Parameters of sustainable design and development in urban

development and community planning analysis

(Presented by A.Sivaraman M.arch-General)
Abstract:
The future of urban planning has been the obect of lively debate in recent years. !or a long
time" urban planning #as considered an inefficient tool" unable to address development effectively.
$o#ever" rene#ed attention to urban planning has recently emerged. Shifting dramatically from
%ts initial ambition to command and control the city" planning has started reassessing itself in the
&e# conte't of urbani(ation. %n many cities around the #orld)
*rbani(ation has become synonymous #ith slum formation.
A global environmental crisis under the guise of climate change is +uestioning
the development model planning has been promoting across the #orld.
The global financial crisis +uestions the mar,et suitability to drive development
and ta,e care of public interest.
*rban planning must recogni(e these changes and develop ne# approaches to tac,le the challenges facing
cities.

Introduction:
Urban Planning: A Key Role in Sustainable Urban Development
-ities in developing countries face acute problems of poverty" e'clusion" insecurity and
environmental degradation. The ever-#idening gap bet#een rich and poor is symboli(ed by the star,
disparity in the +uality of the living environment. This is reflected in the contrasting urban forms .
e'clusive gated communities are developing side by side #ith rundo#n neighbourhoods and slums.
Proper urban planning is the ,ey to bridging the urban divide and is an essential tool to ma,e cities
inclusive" environmentally friendly" economically vibrant" culturally meaningful and safe for all. To be
successful in helping to achieve urban development" planning needs continuous updating. Great strides
have already been made" but more is needed.
*rban planning does not achieve better cities automatically. &either urban planning nor spatial designs
are ethically neutral activities. They translate - through resource allocation and budgeting e'ercises -
political visions and values into the physical reality of cities. %n many countries" planning systems and
decisions often protect the interests of the rich" or are limited to beautification and decoration of urban
spaces.
%n many developing countries" planning systems and processes are still largely based on colonial la#s"
designed to support spatial segregation and population control. They fail to reflect the need and priorities
of urban residents. The urban model they have promoted has proved both unaffordable and inade+uate for
catering to the diversity of #ays of life and needs of developing #orld cities.
%n the developed #orld" urban planning #as originally conceived as a tool for the development of ne#ly
industriali(ing cities. Today cities in many developed countries have to contend #ith processes of de-
industriali(ation and shrin,ing population. Moreover" city forms #hich #ere proposed as progressive and
more efficient are under increased criticism for the patterns of consumption they command" in the face of
gro#ing a#areness of global climate change.
The failures of planning to come to terms #ith informality and poverty and to go beyond the modernist
dream" has partly to be blamed for the failure of cities as engines of economic gro#th and absorbers of
surplus labour from rural areas. This results in e'acerbation of the ecological crisis" hinders agricultural
development and installs a vicious cycle of poverty" #ith more poverty-driven gro#th of the cities.
!or urban planning to play a positive role in urban development" it needs to vigorously assess and
reinvent itself . through a serious analysis on the ne# conte't of urban planning and the responses it can
offer" by learning lessons from stories of innovation and success" and on this basis advocate vigorously
for better and more appropriate planning for sustainable development.
%ndeed today" li,e rarely before" there is global consensus on the need to reflect on modernist
development patterns. *rban planning can be at the forefront of this and provide important responses.
Unprecedented Challenges of Urbanization:

The /001 Global 2eport on $uman Settlement Planning Sustainable Cities! identifies the factors
shaping /3st century cities as)
3. The environmental challenge of climate change and cities4 dependence on fossil fuels.
/. The demographic challenge of rapid urbani(ation (particularly the gro#th of small and medium
si(e cities)" the shrin,ing" ageing population in some countries" and the youth bulge" as #ell as
the increasing multicultural composition of cities.
5. The economic challenges lin,ed to the uncertainty of future economic gro#th" the ne# doubts
on mar,et-led approaches and the e'panding informality of urban activities.
6. The challenges lin,ed to social and spatial ine+uality" urban spra#l and unplanned
urbani(ation.
7. The challenges and opportunities of increasing democrati(ation" a#areness of social and
economic rights and conse+uent political renegotiation of po#er.
Although these challenges are global" their impacts are mainly urban" and the local environment conte't"
culture and economic basis in each city and community shape to a large e'tent their impact on the local
living conditions.
!or to settle the above challenges and form the ne# Sustainable urban space the *& habitat and
Global 2eport on $uman Settlement Planning Sustainable Cities! campaign formed a ne# paradigms
#hich holding 30 points. This agenda providing both political and substantive support and bac,ing up the
efforts to place urban planning in its rightful position in the development arena.
Principles of "e# Urban Planning:
3. Promote sustainable development
/. Achieve integrated planning
5. %ntegrate plans #ith budgets
6. Plan #ith partners and sta,eholders
7. Meet the subsidiary principles
8. Promote mar,et responsiveness
9. :nsure access to land
;. <evelop appropriate planning tools
1. =e pro-poor and inclusive
30. 2ecognise cultural diversity.
Today this paradigm has been implemented in many cities #hich #e called as Sustainable
cities ...some sustainable cities are >ancouver" San !rancisco" ?slo" -urtiba etc@
Case study: $A"C%U$&R' CA"ADA
>ancouver is a coastal seaport Sustainable city on the mainland of =ritish -olumbia" -anada .The
/033 census recorded 805"70/ people in the city" ma,ing it the eighth largest -anadian municipality.
>ancouver is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in -anadaA 7/B of its residents
have a first language other than :nglish.C5DC6D The Greater >ancouver area of around /.5 million
inhabitants is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country and the most populous in Eestern
-anada.
The -ity of >ancouver encompasses a land area of about 336 s+uare ,ilometers" giving it a population
density of about 7"/61 people per s+uare ,ilometer (35"710 per s+uare mile).
>ancouver is the most densely populated -anadian municipality #ith more than 7"000 residents" and the
fourth most densely populated city over /70"000 residents in &orth America" behind &e# For, -ity" San
!rancisco" and Me'ico -ity.
The original settlement" named (asto#n' gre# around the $astings Mill logging sa#mill and a
nearby tavern" both established in 3;89. :nlarging to become the to#n site of Granville" #ith the
announcement that the railhead #ould reach the site it #as renamed )$ancouver) and incorporated as a
city in 3;;8.
>ancouver is consistently named as one of the top five #orld#ide cities for livability and *uality of
life' and the Economist Intelligence Unit ac,no#ledged it as the first city to rank among the top-ten of the
#orldGs most livable cities for five consecutive years.
Some of the sustainability strategies of >ancouver are)
3. (reen &conomy :
Targets)
<evelop programs to support each of the five green ob clusters that the -ity has
identified as priorities.
:stablish a Green :nterprise Hone.
<eliver a business engagement program that achieves measurable improvements in
the environmental performance of >ancouver businesses.
Achieved) 69B
/. Climate +eadership
Targets)
2educe community-based greenhouse gas emissions by 55B from /009 levels.

Achieved) 9/B
5. (reen ,uildings
Targets)
*pdate >ancouver =uilding =yla# to improve energy efficiency and reduce G$G
emissions in ne# and e'isting buildings@
<evelop and promote financing tools that enable energy efficiency retrofits.
*se price signals in permit fees to re#ard energy efficiency and greenhouse gas
reductions in ne# and e'isting buildings.
Achieved) 85B
6. (reen -ransportation
Targets)
Ma,e the maority of trips (over 70B) by foot" bicycle and public transit...
2educe average distance driven per resident by /0B from /009 levels.
Achieved) ;0B
7. .ero /aste
Targets)
-ollect all compostable from single-family homes and pilot food scraps collection in
apartments and condominiums.
<evelop education and enforcement programs to ,eep recyclables out of the
#aste stream.
<evelop multi-family food scraps diversion strategy.
Advocate for more :'tended Producer 2esponsibility programs for pac,aging
and more.
<evelop a program to encourage building deconstruction for renovation and
demolition proects.
Achieved) 10B
8. Access to "ature
Targets)
-reate four to si' ne# mini-par,s by converting street right-of-#ays to par,s.
%ncrease access to nature in priority neighbourhoods by #or,ing ac+uire ne# par,s
or through streets-to-par,s changes.
Plant 37"000 ne# trees on -ity land and other public property.
Green $astings Par,..
Achieved) 79B
9. +ighter footprint
Targets)
Provide resources to community organi(ations engaged in activities that support
Greenest -ity targets -Greenest -ity !und
Eor, #ith the ?pen <ata %nitiative to ma,e Greenest -ity data available for use in
innovative #ays
:nable post secondary students to #or, directly on proects that help achieve
Greenest -ity goals"via the -ity Studio program
%mplement a program to teach residents ne# s,ills related to Greenest -ity goals
through -ommunity -entres" such as courses on gardening and preserving food.
Achieved) 1;B
;. Clean /ater
Targets)
Meet or beat the most stringent of =ritish -olumbian" -anadian and appropriate
international drin,ing #ater +uality standards and guidelines.
2educe per capita #ater consumption by 55B from /008 levels.
Achieved) ;1B
1. Clean Air
Targets)
:ncourage electric vehicle transport.
2egulate uncontrolled #ood burning appliances for residential buildings.
-ollaborate #ith Port Metro >ancouver" =- $ydro and Metro >ancouver on oint
air +uality issues..
Achieved) 78B
30. +ocal 0ood
Targets)
<evelop a draft municipal food strategy to coordinate all aspects of the food system.
Support urban agriculture by) creating 37 ne# community gardens" enabling three
ne# urban farms" encouraging ne# farmers mar,ets" adding public fruit trees" and
supporting the development of a >ancouver !ood $ub.
Ma,e local food available in -ity-run facilities through a local food procurement
plan.

Achieved) 97B
Conclusion)
>ancouver city is the good e'ample for self-Sustainable city@.