poor have to live in <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/eastasiapacific/floods-neighborhood-mapping-poverty-and-flood-risk-indonesian-cities">parts most vulnerable</a> to floods.</p>
<p>In addition to that, they also live in crowded and impoverished neighbourhoods with limited access to clean water. </p>
<p>Marginalised from formal water services, the urban poor are accustomed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2015.08.023">relying on their own creativity for survival</a>. They drill boreholes, make wells, build wet ponds or install rainwater catchment. </p>
<p>The same goes when dealing with flooding. They swiftly store valuables in high places, monitor the rise of water level in the nearby drains, creeks or rivers. They also establish communication channels through digital platforms to be informed as soon as possible when flood risks emerge to organise mitigating measures. </p>
<p>However, those are merely reactive measures that have nothing to do with addressing the underlying problems. </p>
<h2>Results from unequal development</h2>
<p>We found water-related problems in Indonesia, such as <a href="https://water.org/our-impact/where-we-work/indonesia/">flooding and water shortage</a> are closely tied <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/36181">to unequal development</a> across different parts of the city. All the cities we studied showed common patterns.</p>
<p>In certain parts of the city, <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/indonesia/publication/augment-connect-target-realizing-indonesias-urban-potential">the economy has experienced significant growth</a> giving rise to upscale neighbourhoods with tall buildings, thriving business districts and real estates with large shopping centres nearby. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Urban slum in Bandung" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547399/original/file-20230911-23-rgy6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547399/original/file-20230911-23-rgy6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547399/original/file-20230911-23-rgy6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547399/original/file-20230911-23-rgy6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547399/original/file-20230911-23-rgy6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547399/original/file-20230911-23-rgy6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547399/original/file-20230911-23-rgy6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The urban slum area in Bandung, West Java, primarily results from inadequate city planning and unequal development.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Ikhlasul Amal/Flickr)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, this rapid development has led to surges in land prices, housing rents and the cost of essentials like water and electricity. As a result, these areas have become inaccessible to the urban poor.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in rural and less developed areas, people have converted forests into agricultural lands to meet the increasing demands of city inhabitants, causing disruption of the natural water cycle. </p>
<p>As a result, when extreme weather strikes, the urban area struggles to cope. Heavy rainfall increases the risk of flooding, while during droughts they struggle to find clean water.</p>
<h2>What can we do?</h2>
<p>Our findings show that profit-seeking activities by developers combined with poor policies have exacerbated water disasters which affected urban poor the most. These communities find it hard to adjust and improve their lives in the midst of urgent water-related issues.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547408/original/file-20230911-28-p2o2yl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547408/original/file-20230911-28-p2o2yl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547408/original/file-20230911-28-p2o2yl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547408/original/file-20230911-28-p2o2yl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547408/original/file-20230911-28-p2o2yl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547408/original/file-20230911-28-p2o2yl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547408/original/file-20230911-28-p2o2yl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Community planning to ensure just city development in Kampung Akuarium, Jakarta.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Rujak Center for Urban Studies)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, our study recommended measures that can improve the conditions of urban poor in facing water-related disasters, and not just the reactive ones.</p>
<p>The first step is making sure water management practices support the resilience of communities.</p>
<p>It’s important to consider and tackle inequalities across various areas. For instance, we can integrate the built environment to reconnect people with rivers within urban life. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Baca juga:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-loss-and-damage-fund-how-can-indonesia-use-it-to-boost-climate-adaptation-efforts-201004">The Loss and Damage Fund: How can Indonesia use it to boost climate adaptation efforts</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The second step is to consider the risks of climate change when making decisions about water-related institutions and services. We need to find ways to fund preventive measures and disaster response in a sustainable and responsive manner.</p>
<p>Lastly, it’s crucial to plan our infrastructure carefully. We should include strong and repairable options in our plans. To do this, we need to involve the community in decision-making processes and raise awareness about these issues.</p>
<p>In the long run, these recommendations will integrate actions into the whole water cycle to protect services, the environment and public health.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210281/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Muhammad Rifqi Damm is affiliated with the Asia Research Centre University of Indonesia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cindy Rianti Priadi is affiliated with the Environmental Engineering Study, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Indonesia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Inaya Rakhmani is affiliated with the Asia Research Centre, University of Indonesia. The data in this article was obtained from the RISE (Resilient Indonesian Slums Envisioned) collaborative research funded by NWO-WOTRO/RISTEK-BRIN.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Muhammad Irvan is affiliated with the Asia Research Centre University of Indonesia.</span></em></p>Urban development exacerbates urban water issues in the broader context of extreme weather changes.Muhammad Rifqi Damm, PhD Student, University of GothenburgCindy Rianti Priadi, Assistant Professor in Environmental Engineering, Universitas IndonesiaInaya Rakhmani, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, Universitas IndonesiaMuhammad Irvan, Deputi Operasional ARC UI, Universitas IndonesiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2069212023-07-26T12:15:57Z2023-07-26T12:15:57ZTo reclaim downtowns from traffic, require developers to offer strategies for cutting car use<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539081/original/file-20230724-15-y16i04.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C0%2C5326%2C3468&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Parking consumes 20% or more of prime locations in many U.S. downtowns.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/downtown-parking-structure-is-viewed-on-may-20-in-austin-news-photo/1399453450">George Rose/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The U.S. has a <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780230102194/carjackedthecultureoftheautomobileanditseffectonourlives">car-centric culture</a> that is inseparable from the way its communities are built. One striking example is the presence of parking lots and garages. Across the country, parking takes up an estimated <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akm7ik-H_7U">30% of space in cities</a>. Nationwide, there are eight parking spots for every car. </p>
<p>The dominance of parking has <a href="https://vimeo.com/97196446">devastated once-vibrant downtowns</a> by turning large areas into uninviting paved spaces that contribute to <a href="https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/reduce-urban-heat-island-effect">urban heating</a> and <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection/urbanization-and-stormwater-runoff">stormwater runoff</a>. It has <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2016.1205647">driven up housing costs</a>, since developers pass on the cost of providing parking to tenants and homebuyers. And it has perpetuated people’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.3141/2543-19">reliance on driving</a> by making walking, biking and public transit far less attractive, even for the shortest trips. </p>
<p>Why, then, does the U.S. have so much of it? </p>
<p>For decades, cities have required developers to provide a set number of parking spaces for their tenants or customers. And while many people still rely on parking, the amount required is typically <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0965-8564(99)00007-5">far more than most buildings need</a>.</p>
<p>Columbus, Ohio, pioneered this strategy 100 years ago, and by the middle of the 20th century minimum parking requirements were <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0144164032000080485">the norm nationwide</a>. The thinking was straightforward: As driving became more common, buildings without enough parking would clog up the streets and wreak havoc on surrounding communities. </p>
<p>Today, however, more urban planners and policymakers acknowledge that this policy is <a href="https://www.planning.org/planning/2022/spring/a-business-case-for-dropping-parking-minimums/">narrowly focused and shortsighted</a>. As a data scientist who studies urban transportation, I focused my <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZLNCPe4AAAAJ">earliest research</a> on this topic, and it shaped how I think about cities and towns today. </p>
<p>It’s encouraging to see cities rethinking minimum parking requirements – but while this is an important reform, urban leaders can do even more to loosen parking’s grip on our downtowns.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IgA4FJWIjI8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">From the 1970s through the early 2000s, ample downtown parking was widely viewed as essential for urban growth.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Eliminating parking requirements</h2>
<p>Despite research and guidance from the <a href="https://iteparkgen.org/">Institute of Transportation Engineers</a>, it is extremely <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0965-8564(99)00007-5">difficult to predict parking demand</a>, especially in downtown areas. As a result, for years many cities set the highest possible targets. This led to excess parking that is <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/5/3/034001">vastly underused</a>, even in areas with <a href="https://doi.org/10.3141/2537-19">perceived shortages</a>. </p>
<p>In 2017, Buffalo, New York, became the first large U.S. city to eliminate its minimum parking requirement as part of its first <a href="https://www.buffalogreencode.com/">major overhaul of zoning laws</a> in more than 60 years. This shift has <a href="https://theconversation.com/parking-reform-could-reenergize-downtowns-heres-what-happened-when-buffalo-changed-its-zoning-rules-159683">breathed new life into downtown Buffalo</a> by spurring redevelopment of vacant lots and storefronts. Researchers estimate that more than two-thirds of newly built homes there <a href="https://www.sightline.org/2023/04/13/parking-reform-legalized-most-of-the-new-homes-in-buffalo-and-seattle/">would have been illegal before the policy change</a> because they would not have met the earlier standards.</p>
<p>In the same year, Hartford, Connecticut, followed Buffalo’s lead and eliminated mandatory parking minimums citywide. Communities including <a href="https://www.naiop.org/research-and-publications/magazine/2023/Summer-2023/development-ownership/as-more-cities-eliminate-parking-minimums-what-happens-next/">Minneapolis; Raleigh, North Carolina; and San Jose, California</a>, have since taken similar steps.</p>
<p>Tony Jordan, president of the nonprofit <a href="https://parkingreform.org/">Parking Reform Network</a>, has argued that once cities stop mandating specific levels of private parking, leaders need to be more thoughtful about how they <a href="https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2022/11/22/what-comes-next-after-abolishing-parking-mandates">manage public curbside parking and spend the revenues</a> that it generates. Some communities have implemented <a href="https://www.mapc.org/resource-library/maximum-parking-allowances/">maximum parking allowances</a> to ensure that developers and their investors don’t add to the glut.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539087/original/file-20230724-23-iwcwot.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Map with areas used for parking colored" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539087/original/file-20230724-23-iwcwot.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539087/original/file-20230724-23-iwcwot.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=329&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539087/original/file-20230724-23-iwcwot.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=329&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539087/original/file-20230724-23-iwcwot.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=329&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539087/original/file-20230724-23-iwcwot.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539087/original/file-20230724-23-iwcwot.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539087/original/file-20230724-23-iwcwot.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=413&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In Tampa, Fla., 30% of the city’s central business district is devoted to parking (shown in red). As of July 2023, the city had not implemented parking reforms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://parkingreform.org/resources/parking-lot-map/">Parking Reform Network</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Reducing reliance on cars</h2>
<p>Parking mandates aren’t the only lever that city officials can use to make their downtowns less car-centric. Some local governments are now asking developers to help reduce overall traffic levels by investing in improvements like sidewalks, bike storage and transit passes. </p>
<p>This approach is typically called <a href="https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/plan4ops/trans_demand.htm">transportation demand management</a>, or modern mitigation. It still leverages private investment to serve the public good but without a singular focus on parking.</p>
<p>And unlike parking requirements, this strategy helps connect buildings to their surrounding communities. As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KSv7KvMAAAAJ&hl=en">urban planning scholar Kristina Currans</a> explained to me in an interview, traditional parking requirements ask developers to fend for themselves. In contrast, transportation demand management policies require them to consider the surrounding context, integrate their projects into it and help cities function more efficiently. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539169/original/file-20230725-25-dvfcwg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graphic showing that traditional development consumes more land to accommodate drivers, while transportation demand management reduces the need for parking and space for cars." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539169/original/file-20230725-25-dvfcwg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539169/original/file-20230725-25-dvfcwg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=267&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539169/original/file-20230725-25-dvfcwg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=267&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539169/original/file-20230725-25-dvfcwg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=267&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539169/original/file-20230725-25-dvfcwg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539169/original/file-20230725-25-dvfcwg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539169/original/file-20230725-25-dvfcwg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Traditional development leads to more parking and more traffic, which consumes more space, while transportation demand management encourages less traffic and has a smaller footprint.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.cityofmadison.com/transportation/initiatives/transportation-demand-management">City of Madison, adapted by Chris McCahill</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This approach dates back at least to 1998, when Cambridge, Massachusetts, introduced a policy requiring developers to produce a transportation demand management plan <a href="https://www.cambridgema.gov/cdd/transportation/fordevelopers/ptdm">whenever they add new parking</a>. That policy has now outlived the city’s minimum parking requirements, which Cambridge <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/10/25/cambridge-parking/">eliminated for all residential uses</a> in 2022.</p>
<p>Newer policies tend to incorporate point systems or calculators that link different strategies directly to their potential impact on car use. These tools are common in cities across California, where state law now requires city planners to evaluate <a href="https://www.sb743.org/">how much new car use each new development will generate</a> and take steps to limit the impact. Policies such as charging users directly for parking spots or offering employees cash in exchange for giving up their spot are <a href="https://doi.org/10.17226/23415">among the most effective</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539088/original/file-20230724-17-igz132.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman enters metal enclosure to lock her bicycle." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539088/original/file-20230724-17-igz132.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539088/original/file-20230724-17-igz132.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539088/original/file-20230724-17-igz132.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539088/original/file-20230724-17-igz132.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539088/original/file-20230724-17-igz132.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539088/original/file-20230724-17-igz132.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539088/original/file-20230724-17-igz132.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Denver offers 10 Bike-n-Ride shelters where commuters can store bikes and connect to the city’s mass transit system. Users access the shelters with key cards.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.rtd-denver.com/rider-info/bike-n-ride">Denver Regional Transportation District</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Lessons from Madison</h2>
<p>The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s <a href="https://ssti.us/">State Smart Transportation Initiative</a>, which I direct, along with UW’s <a href="https://mayorsinnovation.org/">Mayors Innovation Project</a>, has outlined policies like these in <a href="https://ssti.us/modernizing-mitigation/">a guide</a> based on our earlier work with the city of Los Angeles. We recently collaborated on <a href="https://www.cityofmadison.com/transportation/initiatives/transportation-demand-management">a new transportation demand management program</a> in Madison.</p>
<p>This program initially faced some <a href="https://madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/less-parking-fewer-cars-madison-city-council-to-weigh-traffic-rules-for-new-developments/article_f95271dc-7303-5b3c-b1b5-1a1f12871a21.html">pushback from developers</a>, but their input ultimately made it better. It passed the city’s Common Council unanimously in December 2022.</p>
<p>For their projects to be approved, developers now must earn a certain number of traffic mitigation points based on how large their project is and how many parking stalls they propose to include with it. For example, providing information to visitors and tenants about different travel options earns one point; providing secure bike storage earns two points; offering on-site child care earns four points; and charging market-rate parking fees is worth 10 points. Scaling back planned parking can reduce the number of points they need to earn in the first place.</p>
<p>While parking is no longer required in many parts of Madison, this new policy adds a layer of accountability to ensure that developers provide access to multiple transportation options in environmentally responsible ways. As urban leaders look for meaningful opportunities to <a href="https://www.surveyofmayors.com/files/2023/01/2022-Menino-Survey-Climate-Report.pdf">reduce their cities’ contributions to climate change</a>, we may soon see other cities following suit.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206921/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris McCahill is the managing director of the State Smart Transportation Initative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is affiliated with Smart Growth America, the Wisconsin chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism, and the Parking Reform Network. He also serves on the Transportation Commission and the Plan Commission for the City of Madison.</span></em></p>US cities are starting to reform laws that required developers to provide minimum amounts of parking. But there’s more they can do to loosen the auto’s grip on downtowns.Chris McCahill, Managing Director, State Smart Transportation Initiative, University of Wisconsin-MadisonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2069382023-06-07T20:06:59Z2023-06-07T20:06:59ZThe vast majority of Melburnians want more nature in their city, despite a puzzling north-south divide<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530213/original/file-20230605-17-5zryct.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4028%2C2681&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When we were asked to survey people in Melbourne about their relationship with nature, little did we know <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320723000848">our findings</a> would reinforce a <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/never-cross-the-river-inside-melbourne-s-north-south-divide-20210527-p57vps.html">well-known cultural divide</a> between those living north and south of the Yarra River. Residents of neighbourhoods to the south were overall less connected to nature. </p>
<p>But perhaps a more important finding was that people in Melbourne overwhelmingly supported the creation of more space for nature in the city. </p>
<p>The City of Melbourne commissioned the study and is already applying its findings in programs that aim to foster residents’ connection with nature.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530020/original/file-20230605-17-10occ9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Colour-coded map show average connection to nature for neighbourhoods across Melbourne" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530020/original/file-20230605-17-10occ9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530020/original/file-20230605-17-10occ9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530020/original/file-20230605-17-10occ9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530020/original/file-20230605-17-10occ9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=602&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530020/original/file-20230605-17-10occ9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=756&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530020/original/file-20230605-17-10occ9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=756&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530020/original/file-20230605-17-10occ9.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=756&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The differences in connection to nature north and south of the Yarra River, with green areas being neighbourhoods with higher average connection to nature and yellow areas having lower average connection.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320723000848">Selinske et al 2023</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-if-urban-plans-gave-natural-systems-the-space-to-recover-from-the-cities-built-over-them-it-can-be-done-199388">What if urban plans gave natural systems the space to recover from the cities built over them? It can be done</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What did the study find?</h2>
<p>In our survey of nearly 1,600 residents, commuters and visitors to Melbourne, 86% wanted the city to create more space for nature. Their reasons included:</p>
<ul>
<li>to promote mental and physical wellbeing</li>
<li>to conserve native plants and wildlife in the city</li>
<li>civic pride </li>
<li>a belief that if Melbourne could create more nature it would help attract more visitors and help the city’s post-pandemic recovery.</li>
</ul>
<p>Nearly 75% of respondents had a high connection to nature. More than 75% said they were concerned about climate change and the destruction of nature. </p>
<p>These figures should give heart to anyone promoting greening or conservation actions in the city – the public has your back.</p>
<p>Retirees and university students who had lived most of their lives within the greater Melbourne area had the lowest connection to nature. Despite there generally being <a href="https://www.greenerspacesbetterplaces.com.au/media/163315/where-will-all-the-trees-be-benchmarking-report-2020.pdf">more tree cover</a> and beach access south of the Yarra, residents of those areas tend to have a lower connection to nature than those to the north.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two kookaburras perched on a metal arch" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530221/original/file-20230606-19-kxvpkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530221/original/file-20230606-19-kxvpkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530221/original/file-20230606-19-kxvpkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530221/original/file-20230606-19-kxvpkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530221/original/file-20230606-19-kxvpkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530221/original/file-20230606-19-kxvpkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530221/original/file-20230606-19-kxvpkd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">City parks with high biodiversity help strengthen people’s connection with nature.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why promote people’s connection with nature?</h2>
<p>The City of Melbourne commissioned the study as part of its <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/community/greening-the-city/urban-nature/Pages/nature-in-the-city-strategy.aspx">Nature in the City Strategy</a>. Its aim, in part, is to “create a more diverse, connected and resilient natural environment” and “connect people to nature”. </p>
<p>The strategy set this target: “By 2027, more residents, workers and visitors encounter, value and understand nature in the city more than they did in 2017.” </p>
<p>Connection to nature is the extent to which an individual identifies with nature. It stems from a belief that we all have a natural affinity for nature, known as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/biophilia-hypothesis">biophilia</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-we-love-the-great-outdoors-new-research-shows-part-of-the-answer-is-in-our-genes-175995">Why do we love the great outdoors? New research shows part of the answer is in our genes</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Nature anywhere can offer respite from stresses and be a source of inspiration, creativity and spiritual connection. But individuals have varying levels of connection to nature, which may change during their lifetime. </p>
<p>If you have high level of connection you may feel a real kinship with nature. It’s an important part of your life. People with high connection to nature are more likely to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494418302135">support environmental policies</a>, take part in <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13381">conservation activities</a> and have <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212041614001648">higher wellbeing</a>.</p>
<p>Those who feel less connected are less likely to engage with nature. Their wellbeing can suffer as a result. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530024/original/file-20230605-15-efuzlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Horizontal chart showing extent of agreement or disagreement from respondents about each potential barriers to engaging with nature" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530024/original/file-20230605-15-efuzlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530024/original/file-20230605-15-efuzlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530024/original/file-20230605-15-efuzlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530024/original/file-20230605-15-efuzlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530024/original/file-20230605-15-efuzlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530024/original/file-20230605-15-efuzlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530024/original/file-20230605-15-efuzlj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Barriers to engaging with nature as identified from responses to the survey.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320723000848">Selinske et al 2023</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Exposure to and engagement with nature are important for our physical and mental health. <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.aax0903">Studies</a> have shown exposure to natural environments reduces blood pressure and stress levels, and improves cardiovascular health. </p>
<p>Nature also fosters emotional wellbeing. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep28551">Research</a> has consistently shown spending time in nature reduces anxiety, depression and mental fatigue.</p>
<p>This is especially important for <a href="https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(23)03640-X">stressed city residents</a>. As well as its health benefits, urban nature has positive impacts on our mood, crime rates, social cohesion and quality of life.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/biodiversity-and-our-brains-how-ecology-and-mental-health-go-together-in-our-cities-126760">Biodiversity and our brains: how ecology and mental health go together in our cities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-australians-is-lonely-quality-green-spaces-in-our-cities-offer-a-solution-188007">1 in 4 Australians is lonely. Quality green spaces in our cities offer a solution</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So how do we bring people closer to nature?</h2>
<p>The reasons for the north-south divide in residents’ connections to nature aren’t clear and require more research. However, the other findings are already being applied to strategies to help people engage with nature and enjoy the benefits.</p>
<p><a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2035">Research</a> has shown young people’s connection to nature tends to decline when they reached their mid-teens. While there might be a spike in connection as they reach their 20s, it can plateau by later adulthood. </p>
<p>Young people go through many changes in their lives before adulthood. For many, other activities take priority over spending time in nature. Re-engagement strategies could include more nature-based social events for teens and young adults, to help sustain their connection to nature through to adulthood.</p>
<p>While some retirees had strong knowledge of Australian biodiversity, their low connection to nature could be due to lack of mobility and social connection. One possible way to re-engage this group is to bring nature to them. We could set up more community gardens near them, creating social opportunities as well, or make nature part of their homes. </p>
<p>In response to our findings, the City of Melbourne ran online workshops to identify where retirees engage in nature, how connections with nature are formed, and possible barriers and strategies to strengthen these connections.</p>
<p>New residents of Australia are a really engaged, environmentally conscious group. Finding ways to increase their local biodiversity knowledge may create stronger ties to the Melbourne area and foster emerging conservation allies. The City of Melbourne is planning programs to increase learning opportunities for these residents who identified awareness as a barrier to taking part in conservation activities.</p>
<p>The city council can also make structural changes to increase the time people spend in nature. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1618866721002016">Biodiverse</a> streetscapes and green buildings can enhance exposure and connection to nature for residents and visitors.</p>
<p>For starters, the council could green streets while reducing traffic by <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/push-to-convert-thousands-of-cbd-parking-spots-into-green-space-20221129-p5c265.html">converting</a> parking spaces into gardens and passing <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/building-and-development/urban-planning/melbourne-planning-scheme/planning-scheme-amendments/Pages/amendment-c376-sustainable-building-design.aspx">Amendment C376 for Sustainable Building Design</a>. This change to the planning scheme will increase green roofs and walls and the number of trees in the city. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-how-to-design-cities-where-people-and-nature-can-both-flourish-102849">Here's how to design cities where people and nature can both flourish</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530001/original/file-20230605-127838-8tm7xh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/530001/original/file-20230605-127838-8tm7xh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530001/original/file-20230605-127838-8tm7xh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530001/original/file-20230605-127838-8tm7xh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530001/original/file-20230605-127838-8tm7xh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530001/original/file-20230605-127838-8tm7xh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/530001/original/file-20230605-127838-8tm7xh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some residents were concerned that development is reducing the amount of nature in Melbourne.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kon Karampelas/Unsplash</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Scaling up voluntary programs, such as the <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/community/greening-the-city/urban-forest-fund/pages/apply-partnership-urban-forest-fund.aspx">City of Melbourne Urban Forest Fund’s Habitat Grants</a> and <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/community/greening-the-city/urban-nature/gardens-wildlife/Pages/gardens-for-wildlife.aspx#:%7E:text=Gardens%20for%20Wildlife%20supports%20the,can%20help%20promote%20urban%20biodiversity.">Gardens for Wildlife Program</a>, will expand community efforts to create places for nature. </p>
<p>As Melbourne recovers from pandemic lockdowns and becomes the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/17/melbourne-overtakes-sydney-as-australias-most-populous-city">most populated urban area</a> in Australia, making more space for nature is vital to maintain and increase the city’s liveability. Most Melburnians would agree. </p>
<p>We all benefit from spending time in nature whether that takes place north or south of the Yarra.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-daily-doses-of-nature-in-the-city-matter-for-people-and-the-planet-106918">Why daily doses of nature in the city matter for people and the planet</a>
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<p><em>The author acknowledges and thanks Blake Alexander Simmons, Environmental Social Scientist at Tampa Bay Estuary Program, and Lee Harrison, Senior Ecologist at City of Melbourne, co-authors of the peer-reviewed study published in Biological Conservation.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206938/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Selinske receives funding from Australian Research Council and the City of Melbourne and is a board member of the Society for Conservation Biology's Social Science Working Group.</span></em></p>A public survey found 86% of people want more space for nature in the city. The city council is already taking steps to add green space and increase biodiversity, which should boost public wellbeing.Matthew Selinske, Senior Research Fellow, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1965842023-06-01T14:38:50Z2023-06-01T14:38:50ZCycling could be a boon for Lagos – but people fear for their safety on bikes<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529420/original/file-20230531-29-8f7ght.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A cyclist participates in World Car Free Day in Lagos.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With an estimated <a href="https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/22007/lagos/population">16 million residents</a>, Lagos is the most densely populated state in Nigeria. It’s under <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920922000360">immense pressure</a> to transport its huge population. According to a global ranking of mobility in cities, <a href="https://theconversation.com/lagoss-chequered-history-how-it-came-to-be-the-megacity-it-is-today-124306">Lagos</a> was ranked <a href="https://www.oliverwymanforum.com/mobility/urban-mobility-readiness-index/ranking.html">worst</a> out of 60 cities across the world in 2022. Famous for its <a href="https://businessday.ng/the-bridge/article/businesses-commuters-suffer-as-lagos-traffic-worsens/#:%7E:text=Businesses%20and%20commuters%20in%20Lagos,by%20heavy%20rains%20and%20flooding.">traffic jams</a>, Lagos has <a href="https://www.internetgeography.net/topics/traffic-congestion-in-lagos/">40%</a> of all the cars registered in Nigeria.</p>
<p>Transport service quality is known to drive the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212571X20301633">public attitude to and image of a city</a>, which is important to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-a-failed-johannesburg-project-tells-us-about-mega-cities-in-africa-112420">marketing</a> of a city as a destination or place for <a href="https://theconversation.com/africas-free-trade-area-offers-promise-for-cities-but-only-if-theres-investment-187177">investment</a>. Cycling is one of the cheapest modes of transport. It can ease traffic gridlock and its associated pollution and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23800127.2020.1723385">environmental impacts</a>, making the city more attractive as a destination. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-challenges-of-governing-lagos-the-city-that-keeps-growing-175753">The challenges of governing Lagos, the city that keeps growing</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Yet cycling continues to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-9941(2012)0000001010">marginalised</a> in developing countries. This has stimulated <a href="https://www.google.co.za/books/edition/The_Politics_of_Cycling_Infrastructure/iZ_LDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0">academic research</a> to understand the adoption of cycling infrastructure. But how well can cycling work in a highly urbanised state like Lagos? </p>
<p>As an <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emmanuel-mogaji-1217677">academic researcher</a> with a focus on transport, education and financial services, I teach the marketing and advertising of these services. To market cycling as a sustainable mode of transport, I need to understand the challenges, opportunities and prospects facing consumers. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JSM-04-2022-0145/full/html">part</a> of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2089">my</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2022.103206">ongoing</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1361920921002807">research</a>, I set about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100608">studying</a> the attitudes of cyclists and non-cyclists in Lagos to understand why cycling is a challenging mode of transport despite its obvious benefits. </p>
<p>I found that numerous fears and social pressures are holding back the uptake of cycling – yet even so there are growing groups of Lagosians championing the bicycle.</p>
<h2>The study</h2>
<p>My <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2022.100608">research</a> involved ethnographic fieldwork, observations and interviews with cyclists and non-cyclists in Lagos. </p>
<p>I interviewed 28 members of cycling clubs and 67 non-cycling participants. The research also collected photographic evidence of transport infrastructure, various activities organised to encourage cycling, and the business operations of cycling clubs and start-ups. </p>
<p>Thematic analysis of the data revealed three key challenges for establishing a culture of cycling in Lagos.</p>
<h2>Three key findings</h2>
<p><strong>Personal fears:</strong> This is about the ability and willingness to cycle. I found that many adults don’t know how to ride a bike and can’t imagine themselves cycling in Lagos. Some were very reluctant to learn and many felt it was unsafe and wouldn’t even encourage their children to cycle. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2022.103506">Gender discrimination</a> was a significant concern – women are often harassed and unfairly treated on the road. Road users in Lagos can be very impatient, putting cyclists at risk.</p>
<p><strong>Social issues:</strong> These are broader challenges that hinder the adoption of cycling. A lack of awareness of the benefits of cycling is compounded by societal marginalisation – many people still feel rich people drive and poor people cycle. Cyclists may have no place to shower or to safely store their bicycles. However, it’s important to recognise the growing numbers of cycling clubs in Lagos that provide a safe cycling environment and network and schedule group rides for budding cyclists. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CityCyclersNG/">City Cyclers</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGsSoaZpcpE">Bikaholics</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Green-House-Bikers-Club/100083076435187/?paipv=0&eav=AfYFVJ8MypRavdI3jspDkI8h0ibJfnp-EmG1u2nEs3MiTVDVdCgWQLV5eeRAHFNCE30&_rdr">Greenhouse Bikers</a>, <a href="https://www.cycology.com.ng/">Cycology</a> and <a href="https://cyclotron.com.ng/">Cyclotron</a> are some of the bigger cycling clubs in the state. There are also charities, foundations and initiatives – like <a href="https://ludi.org.ng/girl-bike-club-lagos-island/">Girls Bike Club</a> – supporting the growth of cycling.</p>
<p><strong>Structural limitations:</strong> These challenges most often place responsibilities on government to support cycling infrastructure. The security of cyclists in Lagos is put at risk because of a lack of cycle lanes, parking and routes.</p>
<h2>Why cycling matters</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2011.01299.x">health benefits</a> of cycling have been well recognised. Lagos needs to promote cycling as a contributor for better population health. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529515/original/file-20230601-23207-w5p0c2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A group of people chat, on or next to their bicycles, wearing cycling gear and helmets." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529515/original/file-20230601-23207-w5p0c2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529515/original/file-20230601-23207-w5p0c2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529515/original/file-20230601-23207-w5p0c2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529515/original/file-20230601-23207-w5p0c2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529515/original/file-20230601-23207-w5p0c2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529515/original/file-20230601-23207-w5p0c2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529515/original/file-20230601-23207-w5p0c2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bicycle riders gather during World Car Free Day in Lagos.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty Images</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Then there are the economic benefits of cycling in a congested state like Lagos. According to the former permanent secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Transport, Lagos is set to <a href="https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/549418-traffic-congestion-lagos-to-lose-21-billion-monthly-by-2030-expert.html?tztc=1">lose US$21 billion monthly by 2030</a> due to time spent stuck in traffic. Fewer cars on the roads would allow people to be more productive. </p>
<p>Finally, cycling benefits the environment. Road transport in Lagos – with the abundance of old vehicles and high sulphur content in imported fuels – is a significant contributor to air pollution. The World Bank <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/06/03/afw-making-lagos-a-pollution-free-city-solving-the-threat-one-solution-at-a-time#:%7E:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20at%20least%2030%2C000%20people,die%20every%20year%20in%20Lagos%20due%20to%20pollution.">estimates</a> that at least 30,000 people die every year in Lagos due to pollution – <a href="https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/980031575616020127/the-cost-of-air-pollution-in-lagos">11,200</a> of them premature deaths.</p>
<p>People are increasingly conscious of how their environment affects their wellbeing. With Lagos excluded from the comprehensive <a href="https://cityratings.peopleforbikes.org/">world ranking</a> of bike-friendly cities, it needs to improve its brand positioning. The mega city could help change its image as a place where people struggle to move around by investing in sustainable modes of transportation. </p>
<h2>What should be done</h2>
<p>Awareness of cycling should be promoted, alongside increased availability of bicycles for people to use. With rental services like <a href="https://awabike.com">Awa Bike</a> providing bike sharing across educational campuses and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/ThinkBikes-Limited-100086658639617/">Thinkbikes</a> offering electric bicycles, there are business opportunities for increasing the number of bicycles in Lagos. State government can also consider financial support for those who may want to buy their own bicycles, like the <a href="https://www.bike2workscheme.co.uk/">Bike2Work Scheme</a> in the UK.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/johannesburgs-bike-lanes-are-not-well-used-heres-why-75068">Johannesburg's bike lanes are not well used. Here's why</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Road users should be made aware of the rights of cyclists on the roads. Ensuring that streets have safe, continuous space for pedestrian movement and dedicated cycle tracks is an essential component of a complete cycle network.</p>
<p>By increasing cycling uptake and reducing the use of motorised vehicles, the Lagos brand could help attract more visitors who are keen to explore the state.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196584/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emmanuel Mogaji is affiliated with Centre for Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation (CEMRI), Abuja, Nigeria. This is a non-government organisation in Nigeria. <a href="http://www.cemri.org">www.cemri.org</a></span></em></p>Lagos is famous for its congested traffic. Cycling could help change this image.Emmanuel Mogaji, Associate Professor in Marketing, Keele UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2046852023-05-31T04:51:40Z2023-05-31T04:51:40ZA sustainable Australia depends on what happens in our cities – that’s why we need a national urban policy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529260/original/file-20230531-29-26w8ci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4746%2C3166&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia has not had a national urban policy since the Rudd government. A troika of Liberal PMs followed. Tony Abbott wasn’t interested. Malcolm Turnbull didn’t quite live up to the hype but delivered cross-governmental <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/analysis/brief/australian-city-deals-focus">City Deals</a> and the <a href="https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/smart-cities-and-suburbs-program">Smart Cities and Suburbs Program</a>. Scott Morrison at best presided over a business-as-usual approach lacking any resolve, urgency or innovation. </p>
<p>Will this Labor government do any better? Australian cities and regions were not front and centre in the 2022 federal election campaign. But there were signs a Labor government would reinstate a concern for urban policy issues.</p>
<p>The federal budget confirmed the government’s focus on urban policy. It set aside funding for a “national approach for sustainable urban development” and a “cities program”. Last week the government <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/government-listening-experts-urban-policy">appointed the expert members</a> of the Urban Policy Forum announced in the budget. </p>
<p>These are vehicles for delivering a <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/towards-national-approach-cities-and-regions">promised National Urban Policy</a>. The government <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/territories-regions-cities/cities">says</a> this policy “will bring together a vision for sustainable growth in our cities”. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1662231500060852224"}"></div></p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hopes-of-a-new-urban-age-survive-ministers-fall-52975">Hopes of a new urban age survive minister's fall</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why focus on cities?</h2>
<p><a href="https://population.gov.au/population-topics/topic-population">Two in three Australians</a> live in a capital city. Our 21 largest cities are home to 80% of the population. </p>
<p>Cities account for <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/productivity-review/report/productivity-review.pdf">80% of economic activity</a> in Australia. As globally connected hubs, they are crucial sites for community, commerce, infrastructure, biodiversity, governance and democratic processes. Our cities are central to meeting the challenges of a changing climate. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Map of Australia's 21 largest cities" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528190/original/file-20230525-27-9njh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528190/original/file-20230525-27-9njh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528190/original/file-20230525-27-9njh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528190/original/file-20230525-27-9njh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528190/original/file-20230525-27-9njh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528190/original/file-20230525-27-9njh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528190/original/file-20230525-27-9njh7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Our 21 largest cities, with 80% of the population, have a huge role to play in achieving a sustainable future.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Australian Urban Observatory</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/urban-planning-is-now-on-the-front-line-of-the-climate-crisis-this-is-what-it-means-for-our-cities-and-towns-193452">Urban planning is now on the front line of the climate crisis. This is what it means for our cities and towns</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has skin in the game. He was the minister for infrastructure and transport in the Gillard government. He oversaw the first truly national urban policy, <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/2679/Our_Cities_National_Urban_Policy_Paper_2011.pdf?1684550015">Our Cities, Our Future</a>, in 2011.</p>
<p>In 2021, Albanese <a href="https://anthonyalbanese.com.au/media-centre/the-future-of-our-cities-10-march-2021">declared</a> that “cities policy has been one of the abiding passions of my time in public life”. He foreshadowed a new national policy framework. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://budget.gov.au/content/bp1/download/bp1_bs-1.pdf">budget papers</a> specifically refer to the <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/meeting-national-cabinet-better-future-federation">National Cabinet agreement</a> on April 28 on national priorities. Among these is “Better Planning for Stronger Growth reforms to support a national approach to the growth of cities, towns, and suburbs”. </p>
<p>The budget commits <a href="https://budget.gov.au/">nearly A$400 million</a> over four years in new grants and investments in “Thriving Suburbs” and “Urban Precincts and Partnerships”. Some $11 million goes to a Cities and Suburbs Unit to deliver a National Urban Policy. The policy is required to:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>address urgent challenges facing our major cities – from equitable access to jobs, homes and services, to climate impacts and decarbonisation. </p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Looking down the street of an outer suburban development" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528975/original/file-20230530-21-yxp80q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528975/original/file-20230530-21-yxp80q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528975/original/file-20230530-21-yxp80q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528975/original/file-20230530-21-yxp80q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528975/original/file-20230530-21-yxp80q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528975/original/file-20230530-21-yxp80q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528975/original/file-20230530-21-yxp80q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Outer suburbs distant from services and workplaces create problems for the sustainability of our cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">R. Freestone</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/state-of-the-environment-report-shows-our-growing-cities-are-under-pressure-but-were-seeing-positive-signs-too-187265">State of the Environment report shows our growing cities are under pressure – but we’re seeing positive signs too</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>An overdue development</h2>
<p>Urban development has been “<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00979-5">undervalued in national discussion</a>” globally, not only in Australia. But in recent years various bodies, inquiries and forums have pushed for a new-look national urban policy.</p>
<p>The Planning Institute of Australia has long called for a coherent governance framework for spatial plans, infrastructure, growth management and urban renewal. Without a national cities plan, a <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/2680/Through_the_Lens-_The_Tipping_Point.pdf?1684550414">2018 report</a> by the institute said, “all jurisdictions will be disadvantaged when making resource allocation decisions and planning for basic enabling infrastructure”.</p>
<p>In the same year, a federal <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/2681/BuildingUp_MovingOut.pdf_fileType_application_pdf.pdf?1684550659">parliamentary inquiry</a> into the Australian government’s role in city development called for “a national plan of settlement, providing a national vision for our cities and regions across the next 50 years”.</p>
<p>In 2019, Future Earth Australia, based at the Australian Academy of Sciences, advanced a ten-year <a href="https://www.futureearth.org.au/publications/sustainable-cities-strategy">national strategy</a> for sustainable cities and regions. This strategy is aligned with the Australian achievement of the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">UN Sustainable Development Goals</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1495656742734209027"}"></div></p>
<h2>New ideas for Australian cities and regions</h2>
<p>We must take seriously the economic, social and environmental impacts of long-term population growth and development. To become a more equitable and sustainable country, action on the uneven experiences of Australian cities and regions must be a government priority.</p>
<p>In 2021, an Australian Academy of Social Sciences workshop on <a href="https://socialsciences.org.au/workshop/australian-urban-policy-achievements-failures-challenges/">Australian Urban Policy: Achievements, Failures, Challenges</a> was undertaken jointly at the City Futures Research Centre, UNSW, and Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University. More than 50 researchers and practitioners explored the many issues competing for urban policy attention at the national level.</p>
<p>Key areas included water, climate change, Indigeneity, transport, migration, population settlement and new cities. Urban green space, biodiversity, digital technologies, economic productivity, social inclusion and affordable housing supply were also identified as issues that cut across national policy agendas. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-we-want-liveable-cities-in-2060-well-have-to-work-together-to-transform-urban-systems-119235">If we want liveable cities in 2060 we'll have to work together to transform urban systems</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Constitutional constraints mean states must play a leading role in national urban policy. Fortunately, these constraints don’t rule out inter-governmental partnerships. There are many, often poorly integrated policies, programs and initiatives across all levels of government. </p>
<p>There was consensus at the workshop on the need to transcend the political ideology and expediency that have led to fragmented urban policies. A different kind of national politics focused on sustainability, resilience and regeneration is required. </p>
<p>The “secret” to sustainability lies in an integrated national framework of policies and strategies for city-regions. All three tiers of government need to buy into it. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528973/original/file-20230530-34545-wmgf5g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graphic of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528973/original/file-20230530-34545-wmgf5g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528973/original/file-20230530-34545-wmgf5g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528973/original/file-20230530-34545-wmgf5g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528973/original/file-20230530-34545-wmgf5g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528973/original/file-20230530-34545-wmgf5g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528973/original/file-20230530-34545-wmgf5g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528973/original/file-20230530-34545-wmgf5g.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Coordinated urban policy action across Australia is needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/news/communications-material/">United Nations</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>National urban policy redux</h2>
<p>There is a “back to the future” quality in some of the Albanese moves. They re-invent Rudd-Gillard initiatives, and Turnbull’s City Deals remain. Action on affordable housing supply and urban inequalities has been less forceful to date. </p>
<p>Sitting alongside what seem like far-reaching environmental actions, including a new Net Zero Authority, the revival of urban policy at the national level is welcome. So too would be the discussion, consultation and research required to secure a resilient and sustainable future.</p>
<p>A national urban policy offers opportunities for cities, towns and regions.
It’s also essential if Australia is to meet its national and international obligations, notably the UN’s <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda">2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>Australian Urban Policy: Prospects and Pathways is a report on the UNSW-RMIT workshop edited by the authors and with over 30 contributors. It will be published by ANU Press in late 2023.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204685/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Freestone receives funding from The Australian Research Council. He is affiliated to the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, the Australian Academy of Humanities, and the Planning Institute of Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bill Randolph receives funding from The Australian Research Council. He is affiliated to The Academy of the Social Sciences Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia, and the Australasian Housing Institute. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Wendy Steele receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Australian Academy of Social Sciences. She is affiliated with the Australasian Cities Research Network (ACRN), Planning Institute of Australia and Future Earth Australia.</span></em></p>Our largest cities, home to 80% of the population, are central to achieving sustainability in a time of climate change. The federal government has begun to act on the need for coherent urban policies.Robert Freestone, Professor of Planning, School of Built Environment, UNSW SydneyBill Randolph, Professor, City Futures Research Centre, Faculty of the Built Environment, UNSW SydneyWendy Steele, Interim Director, Urban Futures Enabling Impact Platform, and Professor in Sustainability and Urban Policy, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2027082023-04-14T12:18:23Z2023-04-14T12:18:23ZLow-cost, high-quality public transportation will serve the public better than free rides<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520876/original/file-20230413-14-9lul24.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C0%2C2485%2C1665&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Chicago's Washington-Wabash station opened in 2017 – the first new stop on the city's elevated rail system in 20 years.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/train-arrives-at-the-washington-wabash-station-in-chicago-news-photo/1159260224">Youngrae Kim/The Washington Post via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Public transit systems face daunting challenges across the U.S., from pandemic ridership losses to traffic congestion, fare evasion and pressure to keep rides affordable. In some cities, including <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/15/inflation-free-public-transportation-00039644">Boston</a>, <a href="https://www.governing.com/community/what-can-cities-learn-from-kansas-citys-fare-free-transit-program">Kansas City</a> and <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/free-public-transportation-accelerates-in-some-us-cities/6966994.html">Washington</a>, many elected officials and advocates see fare-free public transit as the solution. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.transit.dot.gov/cares-act">Federal COVID-19 relief funds</a>, which have subsidized transit operations across the nation at an unprecedented level since 2020, offered a natural experiment in free-fare transit. Advocates applauded these changes and are now pushing to make <a href="https://dcist.com/story/23/03/01/fare-free-buses-in-jeopardy-as-d-c-revenue-projections-drop/">fare-free bus lines</a> <a href="https://qns.com/2023/03/queens-legislators-urge-governor-to-include-mta-fare-freeze-free-bus-funding-in-final-state-budget/">permanent</a>.</p>
<p>But although these experiments aided low-income families and <a href="https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2023/03/06/ridership-on-fare-free-mbta-buses-more-than-doubled-in-programs-first-year">modestly boosted ridership</a>, they also created new political and economic challenges for beleaguered transit agencies. With ridership still <a href="https://transitapp.com/APTA">dramatically below pre-pandemic levels</a> and temporary federal support expiring, transportation agencies face <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23653855/covid-transit-fares-buses-subways-crisis">an economic and managerial “doom spiral</a>.” </p>
<p>Free public transit that doesn’t bankrupt agencies would require a revolution in transit funding. In most regions, U.S. voters – <a href="https://www.thetransportpolitic.com/databook/travel-mode-shares-in-the-u-s/">85% of whom commute by automobile</a> – have resisted deep subsidies and expect fare collection to cover a portion of operating budgets. Studies also show that transit riders are likely to prefer <a href="https://doi.org/10.17610/T6WC8Z">better, low-cost service to free rides</a> on the substandard options that exist in much of the U.S. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520884/original/file-20230413-22-u4m1ow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A bright blue light rail train collect passengers" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520884/original/file-20230413-22-u4m1ow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520884/original/file-20230413-22-u4m1ow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520884/original/file-20230413-22-u4m1ow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520884/original/file-20230413-22-u4m1ow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520884/original/file-20230413-22-u4m1ow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520884/original/file-20230413-22-u4m1ow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520884/original/file-20230413-22-u4m1ow.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The KC Streetcar is a free two-mile route running along Main Street in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The city also offers free bus rides, but infrequent service is a concern.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/kansas-city-missouri-the-kc-streetcar-is-a-free-two-mile-news-photo/1459409750">Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why isn’t transit free?</h2>
<p>As I recount in my new book, “<a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/G/bo191431990.html">The Great American Transit Disaster</a>,” mass transit in the U.S. was an unsubsidized, privately operated service for decades prior to the 1960s and 1970s. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, prosperous city dwellers used public transit to escape from overcrowded urban neighborhoods to more spacious “<a href="https://www.governing.com/context/the-fascinating-rise-and-fall-of-streetcar-suburbs">streetcar suburbs</a>.” Commuting symbolized success for families with the income to pay the daily fare. </p>
<p>These systems were self-financing: Transit company investors made their money in suburban real estate when rail lines opened up. They charged low fares to entice riders looking to buy land and homes. The most famous example was the Pacific Electric “red car” transit system in Los Angeles that <a href="https://ohiostatepress.org/books/BookPages/FriedricksHenry.htm">Henry Huntingdon</a> built to transform his vast landholdings into profitable subdivisions.</p>
<p>However, once streetcar suburbs were built out, these companies had no further incentive to provide excellent transit. Unhappy voters felt suckered into crummy commutes. In response, city officials retaliated against the powerful transit interests by taxing them heavily and charging them for street repairs. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the introduction of <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fords-assembly-line-starts-rolling">mass-produced personal cars</a> created new competition for public transit. As autos gained popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, frustrated commuters swapped out riding for driving, and private transit companies like Pacific Electric began failing. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AwKv3_WwD4o?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">In the early 20th century, Los Angeles had a world-class public transit system – here’s how it went off the rails.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Grudging public takeovers</h2>
<p>In most cities, politicians refused to prop up the often-hated private transit companies that now were begging for tax concessions, fare increases or public buyouts. In 1959, for instance, politicians still forced Baltimore’s fading private transit company, the BTC, to <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/G/bo191431990.html">divert US$2.6 million in revenues annually</a> to taxes. The companies retaliated by slashing maintenance, routes and service.</p>
<p>Local and state governments finally stepped in to save the ruins of the hardest-strapped companies in the 1960s and 1970s. Public buyouts took place only after decades of devastating losses, including most streetcar networks, in cities such as Baltimore (1970), Atlanta (1971) and Houston (1974). </p>
<p>These poorly subsidized public systems continued to lose riders. Transit’s <a href="https://www.thetransportpolitic.com/databook/travel-mode-shares-in-the-u-s/">share of daily commuters</a> fell from 8.5% in 1970 to 4.9% in 2018. And while low-income people <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/07/who-relies-on-public-transit-in-the-u-s/">disproportionately ride transit</a>, a 2008 study showed that roughly 80% of the working poor <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/commuting-to-opportunity-the-working-poor-and-commuting-in-the-united-states/">commuted by vehicle instead</a>, despite the high cost of car ownership.</p>
<p>There were exceptions. Notably, San Francisco and Boston began subsidizing transit in 1904 and 1918, respectively, by sharing tax revenues with newly created public operators. Even in the face of significant ridership losses from 1945 to 1970, these cities’ transit systems kept fares low, maintained legacy rail and bus lines and modestly renovated their systems.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/odF4GSX1y3c?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Tax policies and subsidies have promoted highway development across the U.S. for the past century, creating car-centric cities and steering funding away from public transit.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Converging pressures</h2>
<p>Today, public transit is under enormous pressure nationwide. Inflation and driver shortages are driving up operating costs. Managers are <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-24/overdose-deaths-on-metro-trains">spending more money on public safety</a> in response to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/25/us/public-transit-crime.html">rising transit crime rates</a> and unhoused people <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2023/03/23/the-future-of-fare-free-buses-in-raleigh">using buses and trains for shelter</a>. </p>
<p>Many systems are also contending with decrepit infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives U.S. public transit systems a grade of D-minus and estimates their national backlog of <a href="https://infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/transit-infrastructure/">unmet capital needs at $176 billion</a>. Deferred repairs and upgrades reduce service quality, leading to events like a 30-day <a href="https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/boston-braces-for-transit-emergency-as-orange-line-shutdown-looms-ahead/2809005/">emergency shutdown of an entire subway line</a> in Boston in 2022.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1641767980395626499"}"></div></p>
<p>Despite flashing warning signs, political support for public transit <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-u-s-unwilling-to-pay-for-good-public-transportation-56788">remains weak</a>, especially <a href="https://www.governing.com/now/driving-on-the-right-americas-polarized-transportation-policy">among conservatives</a>. So it’s not clear that relying on government to make up for free fares is sustainable or a priority. </p>
<p>For example, in Washington, <a href="https://dcist.com/story/23/03/01/fare-free-buses-in-jeopardy-as-d-c-revenue-projections-drop/">conflict is brewing</a> within the city government over how to fund a free bus initiative. Kansas City, the largest U.S. system to adopt fare-free transit, faces a new challenge: finding funding to expand its small network, which <a href="https://www.governing.com/community/what-can-cities-learn-from-kansas-citys-fare-free-transit-program">just 3% of its residents use</a>. </p>
<h2>A better model</h2>
<p>Other cities are using more targeted strategies to make public transit accessible to everyone. For example, “Fair fare” programs in San Francisco, <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/fairfares/index.page">New York</a> and Boston offer discounts based on income, while still collecting full fares from those who can afford to pay. Income-based discounts like these reduce the political liability of giving free rides to everyone, including affluent transit users. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1556635710693810176"}"></div></p>
<p>Some providers have initiated or <a href="https://transitforwardri.com/pdf/Strategy%20Paper%2025.%20Fare%20Integration%20190725%20FINAL.pdf">are</a> <a href="https://www.seamlessbayarea.org/integrated-fare-vision">considering</a> <a href="https://www.transitchicago.com/new-agreement-will-streamline-and-enhance-cta-and-pace-unlimited-ride-passes-in-2023/">fare integration</a> policies. In this approach, transfers between different types of transit and systems are free; riders pay one time. For example, in Chicago, rapid transit or bus riders can transfer at no charge to a suburban bus to finish their trips, and vice versa. </p>
<p>Fare integration is less costly than fare-free systems, and lower-income riders stand to benefit. Enabling riders to pay for all types of trips with a single <a href="https://www.securetechalliance.org/smart-cards-applications-transportation/">smart card</a> further streamlines their journeys. </p>
<p>As ridership grows under Fair Fares and fare integration, I expect that additional revenue will help build better service, attracting more riders. Increasing ridership while supporting agency budgets will help make the political case for deeper public investments in service and equipment. A virtuous circle could develop.</p>
<p>History shows what works best to rebuild public transit networks, and free transit isn’t high on the list. Cities like Boston, San Francisco and New York have more transit because voters and politicians have supplemented fare collection with a combination of property taxes, bridge tolls, sales taxes and more. Taking fares out of the formula spreads the red ink even faster.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202708/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicholas Dagen Bloom does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Everyone likes getting something for nothing, but history shows why the math behind free public transit doesn’t add up.Nicholas Dagen Bloom, Professor of Urban Policy and Planning, Hunter CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1973882023-04-04T12:16:34Z2023-04-04T12:16:34ZFood forests are bringing shade and sustenance to US cities, one parcel of land at a time<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518800/original/file-20230331-28-ayzg5m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=6%2C12%2C4019%2C2939&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Uphams Corner Food Forest in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood was built on a vacant lot.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Boston Food Forest Coalition</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>More than half of all people on Earth live in cities, and that share <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview">could reach 70% by 2050</a>. But except for public parks, there aren’t many models for nature conservation that focus on caring for nature in urban areas. </p>
<p>One new idea that’s gaining attention is the concept of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/08/its-like-a-place-of-healing-the-growth-of-americas-food-forests">food forests</a> – essentially, edible parks. These projects, often sited on vacant lots, grow <a href="https://www.gardencityharvest.org/the-real-dirt-garden-city-harvest-blog/2020/12/26/what-is-a-food-forest">large and small trees, vines, shrubs and plants</a> that produce fruits, nuts and other edible products. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9IYpXA0CxXg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Atlanta’s Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill is the nation’s largest such project, covering more than 7 acres.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Unlike community gardens or urban farms, food forests are designed to mimic ecosystems found in nature, with many vertical layers. They shade and cool the land, protecting soil from erosion and providing habitat for insects, animals, birds and bees. Many community gardens and urban farms have limited membership, but <a href="https://www.brightvibes.com/atlanta-creates-first-free-food-forest-to-fight-food-insecurity/">most food forests are open to the community</a> from sunup to sundown. </p>
<p>As scholars who focus on <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SRC3hyMAAAAJ&hl=en">conservation, social justice</a> and <a href="http://otheringandbelonging.org/equity-common-cause-sustainable-food-system-network-cultivating-commitment-racial-justice/">sustainable food systems</a>, we see food forests as an exciting new way to protect nature without displacing people. Food forests don’t just conserve biodiversity – they also promote community well-being and offer deep insights about fostering urban nature in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-irony-of-the-anthropocene-people-dominate-a-planet-beyond-our-control-64948">Anthropocene</a>, as environmentally destructive forms of economic development and consumption alter Earth’s climate and ecosystems. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519106/original/file-20230403-18-ierb3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two adults and a young girl plant a tree seedling in an urban park." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519106/original/file-20230403-18-ierb3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519106/original/file-20230403-18-ierb3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519106/original/file-20230403-18-ierb3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519106/original/file-20230403-18-ierb3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519106/original/file-20230403-18-ierb3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519106/original/file-20230403-18-ierb3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519106/original/file-20230403-18-ierb3w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Community stewards planting a tree at Boston’s Edgewater Food Forest at River Street, July 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Boston Food Forest Coalition/Hope Kelley</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Protecting nature without pushing people away</h2>
<p>Many scientists and world leaders agree that to <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-solve-climate-change-and-biodiversity-loss-we-need-a-global-deal-for-nature-115557">slow climate change and reduce losses of wild species</a>, it’s critical to protect a large share of Earth’s lands and waters for nature. Under the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, 188 nations have <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/cop15-ends-landmark-biodiversity-agreement">agreed on a target</a> of conserving at least 30% of land and sea areas globally by 2030 – an agenda known popularly as 30x30. </p>
<p>But there’s fierce debate over how to achieve that goal. In many cases, creating protected areas has <a href="https://theconversation.com/american-environmentalisms-racist-roots-have-shaped-global-thinking-about-conservation-143783">displaced Indigenous peoples</a> from their homelands. What’s more, protected areas are disproportionately located in countries with high levels of economic inequality and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.08.018">poorly functioning political institutions</a> that don’t effectively protect the rights of poor and marginalized citizens in most cases.</p>
<p>In contrast, food forests promote civic engagement. At <a href="https://beaconfoodforest.org/">Beacon Food Forest</a> in Seattle, volunteers worked with professional landscape architects and organized public meetings to seek community input on the project’s design and development. The city of Atlanta’s Urban Agriculture Team partners with neighborhood residents, volunteers, community groups and nonprofit partners to manage the <a href="https://www.aglanta.org/2021-uffbm-partnership-applications">Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1641551380367257602"}"></div></p>
<h2>Block by block in Boston</h2>
<p>Boston is famous for its <a href="https://www.boston.gov/parks-and-playgrounds">parks and green spaces</a>, including some designed by renowned landscape architect <a href="https://www.olmsted.org/the-olmsted-legacy/frederick-law-olmsted-sr">Frederick Law Olmsted</a>. But it also has a history of systemic racism and segregation that created <a href="https://www.boston.gov/environment-and-energy/heat-resilience-solutions-boston">drastic inequities in access to green spaces</a>.</p>
<p>And those gaps still exist. In 2021, the city reported that communities of color that had been subjected to redlining in the past had <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W7EPNw7hL-Ct7SkKXEaTUjmVJmoZuOe6/view">16% less parkland and 7% less tree cover</a> than the citywide median. These neighborhoods were 3.3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.8 degrees Celsius) hotter during the day and 1.9 F (1 C) hotter at night, making residents more vulnerable to <a href="https://theconversation.com/dangerous-urban-heat-exposure-has-tripled-since-the-1980s-with-the-poor-most-at-risk-169153">urban heat waves</a> that are becoming increasingly common with climate change. </p>
<p>Encouragingly, Boston has been at the forefront of the national expansion of food forests. The unique approach here places ownership of these parcels in a community trust. Neighborhood stewards manage the sites’ routine care and maintenance.</p>
<p>The nonprofit <a href="https://www.bostonfoodforest.org/">Boston Food Forest Coalition</a>, which launched in 2015, is working to develop 30 community-driven food forests by 2030. The <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1PDQqrbIDZJ9qyGjYCoU5vYuo5hOhTYQx&ll=42.282422051643174%2C-71.07159202632803&z=12">existing nine projects</a> are helping to conserve over 60,000 square feet (5,600 square meters) of formerly vacant urban land – an area slightly larger than a football field.</p>
<p>Neighborhood volunteers choose what to grow, plan events and share harvested crops with food banks, nonprofit and faith-based meal programs and neighbors. Local collective action is central to repurposing open spaces, including lawns, yards and vacant lots, into food forests that are linked together into a citywide network. The coalition, a community land trust that partners with the city government, holds Boston food forests as permanently protected lands. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518814/original/file-20230331-24-h4s7ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Aerial view of a city lot planted with fruit trees, vines and raised flower beds." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518814/original/file-20230331-24-h4s7ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/518814/original/file-20230331-24-h4s7ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518814/original/file-20230331-24-h4s7ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518814/original/file-20230331-24-h4s7ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=776&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518814/original/file-20230331-24-h4s7ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=976&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518814/original/file-20230331-24-h4s7ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=976&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/518814/original/file-20230331-24-h4s7ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=976&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Aerial view of the Ellington Community Food Forest in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Boston Food Forest Coalition</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>Boston’s food forests are small in size: They average 7,000 square feet (650 square meters) of reclaimed land, about <a href="https://www.hoopsaddict.com/how-many-square-feet-is-a-basketball-court/">50% larger than an NBA basketball court</a>. But they produce a wide range of vegetables, fruit and herbs, including Roxbury Russet apples, native blueberries and pawpaws, a nutritious fruit native to North America. The forests also serve as gathering spaces, contribute to rainwater harvesting and help beautify neighborhoods.</p>
<p>The Boston Food Forest Coalition provides technical assistance and fundraising support. It also hires experts for tasks such as soil remediation, removing invasive plants and installing accessible pathways, benches and fences. </p>
<p>Hundreds of volunteers take part in community work days and educational workshops on topics such as <a href="https://www.bostonfoodforest.org/workshops/winter-pruning-bnc-march12">pruning fruit trees in winter</a>. Gardening classes and cultural events connect neighbors across urban divides of class, race, language and culture. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Boston residents explain what the city’s food forests mean to them.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>A growing movement</h2>
<p>According to a crowd-sourced repository, the U.S. has <a href="https://communityfoodforests.com/community-food-forests-map/">more than 85 community food forests</a> in public spaces from the Pacific Northwest to the Deep South. Currently, most of these sites are in larger cities. In a 2021 survey, mayors from 176 small cities (with populations under 25,000) reported that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/uar2.20011">long-term maintenance</a> was the biggest challenge of sustaining food forests in their communities. </p>
<p>From our experience observing Boston’s approach close up, we believe its model of community-driven food forests is promising. The city sold land to the Boston Food Forest Coalition’s community land trust for $100 per parcel in 2015 and also funded initial construction and planting operations. Since then, the city has made food forests an important part of the city’s open spaces program as it continues to sell parcels to the community land trust at the same price. </p>
<p>Smaller cities with much lower tax bases may not be able to make the same sort of investments. But Boston’s community-driven model offers a viable approach for maintaining these projects without burdening city governments. The city has adopted <a href="https://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/FINAL_Boston%20Urban%20Agriculture%20Guide_Ground-Level%20Less%20than%20One%20Acre_March%202014_Complete%20Final_tcm3-43849.pdf">innovative zoning and permitting ordinances</a> to support small-scale urban agriculture. </p>
<p>Building a food forest brings together neighbors, neighborhood associations, community-based organizations and city agencies. It represents a grassroots response to the interconnected crises of climate change, environmental degradation and social and racial inequity. We believe food forests show how to build a just and sustainable future, one person, seedling and neighborhood at a time.</p>
<p><em>Orion Kriegman, the founding executive director of the Boston Food Forest Coalition, contributed to this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197388/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karen is Principal of KAS Consulting, which works with health and equity-focused initiatives. She serves on the Steering Committee and as Massachusetts Ambassador for the Food Solutions New England network and on the boards of the Boston Food Forest Coalition, the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts, the Northeast Organic Farmers Association: Massachusetts Chapter. Also serves on the Advisory Council of Global Council of Science and the Environment; founding member of Southern New England Farmers of Color Collaborative; committee work with Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education and member of Agriculture, Food & Human Values Society.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Prakash Kashwan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Food forests are urban oases that pack a lot into small spaces, including food production, local cooling and social connections.Karen A. Spiller, Thomas W. Haas Professor in Sustainable Food Systems, University of New HampshirePrakash Kashwan, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Brandeis UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2008232023-03-12T01:48:52Z2023-03-12T01:48:52ZForget the conspiracies, 15-minute cities will free us to improve our mental health and wellbeing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514595/original/file-20230310-24-w8o94i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C172%2C4616%2C3061&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The idea of the 15-minute city, according to its originator <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/carlos_moreno_the_15_minute_city?language=en">Carlos Moreno</a>, is that people are no more than a 15-minute walk or bike ride away from all the services they need to live, learn and thrive. </p>
<p>The idea is appealing in its simplicity: it puts people and the environment at the centre of urban planning. It involves building new urban centres and restructuring existing ones to ensure the services people need for work, food, health, education, culture and leisure are all close by – a walk or bike ride from home. Key elements are: the proximity of necessities; local participation and decision-making; community solidarity and connection; and green and sustainable urban living.</p>
<p>This re-imagining of local living is quickly going global. Its proponents are many and growing, and the idea is being applied on <a href="https://www.c40.org/what-we-do/scaling-up-climate-action/urban-planning/">big city stages</a>. Most notably, the 15-minute city was a feature of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s successful re-election <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/07/paris-mayor-unveils-15-minute-city-plan-in-re-election-campaign">campaign</a> in 2020.</p>
<p>The United Nations has hailed the 15-minute city as a means by which cities can <a href="https://unfccc.int/blog/the-15-minute-city">emerge from COVID</a>, as well as reduce the damaging dependence on cars. The potential to promote mental health and wellbeing is significant. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/were-at-a-fork-in-the-road-do-we-choose-neighbourhoods-to-live-work-and-play-in-138949">We're at a fork in the road: do we choose neighbourhoods to live, work and play in?</a>
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<h2>Enter the conspiracists</h2>
<p>In 2023, though, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-27/the-15-minute-city-conspiracy/102015446">conspiracy theories</a> and <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/wild-15minute-city-conspiracy-explodes/news-story/c176cadfbb4ec055829fb5686dce0418">protests</a> have threatened to drown out the discussion of such positives.</p>
<p>How did that happen? By finding itself sitting at the centre of debates about COVID living, climate change and car-centric societies, the 15-minute city has become a focal point of attention for those who imagine more sinister motives are at work. Conspiracists have spouted misdirected fears of the forced loss of cars, the creation of locked urban zones people cannot leave, and government surveillance and control. </p>
<p>These notions were even <a href="https://hansard.parliament.uk//Commons/2023-02-09/debates/306A686A-9B53-42BE-9367-C12AB4771504/BusinessOfTheHouse#contribution-94431A3F-FEB8-4A2C-B979-1EE81B5F1FFF">raised recently</a> in the UK parliament. Conservative MP Nick Fletcher called the 15-minute city an “international socialist concept” that “will cost us our personal freedom”.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/15-minute-cities-how-to-separate-the-reality-from-the-conspiracy-theory-200111">15-minute cities: how to separate the reality from the conspiracy theory</a>
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<h2>A chance to improve mental health and wellbeing</h2>
<p>In fact, personal and community freedom, by way of giving people back meaningful time currently lost to commuting and other travel, is exactly what Moreno and proponents of 15-minute cities are focused on. In their drive to grow, cities tend to push people, the environment and their health to the periphery. Through their sprawl, Moreno argues, cities take away freedom by taking time and disconnecting their inhabitants from services and each other. </p>
<p>Importantly, these effects increase the risks to people’s mental health. Moreno wants us to move away from fracturing our living into “inhuman bigness”, and towards planning that focuses on what access to services, local connection and community means for the wellbeing of people and communities. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-the-idea-of-20-minute-neighbourhoods-so-why-isnt-it-top-of-the-agenda-131193">People love the idea of 20-minute neighbourhoods. So why isn't it top of the agenda?</a>
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<p>This is why the 15-minute city presents a great opportunity for better mental health. Long commuting times and the stressors of traffic congestion, road conditions and punctuality are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214367X22000151">linked</a> to declines in subjective measures of mental health and wellbeing for workers. The benefits of reducing these stressors could be immediate. </p>
<p>Physical activities like walking and cycling are also widely understood to benefit mental health, as does exposure to natural, green spaces. Creating local spaces for leisure and play is vital for children and parents alike. </p>
<p>But, deeper than that, we need cities and urban spaces purposefully designed to promote mental health in ways that are <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/world-mental-health-report">globally recognised</a> as impactful and essential. This process involves improving a range of social and environmental factors for individuals and community.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="children riding bikes and people picnicking and walking in a park" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514157/original/file-20230308-16-3jo6fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514157/original/file-20230308-16-3jo6fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514157/original/file-20230308-16-3jo6fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514157/original/file-20230308-16-3jo6fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514157/original/file-20230308-16-3jo6fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514157/original/file-20230308-16-3jo6fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514157/original/file-20230308-16-3jo6fx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Easy access to a local park improves individuals’ health and community wellbeing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-4-australians-is-lonely-quality-green-spaces-in-our-cities-offer-a-solution-188007">1 in 4 Australians is lonely. Quality green spaces in our cities offer a solution</a>
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<h2>COVID sharpened the focus on wellbeing</h2>
<p>Lessons learned from COVID lockdowns have sharpened global understanding of the mental health crises and harm done to people’s wellbeing by loneliness, social isolation and disconnectedness. These conditions damage the wellbeing of communities too, by fostering stigma and promoting exclusion. </p>
<p>We need to move quickly towards ways of living that promote connection, inclusion and healthy communities and environments. We can achieve these goals through participation, local decision-making and sustainable ecologies. </p>
<p>Imagine cities with accessible housing, work and education. Imagine cities with mental health service where the focus is on inclusion, participation, connection and equitable access. Where health workers and essential services are local and available, with minimal obstacles. Imagine mental health service that is threaded through the community in meaningful, impactful ways – where every square metre is considered for its potential to improve health and wellbeing. </p>
<p>Mental health, wellbeing and recovery require social connection, inclusion and accessible health services. These are, without doubt, key factors in achieving better mental health. And the 15-minute city could be the template for its delivery.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/greening-the-greyfields-how-to-renew-our-suburbs-for-more-liveable-net-zero-cities-187261">Greening the greyfields: how to renew our suburbs for more liveable, net-zero cities</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200823/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A big reason the idea is gaining momentum globally is that the benefits for the health of individuals, communities and the environment are clear and almost immediate.Christopher Patterson, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing, University of WollongongLance Barrie, Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1997412023-03-01T13:53:24Z2023-03-01T13:53:24ZLook to cities, but past their mayors, for new climate solutions<p>A little over three months after the COP27 climate summit in Sharm-el-Sheikh drew to a close, the global community is <a href="https://theconversation.com/cop27-failed-so-why-continue-with-these-un-climate-summits-195348">no closer</a> to finding a solution to the problem of climate change. The most-attended climate change conference to date has left observers <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03812-3">frustrated</a> and <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20221107-why-are-we-here-climate-activists-shunted-to-cop27-sidelines">disillusioned</a>. What started with the <a href="https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/october-2022/cop27-africa%E2%80%99s-cop-it-must-address-africa%E2%80%99s-climate-challenges">promise</a> of a much-needed focus on environmental justice ended with <a href="https://theconversation.com/cop27-will-be-remembered-as-a-failure-heres-what-went-wrong-194982">unambitious commitments</a> <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/cop27-climate-summit-missed-chance-ambition-fossil-fuels-critics-say-2022-11-28/">muffled</a> by fossil fuel producers and insufficient funds on the table.</p>
<p>Despite the disappointment, there is <a href="https://theconversation.com/6-reasons-2023-could-be-a-very-good-year-for-climate-action-197680">continued hope</a> in finding a high-level solution to an exceedingly complex problem: the preparations for COP28 in UAE are <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1/12/uae-names-oil-company-chief-to-lead-uns-cop-28-climate-talks">well underway</a>. In Dubai, governments and international organisations will continue to demand grand, sweeping changes requiring monumental amounts of money and coordination.</p>
<p>But major policies such as a <a href="https://theconversation.com/green-deal-seeks-to-make-europe-the-first-climate-neutral-continent-by-2050-128887">Green New Deal</a> or UN-sanctioned treaties face a perennial struggle to find political support and are notoriously unreliable. Recent failures recall the debacle of the United States’ 2017 exit from the Paris Climate Agreement, a legally binding treaty to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The allegiance of the United States, then-president Donald Trump <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2017/06/01/politics/paris-pittsburgh-trump-nationalist-decision/index.html">claimed</a>, was “to Pittsburgh, not Paris.”</p>
<h2>From Pittsburgh to Paris</h2>
<p>In fact, what could have stood out as a cautionary tale about the unpredictability of federal commitment to climate action ended up reminding us that the real action may be off the national stage. In 2017, it took less than a week for the mayors of Pittsburgh and Paris, Bill Peduto and Anne Hidalgo, to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/opinion/the-mayors-of-pittsburgh-and-paris-we-have-our-own-climate-deal.html">issue a joint statement</a> reaffirming the goals of the Paris Agreement. Hundreds of cities in the United States and worldwide have since joined climate pacts such as the <a href="https://www.wearestillin.com/">“We’re Still In”</a> campaign or the <a href="https://www.globalcovenantofmayors.org/">Global Covenant of Mayors</a>, supported by philanthropists and politicians.</p>
<p>The willingness of city leaders to take a more significant role in tackling the world’s most pressing problems suggests that one way of turning the tide of climate change is to focus on <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/24582453">experimentation</a> and <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/climate-governance-at-the-crossroads-9780195390087?cc=us&lang=en&">innovation</a> from the bottom up. Instead of trying to implement grand plans, cities and communities can continue to lead the way with experimentation.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512299/original/file-20230226-2316-j8qqpi.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512299/original/file-20230226-2316-j8qqpi.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512299/original/file-20230226-2316-j8qqpi.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512299/original/file-20230226-2316-j8qqpi.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512299/original/file-20230226-2316-j8qqpi.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512299/original/file-20230226-2316-j8qqpi.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512299/original/file-20230226-2316-j8qqpi.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, discusses green cities at COP21 in December 2015.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cop21/23460775051">Public domain</a></span>
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<p>Do cities deserve such optimism? They do, with a caveat, suggests the example of energy-efficient construction, which I have studied over the past years as a senior research fellow at Stanford University’s <a href="http://civiclifeofcities.com/">Civic Life of Cities Lab</a> and a scholar at the University of Chicago’s <a href="https://miurban.uchicago.edu/">Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation</a>. Green construction is an integral part of the solution to climate change. The built environment accounts for an <a href="https://architecture2030.org/why-the-building-sector/">estimated</a> 40% of carbon emissions in industrialised cities, and the green building industry has rapidly and steadily grown for two decades.</p>
<p>The technology for green buildings <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-green-trifecta-how-a-concrete-alternative-can-cut-emissions-resource-use-and-waste-192501">already exists</a>, and its widespread application by introducing reasonably high standards for new buildings and retrofitting old ones <a href="https://www.c40.org/what-we-do/scaling-up-climate-action/energy-and-buildings/">can make a real difference</a> in the fight against climate change worldwide. Investments in building energy efficiency are at an all-time high. Despite these advances, a <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/co2-emissions-buildings-and-construction-hit-new-high-leaving-sector">COP 27 status report</a> shows that increased CO<sub>2</sub> emissions from new construction has outpaced building energy efficiency. Building greener may <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-cant-afford-to-just-build-greener-we-must-build-less-170570">not be enough</a>, but green building demonstrates that cities can lead profound changes.</p>
<p>But the overall search for technical solutions does not account for one of the crucial facts of city climate action: not all cities were part of this movement toward green construction right away, and some are still lagging. Smaller, poorer, and more conservatively led cities are unlikely to take climate action. My research <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0275074020930362">suggests</a> that this is not only because of politics or a lack of resources but also because of a lack of a thriving civil society.</p>
<h2>Greening from the bottom up</h2>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/722965">new study</a> published in the <em>American Journal of Sociology</em>, I analysed the uptake of <a href="https://www.usgbc.org/leed">LEED</a> (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a certification of high energy efficient construction developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, among over 10,000 towns, cities, and villages in the United States. I examined which cities first turned to green construction, and how many of a city’s buildings are among the roughly <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/323383/leed-registered-projects-in-the-united-states/">60,000</a> that sought LEED certification after 15 years of construction with LEED being an available standard.</p>
<p>I show that cities with a greater presence of nonprofit organisations that are willing to take risks to pursue their social mission made the turn to green construction sooner. Cities with a more robust nonprofit sector also have more energy-efficient buildings in total. Washington, DC, for instance, is among the national leaders of green construction and features a rich population of nonprofit organisations. One of the city’s chief sustainability planners told me in 2017 that “the number of LEED buildings is a general benchmark of the impact of the built environment on climate.”</p>
<p>Why this strong association? In cities like Chicago, Cincinnati, and San Francisco, it was museums, laboratories, and foundations that paved the way to the first green buildings in the early 2000s. Office buildings, apartment complexes, and retailers followed suit once it became clear that energy-efficient buildings see savings and national recognition. The tangible link between nonprofit organisations and green buildings remains even when considering state and municipal regulatory initiatives to lift environmental standards.</p>
<p>This is not to say that city leaders can simply delegate climate initiatives to civic leaders. Local laws make a big difference – according to my analyses, about 10 to 18 additional green buildings per year after city hall passed an incentive or requirement for new buildings to be certifiably green. But legislators mostly approved such policies in cities that already see a lush landscape of green buildings constructed by project owners passionate about sustainability. States and nations, in turn, have learned from successful local regulations of green construction and <a href="https://www.usgbc.org/articles/illinois-and-california-lead-green-building-practices">raised the bar</a> for cities and construction owners behind the curve.</p>
<h2>Pushing for carbon neutrality</h2>
<p>This finding suggests that initiatives for green building did not originate in international and national policymaking, nor do they originate in the proactive policies of mayors. The key is nonprofit organisations that offer proofs of concept, engaged expert organisations (such as the <a href="https://worldgbc.org/">World Green Building Council</a> or the <a href="https://www.usdn.org/index.html">Urban Sustainability Directors Network</a>) that develop and teach protocols for action, and city administrations that make best practices visible and, when the case is clear, even mandatory.</p>
<p>Cities from New York to Buenos Aires to Copenhagen have been pushing toward <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211115-how-cities-are-going-carbon-neutral">carbon neutrality</a>. To get there, we need to encourage the development of a healthy civil society in cities worldwide that have room to experiment and share their experiences. The implication is to support nonprofit organisations and community groups working to address climate change, even if returns to investment are not immediate. It means providing funding and resources to these organisations so that they can take risks and pursue their values.</p>
<p>High-level solutions and grand designs will not fix climate change. Conferences like COP are an essential venue for subnational governments to share best practices. Still, the bulk of the action will have to take place at the interfaces between local governments and the organised citizenry. Our next big idea for how to fight against climate change will not come from COP28’s host city Dubai, but from Montréal, Nairobi, Grenoble, or Vienna. For that to happen, our leaders have to take experimentation and innovation from the bottom up and cultivate a vibrant civil society at least as seriously as they do annual negotiations between self-interested nations.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199741/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christof Brandtner ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Research shows cities are delivering on their climate pledges. More than mayors, the real force behind these local transitions are nonprofit organisations.Christof Brandtner, Assistant professor in organisational and economic sociology, EM Lyon Business SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1993882023-02-22T01:51:07Z2023-02-22T01:51:07ZWhat if urban plans gave natural systems the space to recover from the cities built over them? It can be done<p>Our cities have altered their original landscapes so greatly that their natural systems are profoundly compromised. These systems – such as swamps, rivers, creeks, aquifers and bushland corridors – need more space to function properly. Sometimes they assert their underlying presence through land subsidence, floods and fires. As <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/margaret-cook-683897">Margaret Cook</a> wrote in her <a href="https://www.qbd.com.au/a-river-with-a-city-problem/margaret-cook/9780702260438/">history of Brisbane floods</a>, the Brisbane River is “a river with a city problem”.</p>
<p>In Australia, Melbourne in particular has been hugely altered. Historian <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/james-boyce-131719">James Boyce</a> <a href="https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/1835">wrote</a>:</p>
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<p>Of all Australia’s major cities the natural environment of Melbourne before British settlement is perhaps the most difficult now to imagine. This is in part a product of the city’s size and flat topography, but it also reflects the extent to which the region was dominated by swamps and grasslands – the two ecosystems that were most comprehensively transformed by the conquest.</p>
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<p>In response to climate change threats, cities around the world are making space to restore natural systems such as creeks, rivers, wetlands and vegetation on a larger scale. But this is an enormous task. These systems have been concreted, filled in or built over since the industrial revolution. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/brisbane-floods-pondering-the-wisdom-of-placing-our-major-galleries-libraries-and-theatres-on-the-banks-of-a-flood-prone-river-178156">Brisbane floods: pondering the wisdom of placing our major galleries, libraries and theatres on the banks of a flood-prone river</a>
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<h2>Sometimes ecosystems are restored</h2>
<p>One example of restoration is in Elsternwick, a suburb of southeast Melbourne. Here an ephemeral wetland behind the coastal dunes, on the <a href="https://www.elsternwickpark.org/history/">traditional lands</a> of the Yaluk-ut Weelam, Boon Wurrung clan of the Kulin Nation, was drained and filled. It became a parkland, trotting track and then golf course. Now a <a href="https://landscapeaustralia.com/articles/construction-begins-on-elsternwick-park-nature-reserve/">constructed wetland</a> is transforming Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve (formerly Elsternwick Park) into a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/11/undraining-the-swamp-how-rewilders-have-reclaimed-golf-courses-and-waterways">modified version of its former self</a>.</p>
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<p>There are many such projects, but still not nearly enough. They tend to be site-specific and isolated, lacking the connection to larger landscape-scale systems so crucial to their proper functioning. For instance, while water from the Elster Creek now flows “naturally” through a chain of ponds in the former Elsternwick golf course, for most of its length the creek is still a channel under and above ground.</p>
<p>When more space needs to be reserved for public benefit and use, the government can compulsorily acquire it through legislation, such as the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986 (Vic), and through planning schemes, via an instrument called a <a href="https://dtp.vic.gov.au/about/statutory-planning/public-acquisition-overlays">public acquisition overlay</a>. </p>
<p>The overlay was used in Victoria to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/09/world/australia/penguins-phillip-island.html">remove the suburb of Summerland on Phillip Island</a> over 25 years to conserve and restore habitat for penguins. </p>
<p>Similarly, housing in high fire risk areas was compulsorily acquired to reforest land in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne in the 1970-80s. More recently in New South Wales this approach is being used to move housing away from flood zones in Lismore and the Northern Rivers. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-simply-havent-got-it-in-me-to-do-it-again-imagining-a-new-heart-for-flood-stricken-lismore-178982">'I simply haven’t got it in me to do it again': imagining a new heart for flood-stricken Lismore</a>
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<h2>More often natural systems lose contest for space</h2>
<p>Most commonly, such mechanisms are used to make space for roads and other infrastructure. A current example is in the Melbourne suburb of Bulleen, just 50 metres from the Birrarung (Yarra River). Around 80 industrial buildings are making way for the <a href="https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/north-east-link-program/design/north-east-link-tunnels/map">Manningham Road Interchange</a> of the <a href="https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/north-east-link-program">North East Link</a> project. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the natural systems of the Birrarung struggle for enough space.</p>
<p>The story of the dispossession and transformation of the river corridor along the bends, floodplains and billabongs known as <a href="https://www.wurundjeri.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/20210205-Bulleen-Banyule-Flats-Overview-Report-Low-Rez.pdf">Banyule-Bulleen Flats</a> is repeated across Australia. This important <a href="https://engage.vic.gov.au/project/yarra-river-bulleen-precinct-advisory-committee/page/draft-framework-plan">cultural place of rich food and resources</a> for the Wurndjeri Woi Wurrung was capable of sustaining up to 500 people. It was cleared, farmed and grazed <a href="http://images.heritage.vic.gov.au/attachment/3311">from the mid-1880s</a>.</p>
<p>Piecemeal development has intensified the use of this once cheap, low-lying, flat land. This 2km by 1km parcel of land has been given over to an 18-hole golf course, 27-house estate, six sporting ovals, six soccer pitches, six clay tennis courts, three indoor basketball courts, an archery field, parking across multiple sites for at least 600 cars, a large social club with restaurant, futsal court and convention rooms, major electrical pylons, the large scar of a former drive-in cinema, a web of paths, fences, barriers, toilets, clubrooms, playgrounds and, until recently, an industrial estate. </p>
<p>Very soon, there will be a six-lane tunnel. The land being used for its construction is the subject of “<a href="https://www.manningham.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/north_east_link_tunnels_urban_design_landscape_plan_submission.pdf">future development potential</a>”.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/bell-frogs-dugong-bones-and-giant-cauliflowers-water-stories-come-to-life-at-green-square-192504">Bell frogs, dugong bones and giant cauliflowers: water stories come to life at Green Square</a>
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<p>All this human activity is located there largely due to floodplains not being valued. Yet this area contains the <a href="https://engage.vic.gov.au/project/yarra-river-bulleen-precinct-advisory-committee/page/draft-framework-plan">last significant remnants</a> of a network of billabongs and riparian woodlands with centuries-old river red gums.</p>
<h2>How can urban plans help restore natural systems?</h2>
<p>Planning schemes are meant to recognise the environmental and cultural value of land. They regulate the use of land, what can be built there, and how we should go about it. </p>
<p>However, each intervention is mostly assessed at the scale of the parcel of land. The process has little to do with the land’s role in a wider, underlying and connected ecological structure.</p>
<p>We need an alternative urban plan that foregrounds and provides space for ecosystem regeneration. New and robust planning tools and governance processes are required if we acknowledge we cannot continue to urbanise areas of ecological significance and should repair and strengthen others.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/buried-under-colonial-concrete-botany-bay-has-even-been-robbed-of-its-botany-135315">Buried under colonial concrete, Botany Bay has even been robbed of its botany</a>
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<p>Yes, we have detailed and careful regulations and controls for protection of vegetation, significant landscapes, land subject to flooding, and so on. But the fact is most buildings and development are not compatible with healthy natural systems that support the complex web of symbiotic relationships between soil, plants, animals and an array of other organisms.</p>
<p>We need urban plans that consolidate space for natural systems in our cities. This process will require long-term frameworks that strategically return land to enable connected ecological systems to function over large territories. To free up this space, urban density will have to increase in other areas through more intensive use of existing buildings and infrastructure. </p>
<p>This alternative approach will improve the quality and sustainability of our future cities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199388/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cities are starting to restore natural systems such as waterways, wetlands and bushland. But restoration on the scale these systems need to function properly calls for a rethink of urban planning.Louise Wright, Practice Professor of Architecture, Monash UniversityCatherine Murphy, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning and Design, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1939532023-01-05T13:27:11Z2023-01-05T13:27:11ZGreen jobs are booming, but too few employees have sustainability skills to fill them – here are 4 ways to close the gap<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500868/original/file-20221213-26864-q2772b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=39%2C2%2C1857%2C1063&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">U.S. universities now have over 3,000 sustainability programs.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://news.asu.edu/20211014-garbage-gold-circular-economy-research-makes-plastic-more-sustainable">Andy DeLisle/ASU</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>To meet today’s global sustainability challenges, the corporate world needs more than a few chief sustainability officers – it needs <a href="https://aka.ms/ClosingtheSustainabilitySkillsGap">an army of employees</a>, in all areas of business, thinking about sustainability in their decisions every day.</p>
<p>That means product designers, supply managers, economists, scientists, architects and many others with the knowledge to both recognize unsustainable practices and find ways to improve sustainability for the overall health of their companies and the planet.</p>
<p>Employers are increasingly looking for those skills. We analyzed job ads from a <a href="https://lightcast.io/">global database</a> and found a tenfold increase in the number of jobs with “sustainability” in the title over the last decade, reaching 177,000 in 2021.</p>
<p>What’s troubling is that there are not enough skilled workers to meet the rapid growth in green and sustainability jobs available.</p>
<p>While the number of “<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/learning/green-jobs-for-sustainable-careers/what-is-a-green-job">green jobs</a>” grew globally at a <a href="https://linkedin.github.io/global-green-report-2022/">rate of 8%</a> per year over the last five years, the number of people listing green skills in their profiles only <a href="https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/economicgraph/en-us/global-green-skills-report/global-green-skills-report-pdf/li-green-economy-report-2022-annex.pdf">grew by 6%</a> per year, according to a LinkedIn analysis of its nearly 800 million users.</p>
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<img alt="A man stands beside a 3-D printer in a university lab." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500870/original/file-20221213-21589-wcwzhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500870/original/file-20221213-21589-wcwzhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500870/original/file-20221213-21589-wcwzhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500870/original/file-20221213-21589-wcwzhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500870/original/file-20221213-21589-wcwzhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500870/original/file-20221213-21589-wcwzhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500870/original/file-20221213-21589-wcwzhh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">When employees are trained to think about sustainable materials and processes, they can improve corporate innovation and the bottom line.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://fullcircle.asu.edu/fulton-schools/stimulating-manufacturing-innovation-in-asus-made-science-and-technology-center/">Sona Srinarayana/ASU</a></span>
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<p>As professors who train future workers in sustainability principles and techniques, we see several effective ways for people at all stages of their careers to gain those skills and increase those numbers.</p>
<h2>Where sustainability jobs are growing fastest</h2>
<p>In the U.S., jobs in the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/policy/us-energy-employment-jobs-report-useer">renewable energy and environment sectors</a>, <a href="https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/economicgraph/en-us/global-green-skills-report/global-green-skills-report-pdf/li-green-economy-report-2022-annex.pdf">grew by 237%</a> over the last five years. Globally, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is forecast to result in <a href="https://eos.org/articles/forecast-8-million-energy-jobs-created-by-meeting-paris-agreement">a net increase in jobs</a> for the energy sector. </p>
<p>But green jobs go well beyond solar panel installation and wind turbine maintenance. </p>
<p>Sustainable fashion is one of the fastest-growing green jobs sectors, averaging a <a href="https://economicgraph.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/economicgraph/en-us/global-green-skills-report/global-green-skills-report-pdf/li-green-economy-report-2022-annex.pdf">90% growth rate</a> annually between 2016 and 2020. </p>
<p>The rapid expansion of ESG investing – environment, social and governance – and portfolio management is opening up new jobs in sustainable finance. In 2021, the accounting firm PwC announced that it would invest US$12 billion and create <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/pwc-planning-hire-100000-over-five-years-major-esg-push-2021-06-15/">100,000 new jobs</a> in ESG investing by 2026. </p>
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<p>There is also a growing demand for urban sustainability officers who can help transition cities to be net-zero carbon and more resilient. After all, the world is adding <a href="https://population.un.org/wup/publications/Files/WUP2018-Report.pdf">1 million people to cities every five days</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab4b71">building 20,000 American football fields’ worth of urban areas</a> someplace on the planet every day. </p>
<p>In 2013, when the Rockefeller Foundation <a href="https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/100-resilient-cities/">launched 100 Resilient Cities</a>, a network to help cities become more sustainable, few cities had a resilience or sustainability officer. Today, more than 250 communities and 1,000 local government professionals are part of the <a href="https://www.usdn.org/index.html">Urban Sustainability Directors Network</a>. </p>
<p>The number of companies with <a href="https://businesschief.com/sustainability/charting-rise-chief-sustainability-officer">chief sustainability officers</a> in executive positions also <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/number-company-sustainability-officers-triples-2021-study-2022-05-04/">tripled</a> from 9% to 28% between 2016 and 2021. But given the <a href="https://www.ey.com/en_gl/sustainability/how-can-slowing-climate-change-accelerate-your-financial-performance">scale and business opportunities of sustainability</a>, these skills are needed much more widely within organizations.</p>
<h2>So, where can you find training?</h2>
<p>Most sustainability and green jobs require creative problem-solving, synthesizing and <a href="https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/publication/whos-fit-for-the-low-carbon-transition-emerging-skills-and-wage-gaps-in-job-ad-data/">technical skills</a>. Some of those skills can be learned on the job, but boosting the number of qualified job applicants will <a href="https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/strengthening-sustainability-programs-and-curricula-at-the-undergraduate-and-graduate-levels">require more effective and accessible training</a> opportunities that target employers’ needs. Here are a some training sources to consider.</p>
<p><strong>University programs:</strong> Sustainability is increasingly being incorporated into a wide range of university programs. Fifteen years ago, sustainability training was mostly ad hoc – a product designer or economist might have taken a class in sustainability approaches from the environmental science department. Today, U.S. universities have <a href="https://hub.aashe.org/browse/types/academicprogram/">about 3,000 programs</a> with a “sustainability” label, up from 13 in 2008.</p>
<p>A National Academies <a href="https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/strengthening-sustainability-programs-and-curricula-at-the-undergraduate-and-graduate-levels">report</a> recommends looking for a competency-based approach to sustainability learning that blends content with skills and links knowledge to action to solve problems and develop solutions.</p>
<p><strong>Micro-credentials:</strong> For mid-career employees who <a href="https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/10/plug-the-gap-retrain-for-net-zero/">don’t have the time</a> to reinvest in full-fledged degrees, short courses and micro-credentials offered by universities, colleges or professional groups offer one way to develop sustainability skills.</p>
<p>A micro-credential might involve taking a series of courses or workshops focused on a specific skill, such as <a href="https://www.farmingdale.edu/provost/microcredentials/wind-energy-technology-mc.shtml">in wind energy technology</a> or <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/courses/microcredentials/by-school/micro-credentials---business/creating-value-with-esg---micro-credential/">how to incorporate ESG criteria</a> into business operations.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of people wearing hard hats install a large window." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501166/original/file-20221214-14279-49z6wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501166/original/file-20221214-14279-49z6wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501166/original/file-20221214-14279-49z6wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501166/original/file-20221214-14279-49z6wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501166/original/file-20221214-14279-49z6wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501166/original/file-20221214-14279-49z6wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501166/original/file-20221214-14279-49z6wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">U.S. architect Michael Reynolds holds four-week, hands-on training sessions, primarily for architects, in sustainable design principles, construction methods and philosophy. Participation can count toward Western Colorado University’s Master in Environmental Management graduate degree.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/trainees-work-during-the-construction-of-an-auto-news-photo/509595572">Pablo Porciuncula/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Short courses and micro credentials take up less time and are much less expensive than college degree programs. That may also help <a href="https://uwlpress.uwl.ac.uk/newvistas/article/id/193/">lower-income individuals</a> train for sustainability jobs and diversify the field.</p>
<p><strong>Specializations:</strong> A similar option is jobs-focused online certificate programs with a sustainability specialization. </p>
<p>For example, Google teamed up with universities to provide online courses for project managers, and Arizona State University is offering a <a href="https://grow.google/certificates/project-management">sustainability specialization</a> to accompany it. Project management is an area where the <a href="https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1199.05">U.S. Department of Labor</a> expects to see fast job growth, with <a href="https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1199.05">100,000 job openings</a> in the next decade.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pile of boxes of various sizes ready for shipping at a FedEx shipping distribution center." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501167/original/file-20221214-16547-g5r5q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501167/original/file-20221214-16547-g5r5q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501167/original/file-20221214-16547-g5r5q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501167/original/file-20221214-16547-g5r5q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501167/original/file-20221214-16547-g5r5q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501167/original/file-20221214-16547-g5r5q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501167/original/file-20221214-16547-g5r5q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sustainable packaging design that reduces costs and reuses materials is an area ripe for innovation in many companies as consumer shipping increases.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/fedex-worker-sorts-packages-being-uloaded-from-a-truck-on-a-news-photo/56304610">Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Corporate training:</strong> Some companies have developed their own internal sustainability training in <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/04/11/companies-embrace-employee-sustainability-education-to-tackle-climate-emergency/">climate science</a>, <a href="https://group.bnpparibas/en/news/we-engage-sustainable-finance-internal-training-social-environmental-challenges">sustainable finance</a>, <a href="https://home.kpmg.com/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/2016/03/30072014_Sustainability_Training_Brochure.pdf">sustainability reporting</a> and other skills.</p>
<p>Integrating sustainability across all functions of companies will require some level of sustainability training and understanding for most if not all employees. Companies like <a href="https://www.starbucksglobalacademy.com/greener-apron/">Starbucks</a>, <a href="https://sustainability-academy.org/tag/hsbc/">HSBC</a>, <a href="https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/sustainability-core-value/">Salesforce</a> and <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sustainability/learning-center">Microsoft</a> have created internal training programs to spread sustainability knowledge and practice throughout their companies, not just for employees who have sustainability in their titles.</p>
<h2>Closing the gap</h2>
<p>A recent <a href="https://aka.ms/ClosingtheSustainabilitySkillsGap">survey by Microsoft and BCG</a> of major companies found that only 43% of sustainability professionals in businesses had sustainability-related degrees, and 68% of sustainability leaders were hired internally. </p>
<p>It’s clear that on-the-job sustainability training and up-skilling will be necessary to fill the growing number of roles inside of companies.</p>
<p>To meet the sustainability skills gap, we believe more training will be required – at colleges and universities, by professional organizations and from employers. Achieving global sustainability and meeting climate change challenges will become more likely as legions of people commit their working hours to sustainability solutions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193953/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Boone receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the George and Cynthia Mitchell Foundation. He serves on the board of directors for the Global Council for Science and the Environment. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karen Seto receives funding from NASA and NSF. She is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. </span></em></p>Green jobs go beyond solar panel installation and wind turbine maintenance. They’re found in fields from design to economics and in many types of management.Christopher Boone, Professor of Sustainability, Arizona State UniversityKaren C. Seto, Professor of Geography and Urbanization Science, Yale UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1946362022-11-21T19:16:30Z2022-11-21T19:16:30ZWhat mirrored ants, vivid blue butterflies and Monstera house plants can teach us about designing buildings<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495523/original/file-20221116-19-oq2ili.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C950%2C2904%2C1940&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/OZ2rS2zCjNo">Coleen Rivas/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Almost all buildings today are built using similar conventional technologies and manufacturing and construction processes. These processes use a lot of energy and produce <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/2022-global-status-report-buildings-and-construction">huge carbon emissions</a>. </p>
<p>This is hardly sustainable. Perhaps the only way to truly construct sustainable buildings is by connecting them with nature, not isolating them from it. This is where the field of bioarchitecture emerges. It draws on principles from nature to help solve technological questions and address global challenges. </p>
<p>Take desert organisms, for example. How do they survive and thrive under extreme conditions? </p>
<p>One such desert species is the Saharan silver ant, named for its shiny mirror-like body. Its reflective body <a href="https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=111737">reflects and dissipates heat</a>. It’s an adaptation we can apply in buildings as reflective walls, or to pavements that don’t heat up.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="several ants surround a beetle on the desert sand" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495776/original/file-20221117-13-adq7pk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495776/original/file-20221117-13-adq7pk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495776/original/file-20221117-13-adq7pk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495776/original/file-20221117-13-adq7pk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495776/original/file-20221117-13-adq7pk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495776/original/file-20221117-13-adq7pk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495776/original/file-20221117-13-adq7pk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Saharan desert ants have highly developed adaptations to stay cool in the desert heat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saharan_silver_ants_capturing_beetle.jpg">Bjørn Christian Tørrissen/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are so many aspects of nature we can drawn on. Picture cities with shopping centres based on water lilies, stadiums resembling seashells, and lightweight bridges inspired by cells. </p>
<p>Water lilies can teach us how to design large buildings efficiently with smooth pedestrian circulation. Seashells can inspire the walls of large-span buildings without the need for columns. Cells can show us how to develop lightweight suspending structures. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-a-second-nature-into-our-cities-wildness-art-and-biophilic-design-88642">Building a 'second nature' into our cities: wildness, art and biophilic design</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Bioarchitecture works with nature, not against it</h2>
<p>Bioarchitecture can reinvent the natural environment in the form of our built environment, to provide the ultimate and somehow obvious solutions for the threats Earth is facing. </p>
<p>Most industry-led and research-based approaches focus on the “technology to save us” from climate change. In contrast, bioarchitecture offers a more sustainable approach that aims to develop a positive relationship between buildings and nature. </p>
<p>Living organisms constantly communicate with the natural world. They move around their environment, employ chemical processes and undergo complex reactions, patterning their habitat. This means living systems constantly model and organise the environment around them. They are able to adapt and, in doing so, they change their environment too. </p>
<p>Can buildings do the same in cities? If buildings could grow, self-repair and adapt to climate, they might ultimately become truly sustainable. </p>
<p>Early examples of bioarchitecture can be found in traditional and early modern buildings. Their architects observed nature to copy its principles and design more habitable, locally made and environmentally friendly buildings. For example, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, is inspired by natural shapes that give the church its organic form. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Highly decorative interior of church – Gaudi's Sagrada Família" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495525/original/file-20221116-25-jg8jjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495525/original/file-20221116-25-jg8jjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495525/original/file-20221116-25-jg8jjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495525/original/file-20221116-25-jg8jjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495525/original/file-20221116-25-jg8jjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495525/original/file-20221116-25-jg8jjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495525/original/file-20221116-25-jg8jjc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Gaudi`s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is an early modern example of bioarchitecture.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/Z5WBz_9U7sE">Sung Jin Cho/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>More recent works showcase bioarchitecture that learnt from nature coupled with technology and innovation. Examples include using bio-based materials such as wood, hemp and bamboo, applying <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/biophilia-hypothesis">biophilia</a> through using greenery on external walls and plants indoors to boost our connection with nature, and restoring the environment by making buildings part of it. </p>
<p>Considering the climate emergency, we should strengthen buildings’ coherence with nature. Bioarchitecture can do this.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/bamboo-architecture-balis-green-school-inspires-a-global-renaissance-121248">Bamboo architecture: Bali's Green School inspires a global renaissance</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So what can a butterfly teach us?</h2>
<p>The blue Menelaus butterfly offers another striking example of design solutions from nature. Despite its radiant blue colour, it is not actually blue and does not have any pigments. Producing and maintaining pigments is expensive in nature, as it requires a lot of energy. </p>
<p>The Menelaus butterfly has an ingenious way to achieve its unique colour without pigments. Its brilliant blue shine comes from scattering light, similar to soap bubbles glimmering in rainbow colours under the sun, despite being completely transparent. The light is scattered by micro-grooves on the butterfly’s wings – so small that they can only be seen with an ultra-high-resolution microscope.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Brilliant blue butterfly on dark green leaf" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495522/original/file-20221116-21-a46cwt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495522/original/file-20221116-21-a46cwt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495522/original/file-20221116-21-a46cwt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495522/original/file-20221116-21-a46cwt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495522/original/file-20221116-21-a46cwt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495522/original/file-20221116-21-a46cwt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495522/original/file-20221116-21-a46cwt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Menelaus blue butterfly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/jJXN1q7ERks">Damon on Road/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is nature’s way to achieve high performance with cheap forms instead of costly materials. Learning from the Menelaus butterfly, we can have windows with climate-adaptable properties – changing their colour and scattering light according to the position of the sun. Butterfly wings have already inspired the <a href="https://www.cyprismaterials.com/">development of new materials</a>, and the next step is to use these on buildings.</p>
<p>In this way, we can design biobuildings that reflect excessive radiation and reduce cooling needs and glare. And the beautiful part is that this may all be done without obstructing views and without the need for shading devices or tinted windows. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/five-ways-that-natural-nanotechnology-could-inspire-human-design-100064">Five ways that natural nanotechnology could inspire human design</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>And what does a pot plant have to do with buildings?</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495524/original/file-20221116-21-jobvcs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Image of four large leaves of indoor plant" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495524/original/file-20221116-21-jobvcs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495524/original/file-20221116-21-jobvcs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495524/original/file-20221116-21-jobvcs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495524/original/file-20221116-21-jobvcs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495524/original/file-20221116-21-jobvcs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495524/original/file-20221116-21-jobvcs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495524/original/file-20221116-21-jobvcs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The leaves of the Monstera plant.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/70l1tDAI6rM">Chris Lee/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Then there is Monstera, a sought-after indoor plant that climbs up the walls. It’s also called the “Swiss cheese plant” for the holes on its leaves. Have you ever thought about how it thrives and grows like no other plant indoors? </p>
<p>Monstera simply needs to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780123858511000044">sustain fewer cells</a> to maintain extra large leaves because of their holes. This enables it to capture more of the sunlight it needs to grow and spread out over a bigger area.</p>
<p>Now imagine if we designed hollow building structures such as columns and beams. This could help minimise the need for materials and cut carbon emissions by reducing the embodied energy that goes into making these materials.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-wings-of-owls-and-hummingbirds-inspire-drones-wind-turbines-and-other-technology-136684">How the wings of owls and hummingbirds inspire drones, wind turbines and other technology</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Nature offers a vast design catalogue</h2>
<p>We can look at nature as a catalogue of designs and solutions to be reimagined as bioarchitecture. So, we could have shiny silver pavements like the silver ant, metallic-coloured but transparent windows like the Menelaus butterfly, and buildings that use the minimum of materials like Monstera’s leaves.</p>
<p>Nature is wealthy, nature is generous. Through bioarchitecture, buildings can dive into that wealth and become a part of the generosity. Truly sustainable biobuildings can be constructed that work with nature and reverse the harm our conventional building technologies have done to the planet.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194636/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aysu Kuru does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Bioarchitecture draws on design principles from nature to construct buildings that work in ways that help tackle climate change and reverse environmental damage.Aysu Kuru, Lecturer in Architecture and Construction, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1875872022-10-17T12:30:58Z2022-10-17T12:30:58ZHow many Amazon packages get delivered each year?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/488155/original/file-20221004-26-jifr73.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=26%2C6%2C4365%2C2916&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Amazon workers sort packages for delivery on East 14th Street in New York City, July 12, 2022.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/amazon-workers-sort-packages-for-delivery-on-e-14th-street-news-photo/1408261737">Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/281719/original/file-20190628-76743-26slbc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
<hr>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>How many Amazon packages get delivered each year? – Aya K., age 9, Illinois</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>It’s incredibly convenient to buy something online, right from your computer or phone. Whether it’s a high-end telescope or a resupply of toothpaste, the goods appear right at your doorstep. This kind of shopping is called “e-commerce” and it’s becoming more popular each year. In the U.S., it has grown from a mere 7% of retail purchases in 2012 to <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/04/ecommerce-sales-surged-during-pandemic.html">19.6% of retail and US$791.7 billion in sales in 2020</a>. </p>
<h2>Amazon’s growing reach</h2>
<p>For Amazon, the biggest player in e-commerce, this means delivering lots of packages. In 2021 the company shipped an <a href="https://www.mwpvl.com/html/amazon_com.html">estimated</a> 7.7 billion packages globally, based on its nearly <a href="https://ir.aboutamazon.com/quarterly-results/default.aspx">$470 billion in sales</a>. </p>
<p>If each of these packages were a 1-foot square box and they were stacked on top of one another, the pile would be six times higher than the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Laid end to end, they would wrap around the Earth 62 times. </p>
<p>Back in the early 2010s, most things bought from Amazon.com were shipped using a third-party carrier like <a href="https://www.fedex.com/global/choose-location.html">FedEx</a> or <a href="https://www.ups.com/ship/guided/origin?tx=16615836120951417&loc=en_US">UPS</a>. In 2014, however, Amazon began delivering packages itself with a service called “Fulfilled by Amazon.” That’s when those <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/09/amazon-delivery-contractors-operates-with-little-oversight-report-finds/">signature blue delivery vans</a> started appearing on local streets.</p>
<p>Since then, Amazon’s logistics arm has grown from relying entirely on other carriers to shipping <a href="https://news.pb.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=6046">22% of all packages</a> in the U.S. in 2021. This is greater than FedEx’s 19% market share and within striking distance of UPS’s 24%. Amazon’s <a href="https://sell.amazon.com/fulfillment-by-amazon/fba-multi-channel">multichannel fulfillment service</a> allows other websites to use its warehousing and shipping services. So your order from Etsy or eBay could also be packed and shipped by Amazon.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3K2RaQ63w28?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Amazon came to dominate online shopping by offering free two-day shipping to Amazon Prime members.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The supply chain</h2>
<p>To handle that many packages, shipping companies need an extensive network of manufacturers, vehicles and warehouses that can coordinate together. This is called the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-your-local-store-keeps-running-out-of-flour-toilet-paper-and-prescription-drugs-135786">supply chain</a>. If you’ve ever used a tracking number to follow a package, you’ve seen it in action. </p>
<p>People who make decisions about where to send vehicles and how to route packages are constantly trying to keep costs down while still getting packages to customers on time. The supply chain can do this very effectively, but it also has downsides. </p>
<p>More delivery vehicles on the road produce more <a href="https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/carbon-pollution-transportation">greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change</a>, along with pollutants like <a href="https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/smog-soot-and-other-air-pollution-transportation">nitrogen oxides and particulate matter that are hazardous to breathe</a>. <a href="https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-delivery-trucks-traffic.html">Traffic congestion</a> is also a major concern in cities as delivery drivers try to find parking on busy streets.</p>
<h2>Urban freight solutions</h2>
<p>Are there ways to balance the increasing number of deliveries while making freight safe, sustainable and fast? At the University of Washington’s <a href="https://www.supply-chain-transportation.uw.edu/about/sctl-center">Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center</a>, we work with companies like Amazon and UPS and others in the shipping, transportation and real estate sectors to answer questions like this. Here are some solutions for what we and our colleagues call the “last mile” – the last leg of a package’s long journey to your doorstep. </p>
<p>– Electrification: Transitioning from gasoline and diesel vehicles to fleets of electric or other zero-emission vehicles reduces pollution from delivery trucks. Tax credits and local policies, such as creating so-called <a href="https://depts.washington.edu/sctlctr/sites/default/files/research_pub_files/Urban_Delivery_Company_Needs_and_Preferences_for_GLZ.pdf">green loading zones</a> and zero-emission zones for clean vehicles, create incentives for companies to make the switch. </p>
<p>– Common carrier lockers: Buildings can install <a href="https://depts.washington.edu/sctlctr/sites/default/files/research_pub_files/Final-50-Feet-Common-Carrier-Locker-Pilot-Report.pdf">lockers</a> at central locations, such as busy transit stops, so that drivers can drop off packages without going all the way to your doorstep. When you’re ready to pick up your items, you just stop by at a time that’s convenient for you. This reduces both delivery truck mileage and the risk of packages being stolen off of porches.</p>
<p>– Cargo bicycles: Companies can take the delivery truck out of the equation and use <a href="http://depts.washington.edu/sctlctr/sites/default/files/research_pub_files/Cargo-E-Bike-Delivery-Report.pdf">electric cargo bicycles</a> to drop off smaller packages. In addition to being zero-emission, cargo bicycles are relatively inexpensive and easy to park, and they provide a healthier alternative for delivery workers. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1570100146246934537"}"></div></p>
<p>To learn more about supply chains and delivery logistics, check with your town or city’s transportation department to see if they are testing or already have goods delivery programs or policies, like those in <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/ssi10-offhour.pdf">New York</a> and <a href="https://www.seattleneighborhoodhub.com/">Seattle</a>. And the next time you order something for delivery, consider your options for receiving it, such as walking or biking to a package locker or pickup point, or consolidating your items into a single delivery.</p>
<p>Package delivery can be both convenient and sustainable if companies keep evolving their supply chains, and everyone thinks about how they want delivery to work in their neighborhoods.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187587/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The University of Washington's Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center receives support from Amazon, UPS and other companies in the transportation, logistics, vehicle manufacture and real estate industries, and from the cities of Seattle and Bellevue.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rishi Verma does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The rise of e-commerce means billions of packages are delivered in the US each year. That creates traffic and pollution, but urban freight researchers are finding better way to get goods to customers.Anne Goodchild, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director, Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center, University of WashingtonRishi Verma, PhD Student in Industrial Engineering and Research Assistant, Urban Freight Lab, University of WashingtonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1886392022-09-14T04:05:20Z2022-09-14T04:05:20ZWhat is The Line, the 170km-long mirrored metropolis Saudi Arabia is building in the desert?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/483653/original/file-20220909-14-a7zbji.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C101%2C5192%2C3012&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/net-zero-coalition">climate change</a> rapidly advances, many Middle Eastern states are aiming to make the transition from carbon-based economies to <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/new-revolution-middle-east-0">alternatives</a> that attract people from around the world – for tourism, business, work or to live.</p>
<p>One such example is a development known as <a href="https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/theline">NEOM</a>, to be built in Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>A key part of the plan is “The Line”, a A$725 billion futuristic city designed to house 9 million residents. It comprises a mirrored, wall-like structure 200 metres wide and 500 metres tall. To be built in Saudi Arabia’s north-western Tabuk province, the project will extend 170 kilometres inland from the Red Sea across coastal desert, mountain and upper valley landscapes. </p>
<p>The Line claims to set a new benchmark for sustainable development. Its footprint is just 34 square kilometres (less than 4 square metres per person), occupying a fraction of NEOM’s 26,500-square-kilometre site. This allows for a lighter touch on the landscape than would normally be expected for a mega city. In addition, the NEOM project includes an airport and shipping port, industrial areas, research centres, sports and entertainment venues and tourism destinations. </p>
<p>The Line is touted as a post-carbon eco-city, but the scale of its ambitions raises serious questions about whether the project can deliver on its environmental, economic and social goals within just a few years.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/liv-golf-sportwashing-vs-the-commercial-value-of-public-attention-185478">LIV Golf: Sportwashing vs. the commercial value of public attention</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0kz5vEqdaSc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">NEOM | What is The Line?</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The devil is in the details</h2>
<p>At first glance, the project appears environmentally impressive. The urban edge is no more than 100 metres from any point in the city. A high-speed electric public transport service ensures no part of The Line is more than 20 minutes away. </p>
<p>Residing in such a gargantuan structure implies a claustrophobic lifestyle. But, in theory, each resident would enjoy an average of 1,000 cubic metres of urban volume. That’s much more generous than most dense city living environments.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, as in many high-density, high-rise buildings, a sophisticated vertical transportation system would be needed. The structure is equivalent to a conventional 125-storey skyscraper.</p>
<p>The project costs also seem modest at US$55,000 per resident. Let’s say this is achievable in a country with much lower employment costs than in developed economies and only relates to infrastructure. Even then, it remains to be seen how ultra-high-speed transit and cutting-edge infrastructure and services within the most massive building ever constructed can be cost-effective.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1566468725880012805"}"></div></p>
<p>The linear design underpinning The Line is not a new idea. The Spanish urban planner <a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100518974">Arturo Soria y Mata</a> developed a “linear city” concept in 1882. This concept allowed great efficiencies in infrastructure (such as water, electricity, gas and transport) by incorporating it along a narrow, linear urban corridor. A key plank of the design was to “ruralise” the city and “urbanise” the countryside. </p>
<p>The Line echoes this concept. However, one wonders about its impacts on the countryside. How might a continuous 500-metre-high mirrored barrier, reflecting the desert heat and light and cutting across the landscape for 170km, affect local biodiversity?</p>
<p>The Line appears to be oriented along an east-west axis. This may be optimal for solar thermal management, but is likely to cast large shadows in mid-winter.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484211/original/file-20220913-20-5w3h2v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Map showing the location of The Line and NEOM region in Saudia Arabia" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484211/original/file-20220913-20-5w3h2v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484211/original/file-20220913-20-5w3h2v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484211/original/file-20220913-20-5w3h2v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484211/original/file-20220913-20-5w3h2v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484211/original/file-20220913-20-5w3h2v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484211/original/file-20220913-20-5w3h2v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484211/original/file-20220913-20-5w3h2v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Line runs from the Red Sea eastwards for 170km.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Environmental and community impact</h2>
<p>The Line aims for <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2022/08/11/the-line-megacity-interview-tarek-qaddumi/">zero-emissions living</a>. Energy comes from renewable sources, green hydrogen earns export income, wastewater is recycled, and it features the latest in “smart city” technologies and mixed-use buildings. Car ownership is eschewed in favour of walking, cycling and public transport.</p>
<p>However, the materials and construction of such an enormous project could be very emissions-intensive. </p>
<p>The concept claims no one would be more than two minutes from nature (in other words, the urban edge at ground level). But does this consider the waiting times for a lift? Without careful design, a high reliance on vertical transportation may stymie hopes for genuinely walkable or bicycle-friendly precincts. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1562062348889776129"}"></div></p>
<p>The Line may be developed in modules, but whether these would correspond to neighbourhoods is not clear.</p>
<p>And will individuals, businesses and other entities have creative reign over how their designs are expressed – or will all parts of the city look much the same?</p>
<p>Independent expression of built form is an intrinsic part of conventional cities, but may not be possible with such as rigid structure as The Line. This raises questions about whether people would warm to it.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-cities-its-an-idea-worth-thinking-about-for-australia-92990">New cities? It's an idea worth thinking about for Australia</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Creating and maintaining a vision</h2>
<p>The Line was to be completed by 2025 in a desire to revolutionise urban living. With construction yet to begin in earnest, it remains to be seen whether such a complex megacity can be completed so soon.</p>
<p>And the <a href="https://www.neom.com/en-us">project proposal</a> makes precious little mention of important factors such as:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>community structure</p></li>
<li><p>diversity of household types</p></li>
<li><p>likely demographics</p></li>
<li><p>governance</p></li>
<li><p>individual rights (equality of rights, property ownership, access to social services, civic involvement and citizenship) </p></li>
<li><p>tolerance of diverse religious and spiritual beliefs.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The Line promises to have “human experience” at its heart, that there will be “progressive laws” and healthcare will facilitate “individual empowerment”. </p>
<p>But maintaining this vision may be difficult as new migrants bring their own values.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484161/original/file-20220913-22-9n4249.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484161/original/file-20220913-22-9n4249.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/484161/original/file-20220913-22-9n4249.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484161/original/file-20220913-22-9n4249.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484161/original/file-20220913-22-9n4249.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484161/original/file-20220913-22-9n4249.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484161/original/file-20220913-22-9n4249.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/484161/original/file-20220913-22-9n4249.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An artist’s illustration of The Line where it meets the Red Sea.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.neom.com/en-us/newsroom/the-line-public-exhibition">The Line public design exhibition/NEOM</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/in-saudi-arabia-women-are-turning-to-business-as-a-form-of-quiet-activism-in-their-feminist-movement-156816">In Saudi Arabia, women are turning to business as a form of 'quiet activism' in their feminist movement</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A nation-building project</h2>
<p>The Line appears to be a massive exercise in nation-building. Its planned 9 million population represents a 25% increase on Saudi Arabia’s current population of 35 million people.</p>
<p>The marketing focus of The Line is on environmental sustainability, technology, luxury and professional lifestyles, innovation and a strategic location. This suggests its planners and designers intend to produce a novel and exemplary urban development that will rapidly transition Saudi Arabia to a post-carbon future.</p>
<p>All the elements are there to do that. But, from a planning and construction perspective, it will require enormous strength of will, financial heft and capability.</p>
<p>And it remains to be seen how successfully The Line will attract the residents it needs to succeed.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188639/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The city is a A$725 billion wall-like structure running for 170km across the Saudi Arabian landscape. Can it live up to its huge ambitions?Andrew Allan, Senior Lecturer in Transport, Urban and Regional Planning, University of South AustraliaSubha Parida, Lecturer in Management, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1894092022-08-30T16:23:47Z2022-08-30T16:23:47ZWooden housing boom needed to boost climate goals, says new study – but is it possible?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481809/original/file-20220830-31761-1isx65.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3840%2C2160&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-dof-unrecognizable-male-builder-picks-1961969287">Flystock/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Housing 90% of people moving to cities in mid-rise buildings made from engineered wood could save the construction industry 106 billion tonnes of CO₂ by 2100, according to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-32244-w">a new study</a>. This, the researchers argued, would rein in the industry’s total emissions, which threaten to consume between 35% and 60% of the remaining carbon budget for halting global heating at 2°C with the continued use of cement and steel.</p>
<p>I did not contribute to this study, but I work in the same field as its authors. My research also involves accounting for the greenhouse gas emissions of buildings. Not just the operational emissions, such as those resulting from burning fossil gas for heating, but the embodied emissions too: the atmosphere-warming gases that were released when the bricks were fired or when the steel in its girders was produced. </p>
<p>I am always looking for elegant solutions to the many challenges climate change presents. And while I admire the ambition of these proposals, I am sceptical as to whether they are feasible.</p>
<p>Engineered wood (unlike timber, which is wood that has been cut into boards or beams) describes a number of composite construction materials made by gluing wood together to give it uniform and predictable qualities. One well-known engineered wood product is cross-laminated timber, or CLT, which is made from perpendicularly arranged wood panels. </p>
<p>The increased stability and strength with which this endows CLT makes it a suitable replacement for conventional materials such as concrete and brick, and it can bear the necessary load to make mid-rise buildings (typically between five and ten storeys tall) as the study suggests. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The wooden frame of an incomplete mid-rise building that is five storeys tall." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481810/original/file-20220830-21491-q5adad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481810/original/file-20220830-21491-q5adad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481810/original/file-20220830-21491-q5adad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481810/original/file-20220830-21491-q5adad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481810/original/file-20220830-21491-q5adad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481810/original/file-20220830-21491-q5adad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481810/original/file-20220830-21491-q5adad.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A mid-rise building under construction in Toronto, Canada.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/toronto-canada-june-16-2019-view-1425924893">JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The manufacturing process for engineered wood requires more energy than cutting wood into timber, however, and so it generates more emissions. Some bonding adhesives may also be toxic. So would a woody construction boom really benefit the environment and keep enough carbon in buildings and out of the atmosphere?</p>
<h2>Construction lifetimes</h2>
<p>There are two things to consider when working out the emissions involved in using engineered wood. First, the CO₂ captured by the growing tree from which the wood originated. This sets a negative carbon balance: the material at this stage absorbs more carbon than it releases. </p>
<p>Second, the manufacturing process which produces engineered wood uses energy and so emits carbon. The balance between the two is still negative, meaning manufacturing emits less than is absorbed by the wood during growth. And so more carbon is stored overall at the start of the building’s lifetime. </p>
<p>What happens at the end of that lifetime will ultimately determine if a building predominantly constructed with engineered wood remains carbon negative. If the material from a deconstructed building is sent to landfill and left to rot without the gases being captured, or if it is incinerated, the carbon stored in the engineered timber will return to the atmosphere, and there will be no net carbon storage.</p>
<p>According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, homes and other buildings like offices have a <a href="https://www.rics.org/globalassets/rics-website/media/news/whole-life-carbon-assessment-for-the--built-environment-november-2017.pdf">whole life carbon cycle</a> of roughly 60 years. This is how long the building is expected to last and accounts for carbon stored and emitted during construction, use and deconstruction.</p>
<p>Only if engineered timber is completely recycled into new products will the assumptions about carbon storage in harvested wood products hold. But a building built from engineered wood will still contain numerous conventional materials, including metal fasteners, screws, nails, tiles and glass. These can contain a significant amount of embodied carbon that the article does not seem to account for.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The partially demolished wooden frame of a building." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481811/original/file-20220830-33816-u3jh7b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481811/original/file-20220830-33816-u3jh7b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481811/original/file-20220830-33816-u3jh7b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481811/original/file-20220830-33816-u3jh7b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481811/original/file-20220830-33816-u3jh7b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481811/original/file-20220830-33816-u3jh7b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481811/original/file-20220830-33816-u3jh7b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">All that wood will need to find a second life elsewhere.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/demolition-building-deconstruction-site-debris-remains-2185193867">Piotr Milewski/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Building to net zero</h2>
<p>According to the study, plantations expanding by 3.6 million hectares each year would provide enough engineered wood to create housing for new urban residents until 2100. At the moment, the world’s plantations expand at roughly 2 million hectares annually, according to the study.</p>
<p>Significantly increasing the area of land dedicated to producing timber may not be possible in all countries, particularly where land is scarce and competition with food production is fierce. Any new plantations may not grow according to expectations due to droughts or wildfires.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pile of logs with a stand of trees and a lorry laden with wood behind it." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481813/original/file-20220830-27-8zmlc6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481813/original/file-20220830-27-8zmlc6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481813/original/file-20220830-27-8zmlc6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481813/original/file-20220830-27-8zmlc6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=391&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481813/original/file-20220830-27-8zmlc6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481813/original/file-20220830-27-8zmlc6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481813/original/file-20220830-27-8zmlc6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=491&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Space for new timber plantations is not guaranteed.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/plantation-eucalyptus-bluegum-trees-being-harvested-145232647">Sirtravelalot/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some countries might struggle to afford the investment in an engineered wood construction sector on their own. National planning regulations vary too, so that the large-scale expansion of cities using engineered wood may be difficult to approve and achieve. The plan described by the researchers would also require concerted action across lots of different countries.</p>
<p>The study inspires optimism for a future in which the world’s growing urban population will find shelter in new, climate-neutral housing. But it makes assumptions which will be difficult to realise. Perhaps its greatest contribution is illuminating the tremendous challenges which must be overcome to build a net zero world.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ljubomir Jankovic received funding from EPSRC, EU, EUREKA, ARTEMIS, KTP, Innovate UK, Research England and AHRC.</span></em></p>Engineered wood is a sustainable alternative to cement and steel in construction.Ljubomir Jankovic, Professor of Advanced Building Design, University of HertfordshireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1878382022-08-15T20:03:46Z2022-08-15T20:03:46ZIn a year of sporting mega-events, the Brisbane Olympics can learn a lot from the ones that fail their host cities<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478647/original/file-20220811-21-5amk0v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=50%2C0%2C5568%2C3692&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Brisbane 2032 Olympic organising committee board</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Darren England/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In a year of <a href="https://newsmobile.in/articles/2021/12/30/five-major-sporting-events-to-look-forward-to-in-2022/">major sporting events</a> – the Commonwealth Games, the FIFA World Cup, cricket’s T20 World Cup, the Winter Olympics – conversations on greening such events are more essential than ever. While the Brisbane Olympics are a decade away, lessons from events like these need to be applied from the start to maximise the benefits of the city’s transformation for the 2032 Games. Good planning can produce a positive environmental legacy for years to come.</p>
<p>In recent years, the focus on the impacts of such events on host cities, specifically the environmental impacts, has sharpened. As the costs of environmental degradation and climate change mount, Olympic plans must adapt to the host city’s sustainable development or redevelopment, as opposed to the city being developed around the Olympics. </p>
<p>Of course, these considerations are not new. Sustainability has been established as the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/101269000035003004#:%7E:text=The%20IOC%20declaration%20that%20environmental,the%20development%20of%20environmental%20protection.">third pillar of the Olympics</a> since the 1990s. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1555938245065580545"}"></div></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/leaner-cost-effective-practical-how-the-2032-brisbane-games-could-save-the-olympics-162606">Leaner, cost-effective, practical: how the 2032 Brisbane Games could save the Olympics</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So what has been achieved so far?</h2>
<p>Past Olympic hosts have tried to reduce their environmental impacts. Whether it’s planting trees to offset carbon emissions, cleaning up rivers, recycling materials to reduce waste, increasing public transport use, or using renewable energy, host cities have been making efforts and claims to be green for years. </p>
<p>And yet behind each host’s proclaimed success lies a multitude of shortcomings.</p>
<p>For example, host cities often need to improve or redevelop their transport systems. Most development projects in the past have been Games-specific rather than focused on improving the city for residents. The priorities are usually in areas most impacted by the event, so often don’t match residents’ ongoing needs.</p>
<p>We saw this in Rio de Janeiro, host of the 2016 Olympics. Projects were constructed in poorly planned locations with limited transport access. Only <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-07/what-japan-learned-from-olympic-white-elephants/100329488">15 of the original 27 venues</a> hosted some sort of post-Olympics event. Others became deteriorating white elephants.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"907892332657348608"}"></div></p>
<p>In London, multiple projects such as the Crossrail project were <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/analysis-london-2012-infrastructure-legacy-or-a-costly-waste/r4q3kqpsv">postponed</a> before the 2012 Olympics. Residents’ needs were downgraded. </p>
<p>One must also wonder how the Olympics can be environmentally friendly when so many resources are diverted or newly invested in projects dedicated to an event lasting a couple of weeks at most.</p>
<p>Some Games, such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics, did <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/legacy/beijing-2008/olympic-blue">improve aspects such as air quality</a> that benefited all residents. However, these improvements were short-term, which is typical among host cities. Even for this year’s Beijing Winter Olympics, where organisers used renewable energy, retrofitted venues and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00321-1">considered a range of emissions</a>, a more holistic approach would have improved outcomes. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/reduce-re-use-recycle-how-the-new-relaxed-olympic-rules-make-brisbanes-2032-bid-affordable-156100">Reduce, re-use, recycle: how the new relaxed Olympic rules make Brisbane’s 2032 bid affordable</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What would a holistic approach look like?</h2>
<p>Host cities haven’t been approaching design, planning and hosting in the most comprehensive and sustainable way. They have tended to focus on the obvious tip-of-the-iceberg environmental impacts. However, many other issues are lurking beneath the surface, with interrelated knock-on effects. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479056/original/file-20220815-50243-ifj9vd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graphic of full range of environnmental impacts of a mega-event – the obvious tip-of-the-iceberg issues and the hidden ones beneath the surface." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479056/original/file-20220815-50243-ifj9vd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479056/original/file-20220815-50243-ifj9vd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479056/original/file-20220815-50243-ifj9vd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479056/original/file-20220815-50243-ifj9vd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=516&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479056/original/file-20220815-50243-ifj9vd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=649&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479056/original/file-20220815-50243-ifj9vd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=649&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479056/original/file-20220815-50243-ifj9vd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=649&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Event organisers typically target the obvious environmental issues – the tip of the iceberg – neglecting the hidden impacts.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Drawn by Manudi Periyapperuma</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For example, planting trees (as Beijing did) can help offset emissions and establish new habitat. However, it has been <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/02/19/1081657319/winter-olympics-environmental-impact">reported</a> that the clearing of habitat in Songshan National Nature Reserve to house the National Alpine Ski Centre could affect vulnerable species. Planting trees as offsets does not excuse such irreversible impacts.</p>
<p>To host truly environment-friendly events, cities must consider the whole picture of emissions, resource consumption, waste production, transport links, habitat impacts and more. This requires a <a href="https://mahb.stanford.edu/blog/systems-thinking-can-help-build-sustainable-world-beginning-conversation/">system-thinking approach</a> that considers the life cycle of the product or project. It means planning where construction takes place, which venues can be retrofitted or recycled, what materials are used and where they are sourced. It also means deciding how construction projects will be powered and, ultimately, ensuring the resources invested in projects are not wasted after the event. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479061/original/file-20220815-56152-g64qfl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graphic comparing traditional thinking based on simple cause and effect and systems thinking, based on a complex web of interactions." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479061/original/file-20220815-56152-g64qfl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479061/original/file-20220815-56152-g64qfl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=235&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479061/original/file-20220815-56152-g64qfl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=235&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479061/original/file-20220815-56152-g64qfl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=235&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479061/original/file-20220815-56152-g64qfl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=296&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479061/original/file-20220815-56152-g64qfl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=296&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479061/original/file-20220815-56152-g64qfl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=296&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Systems thinking is built on the understanding that every element, aspect or action is part of a constantly evolving web of interactions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://thesolutionsjournal.com/2018/07/08/systems-thinking-can-help-build-sustainable-world-beginning-conversation/">Adapted from M. Seibert (2018)/Solutions</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For the 2000 Olympics, Sydney <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/legacy/sydney-2000/environmental-efforts">set the standard</a> by:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>using materials with low environmental impacts and minimised waste</p></li>
<li><p>using solar power for venues and Olympic villages</p></li>
<li><p>conducting life-cycle assessments of environmental emissions and resource consumption</p></li>
<li><p>designing infrastructure to <a href="https://library.olympics.com/default/digitalCollection/DigitalCollectionAttachmentDownloadHandler.ashx?parentDocumentId=43227&documentId=166681&skipWatermark=true&skipCopyright=true">maximise energy-efficiency</a> and more. </p></li>
</ul>
<h2>How can Brisbane do better?</h2>
<p>So, how can Brisbane build on <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/legacy/sydney-2000/sydney-2000-games-of-environmental-responsibility-and-inclusion">Sydney’s success</a>? The detailed planning is still being resolved, but Brisbane’s more holistic approach gives the city a head-start. Its “climate-positive” commitment has <a href="https://www.premiers.qld.gov.au/publications/categories/reports/assets/2032-qld-games-economic-analysis-summary-report-final.pdf">four core principles</a>:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>repurposing and upgrading existing infrastructure</p></li>
<li><p>encouraging residents to change behaviours and be more environmentally conscious</p></li>
<li><p>implementing pollution and waste management incentives</p></li>
<li><p>better transport planning.</p></li>
</ol>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HqZ4H6fcJ90?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">An overview of the Brisbane 2032 master plan.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The master plan isn’t simply responding to selected environmental issues. Instead, Brisbane is on the path to a climate-positive Games through a combination of:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>integrating public transport services</p></li>
<li><p>strategically locating venues across Queensland – 80% of the venues already exist</p></li>
<li><p>ensuring community needs across the state are met</p></li>
<li><p>investing in innovative solutions such as a sustainable hydrogen industry</p></li>
<li><p>promoting policy and behavioural changes to help solve deep-rooted issues.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>However, Brisbane needs to go further by committing to life-cycle assessments of Olympic projects and following up on promised outcomes over the years.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-brisbane-olympics-are-a-leap-into-an-unknowable-future-164933">The Brisbane Olympics are a leap into an unknowable future</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>One shortcoming stands out in particular. Energy consumption and sourcing are not among the core principles for hosting the Olympics. Even if Brisbane were to achieve a zero-emissions event by using renewable energy, that doesn’t cover emissions from the next ten years of construction. And Queensland is still <a href="https://www.qao.qld.gov.au/reports-resources/reports-parliament/managing-queenslands-transition-renewable-energy">a mostly coal-powered state</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479055/original/file-20220814-59235-gpzhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Pie charts showing sources of energy generated in Queensland and breakdown of renewable generation." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479055/original/file-20220814-59235-gpzhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479055/original/file-20220814-59235-gpzhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=282&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479055/original/file-20220814-59235-gpzhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=282&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479055/original/file-20220814-59235-gpzhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=282&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479055/original/file-20220814-59235-gpzhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479055/original/file-20220814-59235-gpzhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479055/original/file-20220814-59235-gpzhuu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">More than 80% of energy generated in Queensland in 2020–21 was from fossil fuels.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.qao.qld.gov.au/reports-resources/reports-parliament/managing-queenslands-transition-renewable-energy#h2-4">Source: Queensland Audit Office analysis</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Brisbane is treating the Olympic Games as a platform for urban development that can transform how we travel, integrate multiple urban centres across South-East Queensland, and result in lasting changes to policies and behaviours. These goals stem from the importance of leaving a climate-positive legacy that will last.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article would not have been possible without the research assistance of Manudi Periyapperuma and the funding support of UQ’s 2022 Global Change Youth Research Program.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187838/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anthony Halog does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Planning has begun for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and already it’s clear the city has learned from the mistakes of other hosts, but its plans to be truly sustainable have one glaring weak point.Anthony Halog, Lecturer/Research Group Leader in Industrial Ecology and Circular Economy, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1884842022-08-09T20:45:52Z2022-08-09T20:45:52ZCould cargo bike deliveries help green e-commerce?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/478329/original/file-20220809-9831-e92enx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1200%2C785&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A worker on an electric cargo-bike ferries goods in Strasbourg, France.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Frederick Florin/AFP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the world moves toward decarbonization, every option for slashing humanity’s carbon footprint must be on the table. As it stands, transport represents <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/transport-emissions_en">almost a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions</a>, with the rise of e-commerce and on-demand, express deliveries worsening matters further.</p>
<p>Could ferrying parcels by bike rather than lorry help green our <a href="https://theconversation.com/amazons-bottomless-appetite-116017">seemingly bottomless appetite for e-commerce</a>? Basing ourselves on data from one of France’s largest freight transport companies, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357528729_Delivering_Paris_by_Cargo_Bikes_Ecological_Commitment_or_Economically_Feasible_The_Case_of_a_Parcel_Service_Company_-_TRB_2022">our research</a> shows two-thirds of its business to and from the city of Paris could be carried out by cargo bikes.</p>
<p>The results, which take into account the weight of the transported parcels, offer an interesting perspective for the freight transport sector, regularly denounced as a major emitter of greenhouse gases at <a href="https://ree.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/themes/defis-environnementaux/changement-climatique/emissions-de-gaz-a-effet-de-serre/article/panorama-des-emissions-francaises-de-gaz-a-effet-de-serre">14% of French GHG emissions</a>. Indeed this mode of transport is responsible for a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213624X16300414?via%3Dihub">host of other ills</a>, including congestion and noise pollution.</p>
<p>Despite this, road transport is still the leading means by which we delivery purchases in cities. In France, <a href="https://www.statistiques.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/donnees-sur-le-transport-routier-de-marchandises-trm-en-france-et-en-europe?rubrique=&dossier=1341">88% of goods</a> are carried by trucks. Although other long-distance transport options remain, such as by rail or river, cargo bikes currently represent the only sustainable solution to decarbonize the last mile – the most polluting one.</p>
<h2>The rise of e-commerce</h2>
<p>The challenge of decarbonization is twofold in terms of freight transport: it involves adapting the current model in favour of more virtuous practices (e.g. cargo bikes) while integrating constantly increasing flows. E-commerce, in particular, has a growing share in our consumption patterns (<a href="https://www.fevad.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/FEVAD_CHIFFRES-CLES_complet_vdef.pdf">+4% of retail share</a> between 2018 and 2020). This requires an increase in the fleet needed for urban logistics, with forecasts predicting a 36% increase in the distances travelled by trucks in major cities around the world by 2030 if no action is taken. This would have many negative effects such as a significant increase in congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dAXdeqcHBp4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How Amazon receives your inventory.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Micro-hubs in the heart of cities</h2>
<p>We therefore need to ramp up the development of bicycle logistics. Nevertheless, the use of cargo bikes requires a specific organisation. The general location of sorting terminals on the outskirts of cities does not favour this mode of transport. Bike’s low transport capacity and reduced speed compared to a truck limit their range of action. The use of micro-hubs in the heart of cities, with cargo bikes operating in a hub-and-spoke pattern from these points, therefore seems essential. However, there are two constraints.</p>
<p>[<em>Nearly 70 000 readers look to The Conversation France’s newsletter for expert insights into the world’s most pressing issues. <a href="https://theconversation.com/fr/newsletters/la-newsletter-quotidienne-5">Sign up now</a>.</em>]</p>
<p>On the one hand, bicycle logistics requires the transformation of commercial real estate, traditionally occupied by stores, into logistics platforms. These new places also called dark stores (not open to the public) compete with the commercial fabric currently established in the heart of cities. On the other hand, the addition of a supplementary step in the logistics chain leads to additional costs (mainly the cost of land) that need to be compensated – for example, through a high density of activities in the catchment area of micro-hubs.</p>
<p>Thus, some geographical areas appear to be more suitable than others for the implementation of bicycle logistics. To overcome this additional cost, the use of containers or trucks acting as micro-hubs is currently being studied. Even though these solutions do not compete with the current commercial fabric, they still imply a property right-of-way in the public space.</p>
<h2>Is this the end of trucks in the city?</h2>
<p>Finally, bicycle logistics does not necessarily mean the end of trucks in the city. The latter are indeed necessary to supply the micro-hubs on a daily basis, which must themselves be connected to the sorting terminals located on city outskirts.</p>
<p>Moreover, it is currently impossible to operate heavy (maximum 250kg) or voluminous parcels by cargo bike – this means transporting them by truck. The operators are therefore moving toward a mixed fleet.</p>
<p>In conclusion, if bicycle logistic represents a way to green logistics, it also raises some challenges that call for vigilance. Among others, the development of dark stores in the heart of cities which could harm the commercial fabric in the long run.</p>
<p>Finally, let’s not forget that the consumer is behind demand for e-commerce and its associated flows. Modifying consumer behaviour in favour of a less instantaneous demand remains the most relevant course of action to reduce the impact of logistics on the environment.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188484/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>On paper, swapping gas-guzzling trucks for bikes may sound like an appealing option for greening e-commerce. However, there are sizeable obstacles to implementing this in cities.Antoine Robichet, Doctorant en transport de marchandises, Université Gustave EiffelPatrick Nierat, Chercheur, Université Gustave EiffelLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1879292022-08-08T02:13:54Z2022-08-08T02:13:54ZThe case for degrowth: stop the endless expansion and work with what our cities already have<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477805/original/file-20220805-25-qyn3d7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3648%2C2517&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption"></span> <span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian cities are good at growing – for decades their states have relied on it. The need to house more people is used to justify expansion out and up, but it is the rates, taxes and duties that flow from land transfers and construction that drive the endless development of Melbourne and Sydney in particular. Property development is the single largest contributor to <a href="https://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/state-financial-data-sets/state-taxation-revenue">Victorian</a> and <a href="https://www.treasury.nsw.gov.au/budget-financial-management/revenue-and-taxation">New South Wales</a> government revenues. </p>
<p>For example, the City of Melbourne’s <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/news-and-media/Pages/New-blueprint-outlines-bold-vision-for-city's-future.aspx">draft spatial plan</a> proposes <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-municipal-planning-strategy">new suburbs</a> to the west and north. It’s continuing on a course mapped out in the post-recession 1990s, when Australian governments focused on building on or digging up our great expanses. The plan neither questions the rationale for growth nor, apparently, the deeper effects of the pandemic. </p>
<p>The city council is understandably anxious to attract people back to the centre.
The city plan presumes a return to Australia’s <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/australias-population-growth-remains-low">high population growth of the 2000s</a>. Expectations of a renewed influx of students, workers and tourists from overseas are based more on hope, however, than reason. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-halved-international-student-numbers-in-australia-the-risk-now-is-we-lose-future-skilled-workers-and-citizens-175510">COVID halved international student numbers in Australia. The risk now is we lose future skilled workers and citizens</a>
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<p>The drivers of population growth are more uncertain and we can no longer depend on global mobility at pre-pandemic levels. Birth rates are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/how-do-you-grow-an-economy-without-young-people-what-falling-birth-rates-mean-20220609-p5asfy.html">falling across the developed world</a>, online international education is improving, and research suggests <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/omicron-is-not-a-new-pandemic-but-we-should-treat-it-like-one-20220719-p5b2pc.html">pandemics will persist</a> while cities encroach on the habitats of so many other species. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the towers thrown up in the heady years of growth are <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/silent-suburbs-where-are-our-state-s-300-000-empty-homes-20220706-p5azk7.html">half-empty</a> and cracking, poorly ventilated, reliant on central air conditioning and not built for more extreme weather or low energy consumption. Melbourne and Sydney’s showcase regeneration projects at <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/once-a-growing-office-precinct-docklands-feels-dead-20210224-p575c6.html">Docklands</a> and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/flash-new-precinct-that-became-a-ghost-town-barangaroo-battles-to-return-to-life-20200703-p558wu.html">Barangaroo</a> are more dismal and deserted than ever. </p>
<h2>Better needn’t mean bigger</h2>
<p>Now is not the time for anyone to announce that their city will become “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-s-plan-for-the-future-will-transform-the-cbd-and-surrounding-suburbs-20220715-p5b1xd.html">bigger and better</a>”. Cities don’t have to get bigger to evolve, and sooner or later all will have to reckon with the concept of <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/g85ACVAGLrsxRMBj8CJ_OIL?domain=mayflybooks.org">degrowth</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1548080485015830531"}"></div></p>
<p>Australia must become less reliant on imports of skilled workers, students, tourists and materials. We can make better use of local resources and produce much more of what we need here. </p>
<p>Australian cities have very good bones. They have amazing cultural scenes. Their biomedical capabilities are among the world’s best. Our education sector remains eminently exportable online and via existing overseas campuses. The manufacturing sector still has a base to build on and provide many more of the products Australians need. And our <a href="https://theconversation.com/to-really-address-climate-change-australia-could-make-27-times-as-much-electricity-and-make-it-renewable-179311">renewable energy capacity is unlimited</a>. </p>
<p>We can support our local hospitality and cultural venues better, and increase intercity and interstate patronage. We can invest in research and development and maintain wealth through innovation and production, rather than the eternal consumption of land.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/to-really-address-climate-change-australia-could-make-27-times-as-much-electricity-and-make-it-renewable-179311">To really address climate change, Australia could make 27 times as much electricity and make it renewable</a>
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<h2>Rethink what we build and why</h2>
<p>Adapting to global environmental conditions means rethinking not just what and how we build, but why. Before designating land for yet more housing estates, for example, let’s consider that a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-29/census-finds-1-million-empty-houses-amid-affordability-crisis/101190794">million homes</a> – 10% of Australia’s housing stock – were empty on census night last year. Nearly 600,000 were in Victoria and New South Wales. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477607/original/file-20220804-12-thzafi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Horizontal bar chart showing number of unoccupied homes in each state and territory on census night in 2016 and 2021" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477607/original/file-20220804-12-thzafi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477607/original/file-20220804-12-thzafi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477607/original/file-20220804-12-thzafi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477607/original/file-20220804-12-thzafi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477607/original/file-20220804-12-thzafi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=745&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477607/original/file-20220804-12-thzafi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=745&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477607/original/file-20220804-12-thzafi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=745&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>Think tank Prosper Australia has for years <a href="https://www.prosper.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Prosper_SpeculativeVacancies_FINAL_web23.pdf">demonstrated</a>
shocking numbers of vacant dwellings unavailable for rent. A hefty vacancy tax – much greater than the Victorian rate of 1% of property value, while NSW still has none for Australian owners – would lead to many more homes being released onto the market. </p>
<p>The property developers’ argument that we have to build more because that’s the only way to make housing more affordable has been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-25/is-supply-the-answer-to-housing-affordability/8470552">repeatedly</a> <a href="https://thefifthestate.com.au/columns/spinifex/more-housing-hasnt-fixed-australias-affordability-crisis-its-time-for-a-national-settlement-strategy/">refuted</a> by years of <a href="https://theconversation.com/solutions-beyond-supply-to-the-housing-affordability-problem-67536">careful research</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/affordable-housing-policy-failure-still-being-fuelled-by-flawed-analysis-92993">Affordable housing policy failure still being fuelled by flawed analysis</a>
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<p>Tens of thousands of upmarket dwellings have been added to the inner cities of Melbourne and Sydney over the past 20 years, with no reduction in prices across the board. While upmarket unit prices might drop a little when vacancy rates in that submarket increase, their developers are keenly alert to any dip in profits. At the slightest hint of surplus they <a href="https://www.prosper.org.au/2022/07/media-release-staged-releases/">just stop building</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1554244361885458432"}"></div></p>
<p>If housing affordability is the object of urban expansion, let’s grasp that nettle: the only way to achieve it is to build affordable housing, it’s that simple. More than enough land is available within the urban growth boundaries for residential development. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.prosper.org.au/2022/07/media-release-staged-releases/">Recent research</a> from Prosper shows there are 84,000 undeveloped housing lots on nine Australian master-planned estates alone. This does not include the many inner-city regeneration projects already under way. Social housing in these areas should be the focus of urban planning before any more land is released.</p>
<h2>What about ‘under-developed’ urban lands?</h2>
<p>Further expansion of the inner cities of Melbourne and Sydney can only encroach onto low-lying, flood-prone industrial lands that were long ago deemed unsuitable for residential development. It would be folly, or very expensive, to build housing there. </p>
<p>These areas are and still can be used for manufacturing, however, and not just the new niche urban manufacturers that gentrifying councils so love to love. Older industries that are even now being displaced from Fishermans Bend in Melbourne and Blackwattle Bay in Sydney can easily coexist with artisanal bakeries and coffee roasters.</p>
<p>The imperative to promote sustainable local production is stronger than ever now that the pandemic and war have exposed the vulnerabilities of global supply lines. Our diminishing industrial lands really should be kept for industry, until such time as sea-level rise claims them as wetlands. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/building-too-close-to-the-water-its-ridiculous-talk-of-buyouts-after-floods-shows-need-to-get-serious-about-climate-adaptation-186999">'Building too close to the water. It's ridiculous!' Talk of buyouts after floods shows need to get serious about climate adaptation</a>
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<p>This is not an argument for decreasing construction activity: there is much work to be done retrofitting existing buildings. These need to be re-clad, better ventilated, opened to passive cooling and adapted to a warming climate. </p>
<p>The ongoing regeneration projects in Melbourne and Sydney need a lot more attention. Docklands, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo could become useful with some serious <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/docklands-should-be-turned-into-our-next-live-music-hub-20220718-p5b2g1.html">interventions</a>. The emerging Fishermans Bend and Blackwattle Bay developments have already released more land than their planners know what to do with.</p>
<p>A forward-looking city plan would consolidate and advance what that city already has. That’s the way to build revenue streams that are environmentally, socially and politically sustainable.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187929/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Shaw does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Before the pandemic, our cities had a simple plan: let population growth drive economic activity. But the world is changing and the perpetual growth mindset has to change with it.Kate Shaw, Honorary Senior Fellow in Urban Geography and Planning, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1793592022-08-01T12:26:33Z2022-08-01T12:26:33ZIf all the vehicles in the world were to convert to electric, would it be quieter?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476721/original/file-20220729-16-tw2mnu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=53%2C0%2C5936%2C3936&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Apartment buildings in New York City abut the Cross Bronx Expressway.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/cars-and-trucks-move-along-the-cross-bronx-expressway-a-news-photo/1353690656">Spencer Platt/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-left ">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/curious-kids-us-74795">Curious Kids</a> is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">curiouskidsus@theconversation.com</a>.</em></p>
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<p><strong>If all of the vehicles in the world were to convert to electric, would it be quieter? – Joseph, age 10, Chatham, New Jersey</strong></p>
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<p>If everyone everywhere received a free electric vehicle at the same time – and owners were required to travel at really slow speeds across well-maintained roads – the world would sound different. </p>
<p>But that doesn’t mean it would be quieter. </p>
<p>People can have different feelings about the same sound. As the founder of <a href="https://communitynoiselab.org/">Community Noise Lab</a> at Brown University’s School of Public Health, I am particularly interested in how we, as humans, decide what is a sound and what is a noise – which is what we call unwanted sounds. We perceive the sounds that we experience in our daily lives in many ways, from quiet to loud. And they can make us feel happy, angry or many things in between. </p>
<p>These feelings can affect our health by relaxing or stressing us. Studies also show that chronic exposure to noise can affect your sleep and hearing and contribute to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1307272">health problems like heart disease</a>.</p>
<h2>How loud are cars?</h2>
<p>We know that gasoline-powered cars make a lot of noise, especially on highways where they can travel at high speeds. In 1981, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that nearly 100 million people nationwide were exposed to traffic noise every year that was <a href="https://tinyurl.com/97ru8dcs">loud enough to be harmful to their health</a>. At the time, this was about 50% of the U.S. population.</p>
<p>Many factors influence how loud a car is on the road, including its design, how fast it travels and physical road conditions. On average, cars moving at around 30 mph on local roads will produce sound levels ranging from 33 to 69 decibels. That’s the range between a quiet library and a loud dishwasher.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/20aeY67N5tk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">This video compares the decibel levels produced by loud, moderate and quiet dishwashers.</span></figcaption>
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<p>For cars traveling at typical speeds on the interstate, which is around 70 mph, sound levels range up to 89 decibels. That’s equivalent to two people shouting their conversation at each other.</p>
<p>Electric and hybrid gas/electric cars emit very low sounds at low speeds because they don’t have internal combustion engines producing noise and vibrations. To ensure that pedestrians will hear electric and hybrid vehicles coming, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/nhtsa-sets-%E2%80%9Cquiet-car%E2%80%9D-safety-standard-protect-pedestrians">requires these vehicles to emit sounds</a> ranging from 43 to 64 decibels when they are moving at less than 18.6 mph. Each manufacturer uses its own warning sounds. </p>
<p>At high speeds, there may not be much difference between gas-powered cars and EVs or hybrids. That’s because other factors like tire and wind noise become louder as cars move faster. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Urban noise is a serious health threat worldwide, and the main source is motor vehicles.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Quieter streets for everyone</h2>
<p>Infrastructure also contributes to street noise. Cracks, depressions and holes in roads can increase sound levels as cars travel across them. </p>
<p>Lower-income communities <a href="https://www.pothole.info/2016/02/poor-pavement-hits-lower-income-americans-hard/">tend to have poorer-quality streets</a> and <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104578">highways</a>. So <a href="https://www.marketplace.org/2019/05/15/one-way-oakland-is-fighting-racial-inequality-by-fixing-potholes/">failing to fix roads</a> could drown out any improvements in a community’s soundscape from EVs, quite literally. </p>
<p>Another way to reduce traffic noise would be to build more bike lanes and paths in less-wealthy communities, which <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/biking-low-income-neighborhoods/">often lack them</a>, and encourage people to substitute this cheaper, healthier, cleaner and quieter mode of transportation when they can.</p>
<p>Electric vehicles are still out of reach for many people because most models cost more than gas-powered cars. So in reality, the benefits of switching to electric-powered vehicles – such as lower fuel costs, cleaner air and somewhat quieter streets – are going now mainly to people who live in wealthier communities and can afford EVs. </p>
<p>That inequitable distribution of benefits is what the EPA calls an <a href="https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice">environmental injustice</a>: a situation in which everyone doesn’t have the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards. To share those benefits more equally, electric vehicles will have to become as affordable as gas-powered versions. </p>
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<p>Many people think of noise as a nuisance that’s <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/opinion/worlds-cities-must-take-cacophony-noise-pollution">less urgent</a> than other, more pressing environmental issues like air and water pollution. As a result, governments fail to plan for noise, measure it, mitigate it or regulate it in any meaningful way. </p>
<p>In fact, noise is a significant environmental stressor that negatively affects everyone’s health and well-being, especially those who are most vulnerable. At Community Noise Lab, we aim to shed light on the public health implications of noise, argue for more holistic measurements of sound, and study noise together with other environmental pollutants like water and air pollution, working alongside vulnerable communities across the United States.</p>
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<p><em>Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to <a href="mailto:curiouskidsus@theconversation.com">CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com</a>. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.</em></p>
<p><em>And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179359/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erica D Walker receives funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.</span></em></p>Noise pollution is a serious problem, and cars make a lot of it. But roads are also a factor.Erica D. Walker, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Brown UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1754682022-07-27T15:54:06Z2022-07-27T15:54:06ZTo build sustainable cities, involve those who live in them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/454629/original/file-20220328-21-2m3h3t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4300%2C1429&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Working with residents is essential to build sustainable cities.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cities have an important role in making progress on <a href="https://www.sustain.ucla.edu/what-is-sustainability/">sustainability</a> and climate change issues. And for them to achieve this, urban residents need to be involved in achieving set goals. This means that <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Performance-Metrics-for-Sustainable-Cities/Albert-Pandey/p/book/9780367561321">cities need to provide opportunities and guidance to their residents to help them make progress</a>. </p>
<p>While national targets — like Canada’s goal to reduce <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/climate-change-trudeau-canada-1.6401791">its annual greenhouse gas emissions to 110 megatonnes in 2030 from 191 megatonnes in 2019</a> — are important, they do not mean much to a city resident or an organization. </p>
<p>It can be difficult to determine how to address large and complex national issues. These need to be translated from theoretical commitments into measurable goals to create a sense of commitment and urgency. For example, Canadian emission targets need to be broken down into actionable objectives at the city level, which would make it more meaningful to its residents, who can then make small contributions that amount to significant outcomes for the city and beyond. </p>
<h2>Localizing global goals</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">UN Sustainable Development Goals</a> (SDGs) are recognized as strategically important for sustainability. They cannot be achieved without commitment at every scale, from individuals to different levels of government. </p>
<p>Public and private organizations in cities can set the stage to engage everyone to contribute to shared goals. The SDGs may seem large and difficult to achieve, but they can be localized and broken down into achievable pieces. </p>
<p>This is being done by dozens of cities internationally who are reporting their progress in <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/topics/voluntary-local-reviews">voluntary local reviews</a>. The European <a href="https://sustainablecities.eu/fileadmin/repository/Aalborg_Charter/Aalborg_Charter_English.pdf">Aalborg Charter</a> is evidence of a can-do attitude among cities.</p>
<h2>A crisis of leadership</h2>
<p>Urban leadership needs to develop a shared vision that guides residents on their individual and collective contributions. The combined achievements at the urban level contribute to global improvements. Measurable indicators and targets are set — such as monitoring energy consumption — reflect a commitment to targets.</p>
<p>Taking collaborative action on larger goals can address concerns with leadership that have been recently reported in the media. The response of world leaders to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/01/world-leaders-blasted-by-activists-for-lack-of-progress-on-climate-change-at-g-20.html">the ongoing climate challenges</a> and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-12/coronavirus-has-exposed-global-leadership-crisis-milken-says">the global COVID-19 pandemic</a> have produced a global crisis of trust. People need to see action and be part of the solutions that are being proposed. </p>
<p>To build trust, city leadership needs partners, collaborators and residents to work with them on setting goals, developing a measurement system and collecting data. There are a number of available <a href="https://apolitical.co/solution-articles/en/methods-citizen-engagement-goals">platforms and technologies</a> to assist with developing a measurement system and engaging residents in reporting.</p>
<p>Many of these are being used by cities: the <a href="https://www.mypeg.ca/">PEG platorm in Winnipeg, Man.</a>, for example, is designed to address local issues while considering data security.</p>
<h2>The role of cities</h2>
<p>According to Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy, cities are “<a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/agenda-2030/national-strategy.html#h2.07">epicentres for jobs, growth, diversity, culture and innovation</a>, and they provide frontline responses to address Canada’s most serious social and environmental challenges, including poverty, food insecurity, disaster relief, homelessness and crime.” </p>
<p>A similar perspective is echoed in the <a href="https://www.eionet.europa.eu/etcs/etc-uls/products/etc-uls-reports/etc-uls-report-2020-08-indicators-for-european-cities-to-assess-and-monitor-the-un-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs">UN Agenda 2030</a>. These documents are evidence of preliminary commitments to sustainability, and need to be translated into goals at the local level. London, Ont., has developed a process for <a href="https://alliance2030.ca/projects/localizing-the-sdg-indicators-in-london-ontario/">localizing the SDGs</a>. </p>
<p>Other platforms that provide opportunities for benchmarking and sharing information include award and recognition programs. For example, the <a href="https://www.intelligentcommunity.org/awards">Intelligent Community Forum Award</a> shares the achievement of several cities in Canada and internationally. The <a href="http://www.smart-cities.eu/why-smart-cities.html">European Smart Cities </a> benchmarking program provides a measurement system that features a number of important sustainability metrics and allow cities to learn from one another.</p>
<p>At the city level, work begins with agreeing on significant local goals that require partnerships. For example, Guelph, Ont. — in partnership with Wellington County — is working on a <a href="https://foodfuture.ca/post/guelph-wellington-create-canadas-first-food-smart-community">smart sustainable food system</a>. Other communities internationally are working to <a href="https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/poverty/clark-cities-poverty.html">eradicate poverty</a>. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475310/original/file-20220721-24-gzxs2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a farm" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475310/original/file-20220721-24-gzxs2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475310/original/file-20220721-24-gzxs2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475310/original/file-20220721-24-gzxs2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475310/original/file-20220721-24-gzxs2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475310/original/file-20220721-24-gzxs2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475310/original/file-20220721-24-gzxs2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475310/original/file-20220721-24-gzxs2p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Farms in the Guelph—Wellington region are working on sustainable agriculture.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p><a href="https://www.issy.com/en">Issy-Les-Moulineaux</a>, a commune in the greater Paris area, has a history of digital innovation, citizen engagement in green initiatives, and working collaboratively to improve livability.</p>
<h2>Measurable goals</h2>
<p>In addition, since sustainability is an evolving space, we provide a discussion on new important indicators such as measuring citizen happiness to develop compassionate cities; improving our understanding and actions toward regenerative and restorative <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/conservation/sustainability/circular-economy.html">circular economies</a>; and growing through sustainable ecosystems.</p>
<p>Establishing measurable goals at the city level needs and will result in the engagement of residents. Everybody wins in the long run — quality of life improves, urban governance is more effective, and businesses develop more efficient models. Canada has lagged behind other countries in localizing sustainability targets identified in the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/agenda-2030/national-strategy.html">Canadian 2030 Agenda</a> — for Canadian cities, there is <a href="https://www.bccic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Canada-localization.pdf">a lot more to be done</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175468/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Cities are crucial to addressing climate change. To meet emission reduction targets, cities need to involve their residents in environmental action at the local level.Sylvie Albert, Professor, Faculty of Business & Economics, University of WinnipegManish Pandey, Professor, Economics, University of WinnipegLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1871612022-07-25T02:24:19Z2022-07-25T02:24:19ZUrban patchwork is losing its green, making our cities and all who live in them vulnerable<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/474810/original/file-20220719-20-oikqvo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4824%2C3200&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>One delight of flying is seeing our familiar landscapes in a new way from above. At low altitude most of us know where things are, but as we ascend it becomes difficult to determine the local details, and we begin to see a bigger picture. Sometimes this bigger picture can be scary.</p>
<p>After nearly three years of being unable to fly I have had a couple of recent opportunities to take to the air. My first observation was that in many once-leafy suburbs the green tinge is disappearing under a tsunami of development. You can see this new development on the fringes of towns and cities, as well as redevelopment and infill in the older places. Familiar rows of roadside trees and large old trees that were once suburban landmarks have gone. </p>
<p>As you look from above, it comes as no surprise that the latest <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/">State of the Environment report</a> delivered damning findings this week. Vegetation cover in cities is diminishing. So too are the<a href="https://theconversation.com/roadside-trees-stitch-the-ecosystems-of-our-nation-together-heres-why-theyre-in-danger-175337"> wildlife corridors</a> that once connected now-isolated remnant communities of plants and animals. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/roadside-trees-stitch-the-ecosystems-of-our-nation-together-heres-why-theyre-in-danger-175337">Roadside trees stitch the ecosystems of our nation together. Here’s why they’re in danger</a>
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<p>Most of you will have heard people describing the <a href="https://www.insider.com/stunning-nature-architecture-photos-taken-from-sky-2020-6#winner-a-magic-morning-in-the-netherlands-by-ewold-kooistra-1">view we get from above</a> as being like a patchwork quilt of different colours and land uses, or perhaps like an Indigenous painting that gives us a bird’s eye view of the world below. It shows us a jigsaw puzzle of the disturbed and fragmented environments in which we live. </p>
<p>However, as we soar higher we are reminded that there is only one space, that it is all connected. Each piece of the jigsaw has a place in the big picture. </p>
<h2>Cities can’t afford to lose their green cover</h2>
<p>Not all green cover has gone in the past few years, but the losses are noticeable. And unless something is done quickly, they will continue. We will reach the point where so many trees are lost that it will jeopardise the capacity of our cities and towns to be resilient, liveable and <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2927/examining-the-viability-of-planting-trees-to-help-mitigate-climate-change/">sustainable in the face of climate change</a>.</p>
<p>No local government can deal with this situation. It is a matter of state and federal planning policy and development regulation. </p>
<p>In most states, for example, developers adopt a scorched-earth policy of removing most, if not all, mature trees from a site before construction begins. State government agencies help deliver treeless sites for development. Expensive government legal teams often fight local community groups opposing tree removals through tribunals and courts. </p>
<p>Vegetation needs to be valued both for the habitat it provides and for the many services it provides to residents of towns and cities. As heatwaves become <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-has-already-hit-australia-unless-we-act-now-a-hotter-drier-and-more-dangerous-future-awaits-ipcc-warns-165396">more intense and frequent</a>, it’s sobering to think the <a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-city-trees-have-been-lost-to-development-when-we-need-them-more-than-ever-132356">loss of urban trees</a> will result in greater urban heat island effects and more heatwave-related illnesses, hospitalisations and deaths. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thousands-of-city-trees-have-been-lost-to-development-when-we-need-them-more-than-ever-132356">Thousands of city trees have been lost to development, when we need them more than ever</a>
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<h2>Lockdowns reminded us of the value of these spaces</h2>
<p>It was fascinating to watch the use of public open space during COVID-19 lockdowns. Concerns about people’s physical health, capacities for coping with stressful situations, increased risks of self-harm and domestic violence, and the learning and development environments of children led to people <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/too-close-for-comfort-when-a-walk-in-the-park-is-no-walk-in-the-park-20200415-p54k46.html">flocking to their local parks</a>, gardens and riverside reserves.</p>
<p>From the air, though, it becomes painfully obvious that not every suburb or region has many such spaces. It is well known worldwide that people in areas of lower socio-economic status (SES) are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13574809.2020.1801340">disadvantaged by lack of access to treed open space</a>. </p>
<p>This is true of Australia’s cities, regional centres and many country towns where some of the jigsaw pieces seem to be devoid of green. Lack of treed green space is <a href="https://greeningthewest.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Connectivity-public-open-space.pdf">associated with problems</a> such as obesity, poor physical and mental health and social disadvantage. </p>
<p>It’s highly likely people in these areas were further disadvantaged and subjected to greater stress during the lockdowns because of the lack of accessible treed open space. Perhaps this partly explains why some urban areas had lower levels of lockdown compliance than others. There is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33806546/">evidence</a> that the health benefits of access to treed open space are greatest for lower-SES communities.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-reminds-us-how-liveable-neighbourhoods-matter-for-our-well-being-135806">Coronavirus reminds us how liveable neighbourhoods matter for our well-being</a>
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<p>Public parks and gardens served their purpose admirably during lockdowns. With proper planning, they will do so again in <a href="https://treenet.org/resource/it-isnt-rocket-science-street-trees-can-make-a-difference-in-climate-change/">enabling cities to cope with climate change</a>. However, if cities and suburbs keep losing green space and tree cover, their capacity to adapt will be limited. Society as a whole will be the loser. </p>
<p>The mosaic quilt we see from the air reveals just how disconnected the green patches and corridors of our landscapes and urban environments have become. It is astonishing to see developments of large houses on small blocks, which could have been plucked from the new suburbs of any major Australian city, fringing hot, inland towns. There appears to have been no recognition of the effects of a hot Australian summer.</p>
<p>The rapid expansion of Australian cities and towns presents planning challenges in the face of demands to subdivide undeveloped land for housing, countered by demands for connected, treed, public, green space. Providing large and well-connected green space is going to be essential urban infrastructure for increased urban populations facing climate change. It’s not a luxury for a privileged minority, but a vital component of a sustainable economy and environment for all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187161/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gregory Moore does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Seen from above, parts of our cities now have very little green space, and we’re losing the green corridors that enable wildlife to move between the remaining urban habitats.Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1872652022-07-21T05:14:48Z2022-07-21T05:14:48ZState of the Environment report shows our growing cities are under pressure – but we’re seeing positive signs too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475301/original/file-20220721-20-6lucqh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C4734%2C3224&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Urban areas are often thought of as concrete jungles, but they encompass much more than that. Nature, people and built structures are interconnected. Together they comprise the urban environment of the cities and towns in which we live. </p>
<p>In the past five years, Australian cities have continued to grow. In fact, the <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/">State of the Environment Report</a> released this week revealed most of our major cities have <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/">grown faster</a> than many developed cities overseas. </p>
<p>This growth has increased demand for resources such as water and energy. It has increased other impacts, too, including urban heat, congestion, pollution and waste. </p>
<h1>Australian energy consumption by fuel type, 1978–79 to 2018–19</h1>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing Australian energy consumption by fuel type from 1978–79 to 2018–19" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=235&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=235&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=235&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=295&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=295&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475288/original/file-20220721-24-9sxxn6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=295&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/graphs-maps-and-tables?keys=&sort_by=field_weight&sort_order=ASC&page=1">Source: Urban chapter, Australia State of the Environment 2021 report/Commonwealth of Australia. Data: DISER 2020</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These pressures are a threat to the liveability and sustainability of urban life in Australia. However, the report assessed the overall <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/introduction">state of the urban environment</a> as good and stable – among the most positive ratings of any category. That’s largely a result of actions across Australia, mostly at the level of states, local councils and communities, that are starting to make progress towards cities that will be more resilient to climate change and remain good places for us to live.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/">State of the Environment Report</a> contains fundamental information on how the country’s environment is faring in areas ranging from air quality to urban environments. Western Parkland City Authority CEO Sarah Hill, private consultant and Barkandji woman Zena Cumpston and I collaborated in assessing the state of the <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/introduction">urban environment</a> for this report. </p>
<p>We found state and local governments have responded to some challenges with great initiatives that take us closer to more resilient and sustainable urban environments. However, there is still a need for national approaches and for better collaboration and co-ordination between the private and public sectors.</p>
<h2>What are the pressures on our cities and towns?</h2>
<p>The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines urban as centres with more than 200 people. Australia has over 1,853 urban environments. However, 75% of people in Australia live in just 18 cities with more than 100,000 people each. </p>
<p>The report shows the population of these 18 urban areas grew by 20% in the past ten years. Most of that growth happened in the five years after the last State of the Environment report in 2016. At the same time, remote area populations decreased. </p>
<p>Property developers and the construction sectors have responded by increasing housing production. They have mainly focused on apartment buildings and semi-detached houses.</p>
<h1>Trends in Australian new housing by type as a percentage of the total</h1>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph showing trends in Australian housing from 2002 to 2019" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=304&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=304&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=304&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475284/original/file-20220721-16-m6v206.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=382&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/graphs-maps-and-tables?keys=&sort_by=field_weight&sort_order=ASC&page=0">Source: Urban chapter, Australia State of the Environment 2021 report/Commonwealth of Australia. Data: ABS 2021</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Unfortunately, at the same time the public sector has greatly reduced its role in housing. Based on <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/building-and-construction/building-activity-australia/jun-2021">ABS data</a>, we calculated that the government now develops only 1% of all new dwellings in Australia.</p>
<p>Residential building and house sizes have slightly increased while lot sizes have shrunk. This means there is less open space. And these smaller backyards and setbacks between buildings are now often paved. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="aerial view of new suburban housing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475295/original/file-20220721-1369-368hzj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The trend towards larger homes on smaller blocks is having impacts on the urban environment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a result, we are seeing higher temperatures and reduced or endangered biodiversity. These changes have negative impacts on people’s and the environment’s well-being. </p>
<p>Despite local government policies to increase green cover in public areas and protect our urban forests, the changes in private properties have led to an overall loss of green spaces in our cities.</p>
<h1>Trends in percentage of land cover by category across 131 local government areas</h1>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Bar chart showing land cover by category in 2013, 2016 and 2019" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=236&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=236&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=236&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475290/original/file-20220721-16-fh18xs.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=297&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/graphs-maps-and-tables?keys=&sort_by=field_weight&sort_order=ASC&page=0">Source: Urban chapter, Australia State of the Environment 2021 report/Commonwealth of Australia. Data: Hurley et al, 2020</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These developments are often found in the urban outskirts of expanding cities. Increased travel distances and limited access to jobs, education, food and services are reducing the liveability of these cities.</p>
<p>These pressures are even worse in smaller and more isolated areas. For example, in the report we note:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Indigenous communities in smaller urban centres are often far from amenities such as shopping, health care, cultural business, education and social services. In 2014-2015, 75% of Indigenous Australians reported that they could not easily get to the places they needed.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>These areas also have more insecure access to resources such as digital infrastructure, energy and water. On top of this, they have suffered from shocks such as extreme bushfires, floods and mice plagues.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1549569725713502208"}"></div></p>
<p>So, the overall liveability of smaller urban areas with fewer than 10,000 people has been assessed as poor. The liveability of larger cities, on the other hand, has remained good over the past five years. </p>
<p>However, we need to beware of generalisations. Differences in liveability between inner and outer areas of the bigger cities are noticeable. </p>
<p>Inner-city areas have higher levels of liveability based on factors such as walkability, access to green spaces and services. The urban fringes tend to have poorer access to services and longer commute times. Higher socio-economic areas tend to benefit from better tree canopy cover and digital access.</p>
<p>Smaller urban areas have some advantages – mainly shorter commute times – but are disadvantaged by fewer services and job opportunities.</p>
<h2>What are we doing about the challenges we face?</h2>
<p>Population growth and its effects on resource consumption, waste generation, travel and pollution continue to pressure the urban environment. However, our biggest challenge is climate change. </p>
<p>Sea-level rises, more extreme events such as bushfires, drought, extreme rainfall and flooding, and higher urban temperatures are expected to have significant impacts on cities’ biodiversity and people.</p>
<p>Many state and local governments are taking a hands-on approach to some of these challenges and pressures. Through urban planning policies, they are managing urban sprawl and protecting public green areas. </p>
<p>Governments have also been investing in more integrated infrastructure – for example, better co-ordinating the development and use of roads, public transport, cyclepaths and walkways – better waste management and reducing disaster risk. </p>
<p>Commonwealth <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/territories-regions-cities/cities/city-deals">City Deals</a>, the Resilient Cities Framework applied in <a href="https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/governance-decision-making/resilient-sydney">Sydney</a> and <a href="https://resilientmelbourne.com.au/">Melbourne</a>, and the <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/publications/national-waste-policy-action-plan">National Waste Policy Action Plan</a> are just a few of the approaches being adopted in Australia.</p>
<h1>Trends in waste management by category, 2016–17 to 2018–19</h1>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Vertical bar chart showing changes in waste management by category, 2016-2019" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=233&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475291/original/file-20220721-1369-rf13tn.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=292&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/urban/graphs-maps-and-tables?keys=&sort_by=field_weight&sort_order=ASC&page=3">Source: Urban chapter, Australia State of the Environment 2021 report/Commonwealth of Australia. Data: ABS 2020</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We are on the right path with great initiatives all over Australia working to achieve more sustainable and resilient urban environments. However, they are in the early stages. </p>
<p>We do need more inter-agency and public-private collaboration. We need more community education, too. Policies can also be better implemented and followed up to continue improving management of the pressures on urban areas, which in turn will improve the well-being of people and the environment.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>I would like to acknowledge Sarah Hill and Zena Cumpston, the co-authors of the State of the Environment Urban chapter. The joint work we did in the writing of the chapter informed this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187265/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gabriela Quintana Vigiola was contracted by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water as a researcher in the development of the Urban Environment chapter of the 2021 Australian State of Environment Report. Sarah Hill, CEO of the Western Parkland City Authority, and Zena Cumpston, a private consultant and Barkandji woman, are co-authors of this chapter.
</span></em></p>Australia’s big cities have grown rapidly and strains are showing. Yet the state of the urban environment has been rated good and stable due to local and state responses to these challenges.Gabriela Quintana Vigiola, Senior Lecturer in Planning, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.