HOW ARE CITIES BECOMING MORE SUSTAINABLE

Sustainability is a social goal about the ability of people to co-exist on Earth over a long time.
 The Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet
and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. The 17 Goals were adopted by all UN
Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which set out a 15-
year plan to achieve the Goals.
 The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of seventeen interlinked
objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the
planet, now and into the future".
 For sustainable development to be achieved, it is crucial to harmonize three core elements:
economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. These elements are interconnected
and all are crucial for the well-being of individuals and societies.

More than half of us live in cities. By 2050, two-thirds of all humanity—6.5 billion people—will be
urban. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and
manage our urban spaces. The rapid growth of cities—a result of rising populations and increasing migration
—has led to a boom in mega-cities, especially in the developing world, and slums are becoming a more
significant feature of urban life.
Making cities sustainable means creating career and business opportunities, safe and affordable
housing, and building resilient societies and economies. It involves investment in public transport, creating
green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in participatory and inclusive ways.

Goal targets:
 By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and
upgrade slums
 By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all,
improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of
those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons
 By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated
and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries
 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
 By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and
substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused
by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in
vulnerable situations
 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special
attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
 By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in
particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
 Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural
areas by strengthening national and regional development planning
 By 2020, substantially increase the number o f cities and human settlements adopting and
implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and
adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all
levels
 Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building
sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials
Reference: https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals/sustainable-cities-and-communities

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Sustainable City
 The sustainable city, eco-city, or green city is a city designed with consideration for social, economic,
environmental impact (commonly referred to as the triple bottom line), and resilient habitat for
existing populations, without compromising the ability of future generations to experience the same.
  The UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 defines sustainable cities as those that are dedicated to
achieving green sustainability, social sustainability and economic sustainability. They are committed
to doing so by enabling opportunities for all through a design focused on inclusivity as well as
maintaining a sustainable economic growth. The focus also includes minimizing required inputs of
energy, water, and food, and drastically reducing waste, output of heat, air
pollution – CO2, methane, and water pollution. Richard Register, a visual artist, first coined the
term ecocity in his 1987 book Ecocity Berkeley: Building Cities for a Healthy Future, where he offers
innovative city planning solutions that would work anywhere. Other leading figures who envisioned
sustainable cities are architect Paul F Downton, who later founded the company Ecopolis Pty Ltd, as
well as authors Timothy Beatley and Steffen Lehmann, who have written extensively on the subject.
The field of industrial ecology is sometimes used in planning these cities.
 The UN Environment Programme calls out that most cities today are struggling with environmental
degradation, traffic congestion, inadequate urban infrastructure, in addition to a lack of basic
services, such as water supply, sanitation, and waste management. A sustainable city should
promote economic growth and meet the basic needs of its inhabitants, while creating sustainable
living conditions for all. Ideally, a sustainable city is one that creates an enduring way of life across
the four domains of ecology, economics, politics and culture. The European Investment Bank is
assisting cities in the development of long-term strategies in fields including renewable
transportation, energy efficiency, sustainable housing, education, and health care. The European
Investment Bank has spent more than €150 billion in bettering cities over the last eight years.
 Cities occupy just 3 percent of the Earth's land but account for 60 to 80 percent of energy
consumption and at least 70 percent of carbon emissions. Thus, creating safe, resilient and
sustainable cities is one of the top priorities of the Sustainable Development Goals.[6] The Adelaide
City Council states that socially sustainable cities should be equitable, diverse, connected,
democratic, and provide a good quality of life. Priorities of a sustainable city include the ability to
feed itself with a sustainable reliance on the surrounding natural environment and the ability to
power itself with renewable sources of energy, while creating the smallest conceivable ecological
footprint and the lowest quantity of pollution achievable. All of this is to be accomplished by
efficient land use, composting organic matter, recycling used materials, and/or converting waste-to-
energy. The idea is that these contributions will lead to a decrease of the city's impact on climate
change.
 Today, 55 percent of the world is estimated to be living in urban areas and the United
Nations estimates that by the year 2050, that number will rise to 70 percent. By 2050, there may be
nearly 2.5 more billion individuals living in urban cities, possibly making it more difficult to create
more sustainable communities. These large communities provide both challenges and opportunities
for environmentally-conscious developers. There are distinct advantages to further defining and
working towards the goals of sustainable cities. Humans thrive in urban spaces that foster social
connections. Richard Florida, an urban studies theorist, focuses on the social impact of sustainable
cities and states that cities need more than a competitive business climate; they should promote a
great people climate that appeals to individuals and families of all types. Because of this, a shift to
denser urban living would provide an outlet for social interaction and conditions under which
humans can prosper. These types of urban areas would also promote the use of public
transit, walkability and biking which would benefit citizens' health as well as benefiting the
environment.

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Practical methods to create sustainable cities
 Different agricultural systems such as agricultural plots within the city (suburbs or centre). This
reduces the distance food has to travel from field to fork. This may be done by either
small-scale/private farming plots or through larger-scale agriculture (e.g. farmscrapers).
 Renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines, solar panels, or bio-gas created from sewage to
reduce and manage pollution. Cities provide economies of scale that make such energy sources
viable.
 Various methods to reduce the need for air conditioning (a massive energy demand), such as passive
daytime radiative cooling applications, planting trees and lightening surface colors, natural
ventilation systems, an increase in water features, and green spaces equaling at least 20% of the
city's surface. These measures counter the "heat island effect" caused by an abundance of tarmac
and asphalt, which can make urban areas several degrees warmer than surrounding rural areas—as
much as six degrees Celsius during the evening.
 Improved public transport and an increase in pedestrianization to reduce car emissions. This
requires a radically different approach to city planning, with integrated business, industrial, and
residential zones. Roads may be designed to make driving difficult.
 Optimal building density to make public transport viable but avoid the creation of  urban heat
islands.
 Green roofs alter the surface energy balance and can help mitigate the urban heat island effect.
Incorporating eco roofs or green roofs in your design will help with air quality, climate and water
runoff.
 Zero-emission transport
 Zero-energy building to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions using renewable
energy sources.
 Sustainable urban drainage systems or SUDS in addition to other systems to reduce and manage
waste.
 Energy conservation systems/devices
 Xeriscaping – garden and landscape design for water conservation
 Sustainable transport, incorporates five elements: fuel economy, occupancy, electrification, pedal
power, and urbanization.
 Circular economy to combat inefficient resource patterns and ensure a sustainable production and
consumption roadmap.
 Increase of cycling infrastructure would increase cycling within cities and reduce the number of cars
being driven and in turn reduce car emissions. This would also benefit the health of citizens as they
would be able to get more exercise through cycling.
 Key performance indicators – development and operational management tool providing guidance
and M&V for city administrators currently monitor and evaluate energy savings in various facilities.
 Sustainable Sites Initiative or SSI – voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for
sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices. Key areas of focus are soil,
vegetation, hydrology, materials, and human health and well-being.

Sustainable cities are creating safe spaces for its inhabitants through various means, such as:
 Solutions to decrease urban sprawl, by seeking new ways of allowing people to live closer to the
workspace. Since the workplace tends to be in the city, downtown, or urban center, they are seeking
a way to increase density by changing the antiquated attitudes many suburbanites have towards
inner-city areas. One of the new ways to achieve this is by solutions worked out by the Smart
Growth Movement.
 Educating residents of cities about the importance and positive impacts of living in a more
sustainable city. This is to boost the initiative to have sustainable developments and push people to
live in a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly way.

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  Policy and planning changes to meet the unmet demands for urban services (water, energy,
transport).
With regard to methods of emissions counting cities can be challenging as production of goods and
services within their territory can be related either to domestic consumption or exports. Conversely the
citizens also consume imported goods and services. To avoid double counting in any emissions calculation it
should be made clear where the emissions are to be counted: at the site of production or consumption. This
may be complicated given long production chains in a globalized economy. Moreover, the embodied energy
and consequences of large-scale raw material extraction required for renewable energy systems and electric
vehicle batteries is likely to represent its own complications – local emissions at the site of utilization are
likely to be very small but life-cycle emissions can still be significant.
Reference: Wikipedia

Many cities are already struggling with environmental degradation, traffic congestion, inadequate
urban infrastructure, and a lack of basic services, such as water supply, sanitation, and waste management.
Environmental footprints of cities are quite alarming and can threaten the natural resources required to
sustain the economic development and poverty alleviation rates. Maintaining economic growth, while
creating sustainable livable cities for all, is the biggest urban challenge facing Asia and the Pacific today.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Cities
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assists member states and stakeholders to achieve
relevant SDGs on cities including SDG 11 (sustainable cities and human settlements) with specific focus on
access to housing and basic services, sustainable transport system, sustainable urbanization, access to public
spaces, sustainable buildings, per capita environmental impact of cities, and policies towards climate change,
resource efficiency and disaster risk reduction
The main areas for the current work on sustainable cities are:
1) Sustainable consumption and production roadmap for cities covering all the sectors
2) Upstream interventions through policy, technology and financing to reduce and manage pollution and
waste
UNEP is promoting sustainable consumption and production practices across Asia and the Pacific to
address inefficient resource-use patterns, and cities are the centerpiece where such issues need to be
addressed. Since 80 per cent of the GDP come from its urban areas, the quality and efficiency of Asian and
Pacific cities will determine the region’s long-term productivity and overall stability. However, inefficiencies,
such as unmet demand for urban services (water, energy, and transport), and huge financing requirements
hamper economic growth and impede inclusive development, trapping the poor in slums. City pollution—air
pollution and ineffective wastewater treatment and solid waste management—remains a constant problem.
Asia Pacific cities contributes enormously towards the emission of greenhouse gases. They are also highly
vulnerable to the consequences of climate change, including flooding, landslides, heat waves, and drought.
These urban challenges have very significant impacts on the national economies.
Reference: https://www.unep.org/regions/asia-and-pacific/regional-initiatives/supporting-resource-
efficiency/sustainable-cities

 For a city to be a viable place to live and work for hundreds of thousands or even millions of people
an acceptable quality of life and a sufficient economic base must be sustained.
Reference: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160791X05000564

Green cities
By 2050, 70% of the world's population will be living in urban areas. Cities in developing countries
face considerable challenges. Swisscontact has solutions to these problems and is preparing the way for
livable and sustainable green cities.
Cities are home to half the world’s 7.5 billion people and contribute to about three-quarters of
global economic output. Demographic experts estimate that an additional three billion people will live in
cities by 2050, increasing the urban share of the world’s population to two-thirds.

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Yet, cities and urban areas across the world face major social and ecological challenges: pollution, poverty,
unemployment, poor housing, food scarcity and lack of basic services for over 1 billion slum dwellers,
constraints on productivity due to lack of basic infrastructure, and a concentration risk due to natural
disasters and climate change.
Innovative solutions
With the many challenges that exist to maintaining sustainable urban development, there are
innovative ways through which mayors and municipal leaders can drive job creation and prosperity without
straining land and resources.
Swisscontact promotes integrated environmental management to help cities meet these challenges.
We encourage the idea of the Green City as a process of designing, building and of managing urban
development by working with public actors, private sector (from large market players to small and medium
enterprises), private foundations and public donor agencies, academic institutions (research, development,
innovation and extension) and civil society. This includes helping local authorities to prioritise their actions to
address the challenges of local development.
Swisscontact’s contributions are related to:
 sustainable urban development; energy and resource planning in cities; urban structure and energy
systems; sustainable urban mobility and energy; clean air management; energy and resource-
efficient built environment; integrated waste management systems; strategic plans to boost the
circular economy and green business; strategies to involve civil society in environmental
management; wastewater treatment; green employment and economic attractiveness.
To pave the way towards resilient and sustainable cities
Swisscontact promotes new models of production and consumption for resource efficiency as well as action
to curb air, water and soil pollution. By promoting sustainable and transparent resource management,
people in developing and emerging economies not only have the opportunity to build and implement
sustainable development practices, but also incorporate them into their business activities. Through job
creation people are integrated into the local economy, enabling broad segments of society to build resource-
friendly prosperity.
Reference: Green cities - Our expertise - Our Work - Site (swisscontact.org)
https://www.swisscontact.org/en/our-work/our-expertise/green-cities

As urban people live closer together in more compact dwellings and thus require less space, every
resident of the city requires less infrastructure such as sewerage, electricity, and transport networks than
the population of the suburbs or other decentralized settlements do. Innovations in the construction of
buildings, energy efficiency, waste management, and transport are just some of the possibilities that can
contribute to more sustainable cities.
Economic, Social, and Environmental Sustainability
It should be noted that sustainable urban development includes three components: economic, social
and environmental sustainability. It is necessary to ensure the quality of life, material prosperity, social
security, and justice while maintaining the quality of the natural environment and resources for future urban
generations.
However, it is most important to achieve urban environmental sustainability, since it is necessary to
take into account the long-term development and the dependence of mankind on the environment and
natural resources. It is necessary to prevent the destruction of the urban environment to ensure higher
standards of living for all citizens, promote mixed use of urban space, organize environmentally friendly
transport, protect the natural and cultural heritage of the city, improve the quality of the living environment,
and sustainably exploit natural resources.
What Is a Sustainable City?
The central issue is how to ensure the quality of urban development, which will not deteriorate the
quality of the environment and overexploit natural resources. Sustainable cities are those where the
socioeconomic objectives are pursued together with environmental and energy goals and thus ensure the

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sustainability of urban changes. Those are cities that achieve efficient use of natural resources, reduction of
ecological footprints, and an appropriate quality of life for their populations.
Sustainable urban development results from the requirements of environmental protection and the
protection of natural resources. The basic goal of environmental sustainability is to maintain the stock of
natural capital by reducing the need for land use, energy, and production of emissions, and limiting
interregional material exchanges.

Five Strategic Levels

In sustainable city functioning, it is required to act on five strategic levels:
1. Sustainable urban design. Principles of the sustainable urban design need to be transferred to the use of
urban land, for which there is a whole range of possibilities, such as energy-efficient design, well thought-
forming and mixed land use, etc.
2. Integrated traffic management. Integrated transport strategies, designed to reduce the impact of urban
transport and the amount of fuel consumed by transport, can be achieved to improve the environmental
quality of cities for which there are many measures that focus primarily on ensuring adequate availability of
urban areas, support more efficient use of vehicles, walking and cycling, reduce the level of car use and
support more efficient modes of transport, etc.
3. Effective management of urban flows. Urban design and renovation plans should be focused on reducing
the consumption of water, energy, and materials, which could be achieved by introducing energy-saving
technologies and rational allocation of resources; in particular, it is necessary to achieve energy efficiency
and energy-saving.
4. Indicative targets and environmental standards. It is necessary to establish key objectives and systematic
measurement of pollution.
5. Information on the urban environment. For considered decisions, it's crucial to have useful information on
the quality of the urban environment and environmental pressures on the local, regional and global
environment. Information is also important to raise awareness of the consequences and environmental
impacts of their operations.
Reference: https://soapboxie.com/social-issues/Sustainable-cities

Economic Sustainability - Economic sustainability refers to practices designed to create the long-term
economic development of a company or nation while also managing the environmental, social, and cultural
aspects of its activities. It is about balancing economic growth and generating profit with the impact on the
environment and people.
Social Sustainability - “Development (and/or growth) that is compatible with the harmonious evolution of
civil society, fostering an environment conducive to the compatible cohabitation of culturally and socially
diverse groups while at the same time encouraging social integration, with improvement in the quality of life
for all segments of the population.
Social Sustainability and Inclusion focuses on the need to “put people first” in development processes. It
promotes social inclusion of the poor and vulnerable by empowering people, building cohesive and resilient
societies, and making institutions accessible and accountable to citizens
Environmental Sustainability - A sustainable city reduces environmental impacts through its activities and
promotes sustainable consumption and production patterns in accordance with its own territorial,
geographical, social, economic and cultural conditions.
Tackling climate change mitigation and adaptation, ecosystem preservation and restoration and circular
economy. In addition, the presence of accessible, high-quality green spaces in cities supports physical and
mental health and social well-being.

A sustainable city is built on three pillars: An economic, an environmental and a social pillar. In a
well-functioning city, the three pillars are balanced. Together they are key to our quality of life, and if any of
the pillars are neglected, the city will eventually collapse. To stay balanced, cities need access to robust and

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standardised methods to measure, evaluate and develop all three pillars on equal terms. Unfortunately, this
is not possible today.
Balancing sustainability
Governments, cities and regions only have shared tools to develop and evaluate two of the pillars in
the sustainability concept: The environmental and economic pillars. Economic sustainability is explained and
calculated in terms of budgets and excel spreadsheets, and the state of the environment is described with
numbers and formulas for the quality of water, air, soil, plants and wildlife
When it comes to social sustainability, the situation is different. We lack a common language and a
common understanding of definitions, methods and goals. It is no easy task to decide on goals for our social
lives in the cities: is liveability about the number of pedestrians, cyclists, restaurants, shopping facilities,
central heating, education, jobs, sanitation, safety, access to housing, rent stability, diversity - or perhaps
something different or a combination of all?
Reference: Social Cities - making social sustainability measurable | State of Green

What does it mean to be a sustainable city?

A sustainable city is one designed to address social, environmental and economic impact through urban
planning and city management. Many sustainable initiatives are achieved by building eco-friendly
alternatives into city infrastructure, such as adopting walk and bike lanes. Regulations and fines can also
achieve change: waste removal orders have proven to reduce landfill waste.
While finding ways to help the planet is essential to sustainability, reducing costs and creating a vibrant
culture for citizens are equally important. Through planned infrastructure, public green spaces, smart waste
removal and more, cities can leave behind a net zero footprint for a more sustainable world.

10 Characteristics of Green Urban Planning

1. Public transportation - Cities that focus on sustainability must address transportation head-on, as motor
vehicles are responsible for 75% of carbon monoxide pollution in the U.S. today. Cost-efficient and accessible
public transportation takes cars off the road, reducing harmful emissions generated by daily driving
commutes and errands.
Here are some public transit examples sustainable cities have enacted:
 Electric trolleybuses
 Metro systems
 Underground railways
 Maglev trains
Another great way to improve public transportation and encourage greener practices is to incentivize
alternative travel by reserving certain lanes for buses, electric cars and carpooling. The future of
transportation is tackling greener public transit with new technology such as hyperloop and smart roads.
2. Walkable and bikeable neighborhoods - One of the best ways to reduce carbon emissions throughout a
community is to have citizens ditch transit altogether. Walking and biking are great alternatives to
encourage, and city leaders can do so by approving infrastructure changes, passing laws to protect cyclists
and making smart urban planning decisions.
Take Copenhagen, where bicycles outnumber cars more than five to one, and 42% of residents bike to work.
This bike culture was achieved through city management: Cycling superhighways were created across the
city by a series of paths and bridges designed specifically for bikers.
Walk and bike-friendly infrastructure includes:
 Pedestrian bridges
 Bike path networks
 Connected urban grids
 Shared micromobility
3. Vehicle charging stations - An electric vehicle produces zero tailpipe emissions compared to a typical
passenger vehicle, which produces 4.6 metric tons annually. For cities hoping to become carbon-neutral,
vehicle charging stations for electric or other alternatives must become commonplace.

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Cities can incentivize charging station construction by teaming up investors from the private sector with
public servants. Urban planners can work with developers to map out charging station locations that suit
both drivers and local homeowners. After all, installing charging stations on random street corners could
result in property value loss and increased congestion.
Another eco-friendly vehicle that requires newly constructed refill stations is a hydrogen-powered car.
Powered by hydrogen and oxygen, these cars can run twice as long as an electric vehicle before needing a
refill (rather than a charge). Yet today, only 376 refueling stations exist worldwide.
4. Solar farms - The switch to clean energy is essential for cities to become sustainable. Solar farms can
improve air quality in a city while also providing renewable energy to citizens and municipal facilities.
Solar energy also creates well-paying jobs and stimulates economic growth. The U.S. added 110,000 net new
clean energy jobs in 2018, outnumbering fossil fuels nearly three to one.
City-funded solar farms allow residents who can’t harness solar energy on their own property to gain access
to solar power. It also allows municipal buildings to transition to renewable energy. Fayetteville, Arkansas, is
working to run 100% of local government buildings on clean energy by 2030.
5. Green buildings - Thirty percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings. One
solution? Green buildings, which reduce CO2 emissions by 32%. They also require less maintenance and have
cheaper water and electric bills. These cost benefits, along with additional tax incentives, have allowed green
building construction to become widespread without the use of government mandates.
Here are some popular ways green buildings address these areas:
 Smart heating and cooling systems
 Natural building materials
 Enhanced ventilation and insulation
 Solar panels
 Green roofs
In order for a city’s infrastructure to be truly green, all municipality buildings should be LEED certified. The
U.S. Green Building Council awards LEED certification to buildings that address energy savings, water
efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction and more.
6. Food production - The World Research Institute estimates that the world will need to produce 50% more
food by 2050 while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds. This unique challenge requires cities to
feed more people via more eco-friendly means.
Urban farming is one way cities can cut down on carbon emissions tied to food production. Teaming up with
with like-minded organizations can help educate residents on nutrition and encourage them to make
healthier, more sustainable choices. Conservation is another area in which governments can invest, but
today only 5% of agriculture subsidies go toward these efforts.
7. Accessible public resources - Sustainable cities also help residents achieve sustainability in their own lives
by providing opportunity and access to resources. Public health buildings, economic development centers,
technology hubs and more are all examples of resource centers that can stimulate public health and the
economy.
These resources also include recreational facilities and programs in which community members can take
part. Some of these facilities, such as museums and cultural centers, can rehumanize urban centers and help
a city define its identity. Allocating public funds towards cultural amenities and events is a great way to
promote diversity and inclusion at the city level and help build bonds within a community.
8. Water conservation - Resourceful urban water management is also a characteristic of sustainable cities.
Over 90% of the world’s urban centers are near coastal areas. While this puts these cities at greater risk of
natural disasters and climate change threats, it also opens the door for better use of these nearby water
sources.
Here are some water conservation practices cities can adopt:
 Rainwater harvesting
 Green infrastructure
 Waterless hardware

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 Green infrastructure uses the natural water cycle to create clean water sources in place of a water
treatment plant. For example, restoring wetlands and planting trees can reduce the need for manmade flood
infrastructure such as levees.
9. Public green spaces - Urban green spaces should be a high priority for sustainable cities, as these areas
solve a number of challenges at once. Cities can achieve pollution control, public health and thriving
biodiversity by adopting green infrastructure, all while increasing property value in the area. Parks,
greenways and trails, street trees and protected conservation areas are all examples of public green spaces.
Building community gardens and urban farms can also solve food challenges. In addition to free or affordable
gardening spaces for residents, edible landscaping can be incorporated to ensure urban plants serve two
purposes: ornamental and functional.
10. Waste management - Rather than throwing waste away only to end up in a landfill, disposal processes
should be circular. While many (if not all) cities have adopted recycling programs, more aggressive urban
centers have seen huge gains over the last 20-30 years. In San Francisco, recycling and composting mandates
have helped the city achieve a waste diversion of more than 77%.
Energy recovery is a great solution for waste that can’t be recycled using traditional methods. This process
captures fly ash burned at landfill sites and converts it back into energy.
Using technology to go paperless is another great way to promote sustainability on a city-wide scale. Many
government offices have moved forms and applications online, which is both quicker and less wasteful than
mailing or dropping papers off.

Sustainable Cities as a Risk Mitigation

Sustainable cities aren’t just a lofty goal for city planners and eco enthusiasts: They are a necessity in
the fight against climate change. Flooding, heat waves, damaged water supplies and more can all be
mitigated by sustainable infrastructure. Even disease spread, like we have seen with the coronavirus
pandemic, can be limited (or even eradicated) through smart, sustainable urban planning.
Cities who reduce their risk of climate effects and other naturally occurring disasters will see less
property damage, insurance losses and even casualties, making sustainable city practices a necessity for
long-term success.
 Sustainable cities aim to reverse negative impacts of urbanization by consuming fewer resources,
reducing greenhouse gases, fighting climate change, and creating a sense of place.
Reference: https://www.thezebra.com/resources/home/what-is-a-sustainable-city/#infographic

Building Sustainable Cities and Communities

The world is developing at an unprecedented scale. Over the next 20 years, urban population in
developing countries will double to 4 billion, while the urbanized land area will triple. Rapid growth helps
create new opportunities, but it has also brought serious social, economic, and environmental challenges.
Today, 1 billion people live in urban slums, and 1.5 billion people live in countries affected by repeated cycles
of violence. In the past decade, the number of people affected by natural disasters tripled to 2 billion. Low-
income countries have accounted for only 9% of the disaster events but 48% of fatalities since 1980. The
burden of disasters, conflict, crime, and violence falls disproportionately on the poor.
Urban and rural communities around the world increasingly feel the urge to tackle these challenges
and increase their resilience to poverty and inequality, social exclusion, violence and fragility, as well as
climate change and disaster risks. Building sustainable communities—whether they are villages, cities, or
countries and societies at large—will be critical to eliminating poverty and boosting shared prosperity.
Specifically, the concept of “Sustainable Cities and Communities” of the World Bank’s Urban,
Disaster Risk Management, Resilience and Land Global Practice (GPURL) includes four key dimensions:
 First, Sustainable Communities are environmentally sustainable in terms of cleanliness and
efficiency.
 Second, Sustainable communities are resilient to social, economic, and natural shocks. They are well
prepared for natural disasters, which are increasing in intensity and frequency due to climate
change.

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  Third, Sustainable Communities are inclusive communities. They bring all dimensions of society and
all groups of people—including the marginalized and vulnerable—into their markets, their services,
and their development.
 And finally, Sustainable Communities are competitive communities that can stay productive and
generate jobs for members of the community.
Building inclusive, resilient, competitive and sustainable cities and communities is essential for achieving
the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared
prosperity at the local, regional, and national levels.
Reference: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/sustainable-communities

Research Study
Sustainable City and Community Empowerment through the Implementation of Community-Based
Monitoring: A Conceptual Approach
Researchers: Nur Khairlida Muhamad Khair, Khai Ern Lee and Mazlin Mokhtar
Abstract:
A sustainable city should promote the active participation of its civil society in urban planning and
development of cities as the means to satisfy their needs. However, the absence of an appropriate platform
has caused the public to lose interest and neglect the process of planning and development. This article
attempts to develop a conceptual framework for sustainable cities and communities’ empowerment through
the introduction of community-based monitoring as a means to increase community resilience and well-
being. Community-based monitoring is designed to be instrumental in addressing environmental
sustainability issues with public participation, where the community champions the environmental
monitoring process for the decision making of planning and development of cities. The conceptual
framework is expected to serve as an approach in driving the urban community towards attaining a more
inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable environment.
Introduction:
Rapid urban development has induced many environmental problems at the local level, and it
urgently needs to be monitored and addressed. Tackling environmental issues faced by the local community
involves not only the local government or agencies, but also the active participation of the local community
in environmental monitoring. This is in line with the concept of a sustainable city that involves not only
environmental mitigation, but also the active participation of local citizens to interact with the policymakers
to achieve a sustainable quality of life. Specifically, the UN Sustainable Development Goals through SDG11
(Sustainable Cities and Communities) inspire urban sustainability that requires cities to be liveable and safe
via integrated planning and management as well as citizen’s participation. Due to that, cities are increasingly
paying their attention to the role of drivers for sustainable development.
Many collaborations between politics, research, business, and civil society have been developed in
cities worldwide. However, in most public participation initiatives, programme managers face problems,
especially in recruiting new participants and retaining the number of local community participation in a
monitoring programme. This is due to loss of interest, lack of networking opportunities and information
delivering to the public as well as funding availability. The main issue behind these factors is related to the
local community’s motivation in environmental monitoring.
People who have a strong sense of ownership for the community and the environment feel obliged
to protect and care for the environment, and this includes practising sustainable behavior and participating
in local problem solving. It is important when individuals feel ownership for a social entity (e.g., family,
group, organisation or nation), as they are likely to engage in citizenship behaviour towards that entity. In
other words, as individuals develop a sense of ownership in their local environment, they are more likely to
contribute to the community’s well-being voluntarily.
Community-based monitoring can be used as a tool to include local citizens directly in the
assessment of development and decision-making processes. Besides that, few studies have shown that
environmental monitoring has long-term outcomes, such as a greater sense of ownership and pride as well

10
as increased capacities of individuals and organizations in the community to understand the complexities of
environmental issues.
As a model of a sustainable city, the city should play a vital role in implementing sustainability
concepts, both in city development and urban governance. It is crucial to reflect the sustainability agenda in
the local action, particularly in enhancing active community participation in planning and management to
achieve sustainable development. In this article, the authors frame the question of how to localize
environmental sustainability agenda as stipulated in SDG11. They further answer how to enhance
community empowerment through the participation in city planning and decision making, especially towards
environmental issues. Community-based monitoring is deliberated as a means in empowering the local
community to participate in environmental monitoring towards local planning for sustainable development
whereby it creates awareness and a sense of ownership of the community towards the environment.
Community-based monitoring can also be used as a tool in supporting the Local Agenda 21. It fits the
purpose of public participation by enhancing the partnership between local authority and community, thus
contributing to effective information delivery, and empowering public right in local planning. With
community-based monitoring in place, urban planning is not merely the responsibility of local authorities
and government agencies; it empowers local communities to participate in environmental monitoring
towards achieving the SDGs.
Literature Review:
Urban areas vary from small cities to metropolitan areas in which the population living in urban
areas has increased to about 55% of the world’s population, and it is expected to increase to 68% by 2050.
With the increase in urban population, urban lands need to be expanded where the habitats,
biogeochemistry, hydrology, land cover and surface are needed for the development of infrastructures,
transportations, housing and so forth. Cities are complex and are affected by many factors, such as
economic, social and environmental factors, which could be contributors towards resource exploitation,
social inequality and environmental degradation, cities can also be the platform that contributes to
sustainable development.
The growing population has induced many environmental problems in recent years, leading to an
increase in demand that urban development must be sustainable. SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and
Communities) requires the cities to be liveable and safe, and this includes the capacity for participatory,
integrated planning and management of the cities. For local authorities and policymakers, the agreement on
SDG11 marks a critical milestone to make cities sustainable. The targets of SDG11 are not only focusing on
making the cities to be resilient in terms of the environment, but it covers the need for social integration into
sustainable urban planning as translated in every target of SDG11. Meanwhile, the indicators will play a
crucial role for the actors to assess and benchmark current progress towards the goal or target besides
raising awareness, promoting public participation and improving communication among each other.
The current practice of social integration in most sustainable cities is public participation. In making
urban sustainability into a reality, public participation is needed to improve the quality, legitimacy and
capacity of environmental assessments and decisions on urban planning, and policymaking process.
However, numerous studies have discussed that the current practice of public participation in enabling social
transformation and influencing the decision-making process is still weak. This also includes the platform
available for the public to participate as well as who has the privilege to participate in the decision making
because there are some cases where only selected individuals are consulted during the decision making.
Hence, the actual public participation is not only a means in the democratic process, but it also emphasizes
that sustainable development requires a process that empowers people to achieve broad ownership of the
ideas and initiatives in choosing solutions to the problems in the local environment. The word empowerment
in this context refers to the collective action to improve the quality of life in a community. The empowered
community is able to create broad support for environmental and development issues at their place by
providing adequate information that can influence local decision making.
With the increase in environmental concerns, community-based monitoring emerges as a public
participation approach in environmental monitoring to achieve sustainability. Community-based monitoring
can be defined as a process where concerned citizens, government agencies, industries, academia,

11
community groups and local institutions collaborate to monitor, track and respond to the collective issues of
community or environment. In other words, the concept of community-based monitoring conveys a
decentralisation of environmental management to the local level and promotes shared responsibilities. This
type of monitoring programme is widely used in various fields, either in biodiversity conservation, status
assessment, impact assessment, processes, and physical environment.
Conclusion:
In this article, we sought to address the question of how to localise sustainable development
initiatives in achieving sustainable cities and communities. Community-based monitoring is proposed as a
tool in driving the direct participation of the local community. Through community-based monitoring, the
involvement of the local community is not only restricted to monitoring activities, it encompasses almost
every stage of community-based monitoring. A conceptual framework of community-based monitoring is
laid out by considering four main elements, including (i) social mapping, (ii) designing of community-based
monitoring, (iii) sustaining community-based monitoring in the long-term, and (iv) increasing community
resilient for well-being. In the first section of the conceptual framework, the effectiveness of community-
based monitoring hugely depends on the community’s motivation, whereby the motivation of the
community will determine the longevity of the monitoring programme. Besides that, the community’s
motivation also affects the types of criteria and monitoring subjects as it depends on the community’s
interest. In the process of designing community-based monitoring, it is essential for the project manager to
carefully design as well as continuously engage the local community to get their feedback on the suitability
of the monitoring activities. This is an essential phase in which the design of the monitoring programme will
subsequently affect the quality of data produced, as the low-quality data will result in an invalid outcome
and the decision made may not reflect the actual situation. To sustain community-based monitoring in the
long term is crucial in which the participation of various stakeholders in the programme needs strong
partnerships which enables the community and the experts have an opportunity to interact, share
knowledge, ideas, develop new skills and come out with a collective decision on the issues to influence the
existing policies related to environmental issues. Although community-based monitoring focuses on a
smaller scale or locally-based issues, it also helps to fill the loopholes of data availability issues at the state
level. All in all, community-based monitoring not only benefits the local community by providing the
platform to engage in environmental management directly, but it also helps local authorities towards the
sustainable cities and Local Agenda 21 at the same time.

Book: Rethinking Sustainable Cities

Dimensions of accessible cities
The notion of ‘accessible cities’ encompasses much more than transport and mobility, contributing
to social sustainability as described above. First, the necessary types of public goods include public spaces,
metro systems, labour markets, streets, services and green spaces (De Montis and Reggiani, 2013). In
addition, accessible cities must have social infrastructure that allows social equity (which includes
affordability) and the formal and informal institutions for individuals to thrive, as well as the power and
justice systems to make them accessible. More structurally, accessible cities should have the physical and
ecological/ public space for residents to meet their aesthetic, recreational and sense-of-place wants and
needs. The following section discusses these dimensions, as well as power and justice as a mediator of
access.

Book: Connecting cities and communities with the Sustainable Development Goals
The United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative is a distinctive global smart-city platform.
This unique initiative launched by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in May 2016, is supported by 16 United Nations agencies,
programmes and secretariats.
U4SSC has embraced the following definition for smart sustainable cities developed by ITU and UNECE:
“A smart sustainable city is an innovative city that uses information and communication technologies (ICTs)
and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services and competitiveness,

12
while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and future generations with respect to economic, social,
environmental, as well as cultural, aspects.”
U4SSC aims to derive the best practices and guidelines with the final goal of propelling transitions to
smart cities while simultaneously achieving the SDGs. The outputs presented in this flipbook are expected to
provide urban stakeholders with an overview of innovative concepts, policies and frameworks that have
been adopted in various countries, to facilitate smart-city transformations.

Goal 1: No Poverty - Green Bond for Cities Goal 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure
Goal 2: Zero Hunger Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
Goal 3: Good Health and Well- Being Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Goal 4: Quality Education Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Goal 5: Gender Equality Goal 13: Climate Action
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation Goal 14: Life below water
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy Goal 15: Life on Land
Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Goal 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals

Economic – Goal 1: No Poverty - Green Bond for Cities

This case study introduces a city that has issued green bonds, namely Gothenburg. City of
Gothenburg has in many terms been a positive example within the city green bonds market as a result of the
city’s experience in green bond issuance since 2013, and the transparent design of its green bond
framework. Gothenburg, located on the western coast, is Sweden’s second largest city and home to
Scandinavia’s largest port. The city of Gothenburg was originally focused on heavy industry; however, over
the years it has successfully transformed into one of the global leaders on climate change issues, and
became the first city in the world to issue a green bond. The city is currently experiencing a significant
growth in population and it has been calculated that by the year 2035, the city will experience a 27%
increase in its population. As the population grows, so does the challenge of providing all the necessary
services to its residents.
In the case of Gothenburg, the root of the problem that led to the design and implementation of the
city’s green bond framework was related to the city’s industrial setup. The transition towards greener
initiatives was set in motion in 1987 when Gothenburg’s Environmental Project was established. Since then,
the city has adopted a number of environmental best practices and implemented sustainable initiatives in
the city context. More recently, the population growth has extended the city’s needs for realizing
sustainable city development projects. After setting environmental and climate-related goals, Gothenburg
decided to allocate funding for the achievement of their environmental goals. By issuing green bonds, cities
can mobilize capital for climate change related investments and hence promote sustainable development
that will improve the well-being of their residents.
Issuing green bonds allows cities to support the implementation of sustainable development
projects with the help of additional capital from the green bond market. The eligible projects under
Gothenburg’s green bond framework closely follow the focus areas of the city’s strategy. For example, the
city has specified that the eligible energy efficiency projects should produce at least a 25% reduction in
energy usage. Related to the city’s development boom, an estimated 80 000 new homes and workplaces will
be built by 2035. This is reflected in the eligible green bond projects under “sustainable housing”, which
comprises the infrastructure and construction of new green buildings with specific energy efficiency
requirements (e.g. new apartment constructions up to 60 kWh/sqm year), as well as major renovations to
make buildings more energy efficient (e.g. apartment renovation reduction of at least 40% or up to 90
kWh/sqm year). Being home to Scandinavia’s largest port, Gothenburg gives emphasis to sustainable
transport by including in its eligible projects, a list of elements on sustainable shipping and sustainable
freight to decrease the use of fossil fuels. In addition, sustainable transport can include projects on biking
and pedestrian infrastructure, or public transportation. All of this is aligned with the city’s long-term vision
and development strategy. Under a green bond framework, the proceeds from bond issuances are

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earmarked for eligible green projects only. In the case of Gothenburg, green bonds are issued to finance
environmental projects on renewable energy, city planning, public transport, waste management, smart
grids and water treatment. In general, the projects chosen have to comply with Swedish and EU legislation.
These projects should promote the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient growth, and are in line with
Gothenburg’s environmental programme and climate strategy. Usually, when a city issues a green bond, the
net proceeds of the issuance are transferred to a specific budget account that supports the city’s lending to
the eligible projects.

Social – Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

India has launched its 100 smart city mission in 2015. This initiative strives to make 100 cities across
the country more sustainable using technology. Within this initiative, India also plans to make their cities
more citizen-centric. The MyGov (https://www.mygov.in/) portal was created for this purpose. This portal
has proved to be a very effective tool in people’s participation in governance. For a country of the size of
India, with 1.25 billion people, with diverse backgrounds, this portal is quite a success as can be seen from
the number of engagements on the site itself. In this sense, this portal assists with the achievement of
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1649. India has a large number of cities with a population above 1
million. Ensuring that the government involves people in the process of governance in a democratic setup,
this type of portal seems to be quite an effective way forward. This model can be replicated at the city level
for local governance for smart sustainable cities. In a city like New Delhi, which happens to be the capital of
the largest democracy in the world, an influx from other parts of the country is imperative. As New Delhi has
been expanding due to its increasing population, the infrastructure has come under tremendous pressure.
Designation of the National Capital Region, allows for adjoining cities to share the population burden of the
capital. However, with the passage of time, even these adjoining cities have come to face similar challenges
vis-à-vis population growth.
The challenge in a developing economy like India is to meet the aspirations of the 1.25 billion people
with a population of more than 800 million people below the age of 35. Being a democracy, getting feedback
from the stakeholders, improving accountability and taking corrective or preventive action, as needed, is
essential. More than 400 million people live in cities, and the number of cities in India with a population of
more than 5 million is more than 100. Getting citizens’ participation in the governance of the cities would
make the cities more accountable and easy to receive feedback on services through portals of this kind. As
such the MyGov portal is able to ensure that the genuine suggestions are honoured and implemented. The
feedback mechanism on this portal is also able to foster reliability within the urban governance structure.

Environmental – Goal 13: Climate Action

As Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, urges all concerned to “take urgent action to combat
climate change and its impacts”, urban areas are increasingly being deemed the battleground locations for
tackling climate change. Climate change is without a doubt one of the major environmental concerns for
cities, since more than half of the world’s population live in cities. Additionally, cities are also responsible for
nearly 70% of the global energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are the main
factors causing climate change. Realizing this, countries are progressing towards adopting urban governance
strategies which address climate change. Efforts to institutionalize climate-change governance in urban areas
indicate that cities have gained traction in climate policies. With cities being hubs of innovation and
technological revolution, there has been significant debate on the use of information and communication
technologies (ICTs) for dealing with the grave issue of climate change.
Whilst cities are not perfectly functioning machines, they cannot also be considered a mixture of
several random ecosystems driven by human actions either. It is important to understand that cities are
capable of polluting as much as they have the ability to conserve and develop. While it has been
acknowledged that cities can play a pivotal role in tackling climate change, the actual pathway for such
change is still to be effectively determined. Several countries and cities have taken a leap forward and
incorporated legislation and guidelines which support these activities. These guidelines and legislation are
based on the role of cities as drivers of technological innovation. Urban stakeholders will collectively bring

14
about the practical implementation of these technological innovations, scale, recognize gaps and aim to
reduce carbon emissions overall. In line with the above, this case study will explore the initiatives adopted in
Scotland to deal with climate change and reduce the carbon footprint. 2 Vision and implementation Scotland
has adopted the “Public Sector Green ICT Strategy” and “Low Carbon Economic Strategy” to support ICTs
deployment in their public organizations in an energy efficient manner, with the overall aim of reducing the
carbon footprint of these organizations. The term “Green ICTs” in this case is used with refer to ICTs which
are utilized for climate change adaptation and/or. Accordingly, these Green ICTs aim to reduce emissions,
improve energy efficiency and other waste produce throughout the ICT lifecycle. Within Scotland’s public
sector, the services offered are exclusively underpinned by ICTs. Keeping in mind the potential of Green ICTs,
this extensive usage of ICTs in Scotland offers potential to contribute to a greener environment by reducing
waste and emissions. Scotland’s Green ICT strategy also recognizes that ICTs can be a double-edged sword
when it comes to environmental issues. On the one hand, ICTs could generate significant greenhouse gas
emissions and on the other hand it can function as a key enabler for the generation of renewable energy,
provision of urban services and monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to the Green ICT
strategy, Scotland, through the Smart Cities Strategic Intervention has been allocated 10 million pounds to
make the cities in the region more energy efficient and environmentally friendly, using innovative
technologies. Glasgow City Council is the leading partner in this smart-city intervention. The Scottish
Government and Glasgow City Council will be working together with the Scottish Cities Alliance with the
support of other cities including Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Inverness, Perth and Stirling, to further the
Scottish smart-city agenda.

Cultural – Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities1

Pan-African e-Network is a unique programme, which has been involved in mitigating the challenges
of health and education in 48 African countries. The Former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, offered
this platform to the African Parliament in Johannesburg in late 2004. The African Union Commission (AUC)
accepted the Indian proposal and signed an umbrella MoU with the Government of India, through the
Ministry of External Affairs .This was translated into a practical project by TCIL, a Government of India
enterprise, which has a presence in Africa. The main objectives of capacity building and technology flow have
been achieved by virtue of this programme being in 48 nations of Africa. The programme is an outstanding
example of South-South cooperation, India and Africa both being developing territories. This case study
forms an excellent example of striving to attain the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) SDG 10 to “reduce
inequality within and among countries”.
In any society, city or country, people play an important role. How ‘smart’ a city or country is
depends upon the smartness of its people. For people to be smart, the most important aspect is good quality
education. While educated people are a prerequisite for the development of any nation, limited educational
infrastructure poses a big challenge. With a large number of developing countries spread across Africa and
Asia, resources to bring education to the desired standards pose a big challenge. The solution is about
enabling people to obtain formal education in terms of graduate and postgraduate programmes which help
people to meet their aspirations, and make them smart. Also, it is about providing support and expertise for
handling the Super Specialty healthcare facilities to the local citizens at the international level.

Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production 2

On the face of it, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 only seems to refer to ensuring
sustainable consumption and production patterns. However, delving into its associated targets, one realizes
that the concept of sustainable tourism to promote local culture and support sustainable development also
forms an integral part of this global goal. The term “smart” has been affixed to several concepts including
smart cities and smart buildings. In recent years, information and communication technology (ICT) related
tourism services and platforms have made their way into the tourism sector and paved the way for easier
travel in terms of the planning and management of trips along with monitoring the local environment. This
integration of ICT for tourism purposes has led to the creation of “smart tourism”, which relies on human-
computer interactions that aid in decision making for tourists and information processing for smooth service

15
delivery within the sector. Globally, there have been efforts to drive the smart tourism agenda forward.
Countries like China and South Korea are heavily funding initiatives on building the technological
infrastructure to support smart tourism. In several European countries, the respective smart tourism
initiatives evolved out of smart-city projects. As a result of this, the idea of smart destinations (based on
smart tourism) is gaining ground and popularity in the global tourism landscape.
While some smart tourism initiatives focus on driving innovation and competitiveness and
developing smart end-user applications that enrich tourism experiences for travellers, others focus on the
transformative power of ICTs in improving the economic potential and environmental conservation
dimensions for the tourism and hospitality sectors. Given the different approaches to the concept of smart
tourism, there is no universal or standardized definition for this term. For a general concept of tourism, the
United Nations World Tourism Organization has provided a definition. This definition refers to tourism as a
“cultural and economic phenomenon which entails the movement of people to countries or places outside
their usual environment for personal or business/professional purposes”. With the incorporation of ICTs into
various tourism-related activities, smart tourism has been regarded as a logical progression from traditional
tourism concepts in keeping with the technological evolution. The smart tourism technologies (STTs)
implemented are able to collect and harness data from physical infrastructures and portable devices to
transform travel experiences by providing an effective feedback mechanism and promoting destinations via
different channels including social media. The most commonly used STTs are smartphone applications and
websites of travel agencies and destinations. These STTs are able to assist with the planning process by
providing relevant information on the destination in an interactive manner and therefore help with the
decision-making process. Armed with adequate information on the culture, terrain and recreational activities
at their desired destination, users will be able make an informed decision which will allow for a better
experience. Users can also estimate the overall travel and sightseeing costs using STTs, which will reduce the
chances of incurring unforeseen additional expenses when at the destination. One example of a successful
online tourism portal is for the state of Kerala in India. The government of Kerala struck gold with the launch
of its tourism website, Kerala Tourism.org. This official website has the largest database on Kerala, which
contains detailed information on the places to visit and highlights the cultural practices in each region. It also
provides a list of centres for recreational activities, hotels and restaurants which reduces the scope for fraud
and improves security. This site boasts of nearly 3 million visits per annum and has significantly boosted
Kerala’s tourism. The number of tourists in United for Smart Sustainable Cities Connecting cities and
communities with the Sustainable Development Goals U4SSC series 121 Kerala rose to 13.6 million in 2016,
which has significantly boosted employment in the tourism sector and has facilitated the expansion and
increased use of STTs for Kerala bookings. Other cities like Barcelona offer more “on the go conveniences”
for travellers like interactive bus shelters that not only provide touristic information and bus arrival times but
also have USB charging stations for mobile devices. Other examples include the city of Amsterdam, which
uses beacons to let tourist signs translate themselves into different languages and Seoul which provides free
Wi-Fi, as well as smart phones to tourists. Despite such success stories, there are still no concerted efforts to
develop a global framework for smart tourism. While it is understandable that different cities, regions and
countries may have varying requirements, considering the differing perspectives on this concept, it is
essential to develop a generic framework, as well as an internationally accepted definition, for smart tourism
which will help derive an in-depth understanding of the concept and also help cater to regional
requirements in this area.

Article: What is the Role of Indicators as a Governance Tool to Help Cities Become More Sustainable?
Cities need continual improvements as they grow, and the government needs to create the means to
meet this demand. To assist in sustainable development for communities, ISO 37120 was created to focus on
cities, with indicators for urban services and quality of life. This article seeks to understand if Indicators for
Sustainable Cities can help Governance make more assertive decisions and improve the residents’ quality of
life.
Sachs (1993) addressed the concept of sustainability by classifying five items: environmental,
economic, social, political and ecological. Furthermore, analyzing that economically linked means of

16
production, distribution and consumption of resources, are effective, socially just, and ecologically viable. To
achieve sustainability in society, it is necessary to connect environmental, social and economic factors, giving
due importance to the cities if they developed in a balanced way (WERBACH, 2010).
According to Nalini and Silva (2017), sustainable development has an intergenerational component
that emphasizes prioritization of guaranteeing constructive living conditions of present and future
generations.
Sustainable development is based on the consolidation of social, environmental and economic
objects. A sustainable city should be designed for the well-being of all citizens, without benefiting anyone,
and should be designed to ensure everyone is part of development in the same way. To do so, it is necessary
for governance and decision-makers to think about the city’s future and how to develop a sustainable city by
adequately utilizing financial resources to meet demands for needed resources (SACHS; RUHLI; MEIER,
2011). Sustainable development aims to promote quality of life for residents to reduce environmental
impacts. A sustainable city promotes quality of life for citizens and for future generations through solutions
that reconcile environmental and social issues (ROGERS, 2013).

Research study: Building Climate Resilience in Smart Cities Using Open Data Services
Researchers: Viljam Ahdekivi, Hadi Ghanbari, and Matti Rossi
Smart Sustainable Cities
Our analysis shows that improving sustainability in smart cities requires holistic thinking, ambitious
climate targets, considering long-term scenarios, and adaptable urban development. Green buildings, such
as wood construction, could greatly mitigate the emissions of the construction sector. However, this is only
the first step, and sustainable wood construction also requires the sustainable management of forests.
Coupling green buildings and green infrastructures with a societal understanding of the carbon footprint and
causality would make society more adaptable to climate changes. Long-term scenarios, such as the sealevel
rise and increased rainfall, should be considered when planning the construction of new buildings and urban
areas. For example, in the Kalasatama neighborhood in Helsinki, newer buildings are constructed with sea-
level rise in mind, with the first floors being constructed at an elevation that takes that into account. This is
reflected in the following excerpt: “Ambitious targets, longevity, and taking into account long-term scenarios
are important. For example, carbon neutrality goals are often given up on due to the belief that they are not
possible to achieve at this moment in time.” Green buildings and green infrastructures can be combined with
and augmented by nature-based solutions, which take natural processes and uses them in resolving societal
issues. These solutions can be anything from green walls to green roofs and stormwater swales. A good
example of this is using stormwater management to irrigate green areas and unburden water management
facilities, using new forms of wetlands or water squares, for instance. A key focal point of nature-based
solutions is creating space in the urban environment for natural processes, thereby bringing nature closer to
the public. Many of these solutions surrounding adaptable urban development require sensors. Sensors help
us understand the current state and changes in our environment, be they changes in air quality, rainfall, sea-
level rise, etc., and help us act or prepare accordingly. There are a number of climate resilience apps that
operate using sensors. For example, one interviewee mentioned an app that monitors a given household's
energy usage and optimizes energy consumption in heating and lighting according to the usage of space.
Other examples include smart wastewater management initiatives and air quality sensors to improve
weather forecasting and reduce vulnerability to heatwaves (Fernández & Peek, 2020).

10 Characteristics of Green Urban Planning

1. Public Transportation
 Electric trolley buses are rubber-tired vehicles with motors powered by electricity from overhead
wires. “Trolley” refers to the trolley poles on the roof of the bus that are used to transmit the
electricity from the overhead wires.
Although their operations can be less flexible than that of motor buses, trolley buses are more
energy efficient, much quieter and much less polluting. They operate better on hills, require less
maintenance and are longer lasting than motor buses.

17
 Modern trolley buses have a battery which allows them to travel off-wire and reroute around
anything blocking their path, such as an excavation site or a street fair. The use of trolley buses is
generally restricted to lines on which a high-enough frequency of service can justify the expense of
the electric power system installation and vehicle costs.
San Francisco Muni has the largest trolley bus fleet of any transit agency in the United States and
Canada. Muni’s trolley coaches (as well as its streetcars and cable cars) are almost entirely pollution-
free, since their electric power comes from the city's hydroelectric Hetch Hetchy Water and Power
System.
 Metro System - As for the improvement of urban environmental conditions, compared to other
modes of transportation, the metro system can reduce both exhaust pollution and noise pollution
from cars, significantly contributing to the people’s living environment. In the dimension of
improving urban traffic conditions, taking road facilities and other transportation infrastructures into
account, the metro system can reduce the traffic congestion and the pressure of operation of mass
traffic.
 Maglev trains - The opportunity for maglev trains to reduce energy consumption is a large one.
Since, these trains are completely electric and utilize superconducting magnets. The main benefit I
see is that these trains consume 30% less energy than their counterparts(Northeastmaglev). Other
than the use of magnets, these maglev trains are much better at overcoming air resistance, due to
its streamlined shape and lack of friction. Furthermore, like most modern trains Maglev ones don’t
create any direct sources of carbon pollution, but unlike commercial trains, the noise pollution is
much lower.
Reference: https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/muni/munis-electric-trolley-buses

2. Walkable and bikeable neighborhoods

 Bicycle architecture and mobility are essential in Copenhagen, where bikes outnumber cars by more
than five to one and commuters usually prefer to cycle rather than drive. The volume of bikes
steering their way through the city’s streets during commuter hours is often surprising to visitors;
half the trips to work and school in the city are taken by bike, whether that’s a road bike, a laden-
down cargo bike, a kid’s bike, or an e-bike. As well as outnumbering cars, bikes in Copenhagen
outnumber people. For visitors, cycling is a great way to explore the capital and experience local
culture at the same time.
The city’s strategy around bicycle architecture – architecture that makes cycling more fun and
feasible – is around providing creative design solutions that function well, thereby promoting a
healthy lifestyle, making Copenhagen the world's most bicycle-friendly capital. In practical terms,
that includes building-wide bike lanes separated from the main traffic by a curb so everyone can
cycle safely, considering bike parking spaces in urban design, and building innovative and iconic
bridges that accommodate bike traffic. These bridges are a key transit route for cyclists in the city,
allowing them to easily navigate between the different districts, with typically a beautiful view of the
harbour and harbour living as they go. Built deliberately to open and connect the city, they
demonstrate Copenhagen’s focus on integrating and promoting everyday bike usage and showcase
an important part of what makes Copenhagen World Capital of Architecture in 2023.
 Pedestrian bridges - A pedestrian bridge, also known as a footbridge, provides a safe mode of
passage for cyclists and walkers, and often enriches the area.
References: https://www.wonderfulcopenhagen.com/wonderful-copenhagen/international-press/bike-
friendly-architecture-copenhagen
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/worlds-best-pedestrian-bridges

3. Vehicle charging stations

 Vattenfall and the City of Amsterdam, together with grid owner Liander, the infrastructure
competence center Elaad and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, launched Flexpower,
the largest public smart charging network for electric vehicles in Amsterdam. This innovative

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 solution enables faster charging, maximal use of renewable electricity and more efficient use of the
electric grid in Holland’s capital. Operated by Vattenfall, a total of 456 charging stations with 912
charging points – a third of all charging stations for electric cars in the city – have been upgraded and
connected in the Flexpower smart charging network. Flexpower Amsterdam is a smart network of
charging stations that enables faster charging of electric cars when the sun is shining, primarily using
locally generated renewable electricity from households in the neighbourhood. This lowers the need
for investments in the electric grid and thus makes the solution a role model for many large cities in
Europe. Flexpower has been developed to make optimal use of the available grid capacity, by
tailoring charging speeds to the electricity consumption and renewable energy production. The
charging stations provide slightly less electricity during the hours that households demand a lot of
energy, typically between 18.00 to 21.00 hours, and catch up by charging more at night when energy
consumption is low or during the day when a lot of local solar power is being produced. As most
electric cars are charged outside peak hours, electric car drivers will benefit from quicker charging.
Referenc: https://www.electricmotorengineering.com/smart-electric-vehicle-charging-network-in-
amsterdam/

4. Solar Farms
 In January, 2018, The City of Fayetteville adopted an Energy Action Plan that laid out goals to make
the City a more energy efficient and sustainable community. Among the high-level goals stated in
that plan was to convert all City facilities to 100% clean energy by 2030.  On November 20, 2018, City
Council approved a trilateral agreement between the City, Ozarks Electric Cooperative, and Today’s
Power, Inc. to construct solar power arrays on a combined 87 acres near Fayetteville’s two
Wastewater Treatment Facilities: the Paul R. Noland Wastewater Treatment Facility and the West
Side Wastewater Treatment Facility. This project will go a long way toward achieving the City’s 100%
clean energy goal. The arrays are ground-mounted solar photovoltaic panels. The panels will be
installed on a sun-tracking system that will allow for maximum solar exposure throughout the day,
translating to 15% more electricity production than stationary mounts. Construction is expected to
begin in spring 2019 and be complete by September 2019. Operations will begin shortly thereafter.
Currently, the City’s clean energy consumption is composed of 16% clean energy, some purchased
from the electrical grid and some generated directly by power arrays at city buildings (such as the
solar arrays on the roofs of the District Court building and Fayetteville Public Library). The two
Wastewater Treatment plants are the City of Fayetteville’s greatest consumers of electricity, making
up approximately 67% of the City’s overall consumption.  The new solar arrays will generate
approximately 18.3 million kWh/yr of clean energy, offsetting approximately 103% of the
Wastewater Treatment Plants’ usage, increasing the City’s clean energy use from the current 16% to
72%.
Reference: https://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/3536/Solar-Array-Project

5. Green Buildings
 Green building refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally
responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning to design,
construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition.
 Green Building promotes the efficiency of buildings with regards to the use of water, energy and
materials while reducing the building's impact on individual's health and the environment through
better design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal
 Solar panel. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic
(PV) panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation. This energy can be used to generate
electricity or be stored in batteries or thermal storage.
 Smart heating and cooling systems.
1. Lower Electricity Bill- The biggest draw of switching to a smart energy-efficient systems is lower
energy bills, which is a lifetime benefit for you. These energy-efficient systems can cut your bill by at

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 least 20%, and also cool and heat your home more effectively than an ordinary HVAC system.
Additionally, switching to a smart HVAC system lowers your carbon footprint, and is a good first step
to being environmentally friendly.
2. Cleaner Air - Installing a smart HVAC system allows you to take advantage of cleaner air, which
reduces stuffiness and drafts. Our HVAC contractors add that the system can also detect elevated
carbon dioxide levels. When this happens, the HVAC system boosts the amount of fresh air, ensuring
stable comfort levels.
3. Remote Access - Finally, a smart HVAC system can be accessed remotely. Even if you’re just on the
way home, you can already start cooling or heating your house with just a few touches from your
smartphone. No more waiting for the room to adjust to the comfort levels you want
 Green roof – Basel, Switzerland. As part of Basel’s biodiversity strategy, for the past 15 years, green
spaces have been mandatory on all new and retrofitted buildings with flat roofs. Now that this has
been made compulsory, more than 1 million square metres of green roofs have been constructed,
making it the leading city in ‘greening’ its urban spaces.
Green roofs have recently gained great attention of urban planners and architects – mainly
because of numerous social, economic and design-based benefits they bring to public, private,
economic and social sectors, and even more important, to local and global environments. You’ve
all heard about how green roofs go beyond the meaning of contemporary architecture and give a
new value to the role of buildings within urban planning. You also know they are designed not only
to bring back the natural element in the urban environment, but also to provide solutions for
important issues such as urban heat island effect and stormwater management.
Benefit (1) CO2 Reduction. Green roofs help to reduce the amount of CO2 in the air, which is
considered one of the most important causes of global warming. 1m2 of a green roof can absorb 5
kg of CO2 yearly. Additionally, due to reduced energy consumption there is a further impact on
carbon dioxide reduction by 3.2kg yearly.* As a perspective, 1m2 of green roof can absorb the same
quantity of CO2 as a regular car would emit during a 80km drive.
(2) natural habitat. As urbanisation increases, ensuring biodiversity is one of the key requirements
for local councils. Green roofs can provide a habitat for various species and restore the ecological
cycle disrupted by urban infrastructure.
(3) Extended roof life. Green roofs have been shown to triple the life expectancy of the roof. The
underlying roof materials are protected from mechanical damage, ultraviolet radiation and extreme
temperatures, which results in reduced maintenance and renovation costs.
(4) urban agriculture. Green roofs can additionally create opportunities for urban agriculture. They
can reduce a community’s urban footprint thanks to local food system creation and ensure self-
reliance on food resources.
Reference: https://www.gogreenair.net/4-benefits-installing-smart-hvac-system/
https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/07/09/how-this-swiss-city-is-using-green-roofs-to-combat-climate-
change
https://www.urbanscape-architecture.com/do-you-really-know-all-the-benefits-of-green-roofs/

6. Food production
 There has been a surge of interest in urban agriculture, which can be attributed in part to making the
food production system more sustainable, resilient, and socially just. Urban agriculture is the process
of "producing, processing, and distributing food and other goods in and around cities through
intensive plant cultivation and animal husbandry." Although the term "urban agriculture" is relatively
new, urban food production systems have a long history in the United States and abroad, providing
communities with fresh food, jobs, and green space. Many cities, such as Portland, Oregon and
Vancouver, British Columbia, have adopted policies to assist local agriculture, which support local
farming and offer inhabitants an increasing supply of fresh fruit. Further, older industrial cities like

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 Detroit have numerous ambitious ideas for large-scale manufacturing on the vacant land left over
from decades of housing abandonment.  
 Because urban agriculture affects the three pillars of sustainability: economy, society, and the
environment, it has a wide variety of potential advantages. Economic and food security have
historically been two of the most prominent motives for engagement in urban agriculture. Urban
agriculture provides a supply of nutritious food that might otherwise be unavailable; for example, a
diverse selection of local fresh fruits, vegetables, and other items are available to urban customers.
Furthermore, when consumers perceive that local food is fresher, of higher quality, and tastes
better, their preferences are more likely to lead to healthier eating alternatives and lifestyles.
Furthermore, it may supplement a household's income, reduce food expenses, and create jobs. 
 Urban agriculture may contribute significantly to a city's environmental sustainability. As a form of
green space, urban farms and community food gardens within cities benefit the environment by
preserving biodiversity, lowering the effects of urban heat islands, and minimizing the consequences
of urban stormwater runoff. Additionally, since the producing regions are near the ultimate
customers, urban farming helps to lessen the ecological effect of cities by recycling trash and
lowering emissions for transit, packing, and storage.
Reference: https://www.theclimateclub.co/sustainabilityblog/urban-agriculture-for-sustainable-city-
development

7. Accessible public resources

8. Water conservation
 West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. (Maynilad) recently installed a rainwater-
harvesting facility at Putatan Elementary School in Muntinlupa City. The project is in support of
government’s initiative to have more rainwater storage as alternative raw water source. The
company built the 700-liter-capacity rainwater-harvesting system to provide water supply for
nondrinking purposes, such as watering the school’s gardens and flushing the toilets. “Given the
current water shortage, having a rainwater-harvesting system can go a long way in augmenting the
supply needs of consumers,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito Fernandez.
 The rainwater-harvesting project was done with the support of the Metropolitan Waterworks and
Sewerage System, and the Department of Education
Reference: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/03/02/maynilad-installs-rainwater-harvesting-facility/

9. Public Green Spaces

 Urban green spaces play an important role in the sustainable development of cities. Green space
interventions nourish the city's existing character, improve environmental conditions, promote
outdoor recreational spaces and active lifestyles, and protect biodiversity by creating wildlife
habitats. On a larger scale, they also reduce heat island effects and reduce surface runoff. In recent
years, emphasis is also given on their roles played to reduce carbon emissions and to improve the
health of citizens. According to Haq (2011), benefits of urban green spaces are multiple and can be
divided into three major categories: environmental benefits; economic and aesthetic benefits and
social and psychological benefits.
Reference: Urban Green Spaces: Combining Goals for Sustainability and Placemaking – EuropeNow
(europenowjournal.org)

10. Waste management

 Junk King is a privately held junk removal and recycling company with over 100 franchise territories
in the United States and Canada. It provides eco-friendly junk removal & hauling services to clear
unwanted clutter from your home or business. It is the one of the most ecologically friendly
company in the junk removal industry. Everything we pick up, whether it’s construction debris,
furniture, or just plain old trash, gets taken to one of our sorting centers to be recycled. San
Francisco is one of the most progressive cities in North America, and that extends to recycling as

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 well. Here are a few guidelines you can use to make sure you’re taking full advantage of the bay
area’s robust recycling program.
How Does Recycling Work in San Francisco?
 In 2009, the city of San Francisco passed the Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance. That
means it’s actually a requirement for all residents of the city to place anything recyclable or
compostable into the proper receptacles to keep it out of the landfills.
 The city provides all residents with three 32-gallon bins – one green, one blue, and one black. The
green bin is for anything recyclable, like cans and bottles. The materials in the green bin will be sent
to factories to be remade into new products, making sure that nothing gets wasted. The blue bin is
for food, plants, and other organic materials that can be composted. The contents of this bin will be
sent to local farms to help create nutrient-rich soil. The black bin is for trash, and the contents will go
straight to the landfill.
 As of 2021, approximately 80% of the waste generated by San Franciscans ends up in either the
green or the blue bin. That’s the highest recycling rate in all of North America, and the city hopes to
reach a rate of 100% as soon as possible. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
San Francisco has successfully recovered 80% and cut half of the county’s disposal by 2010. The city
is also committed to reducing solid waste by around 15% by 2030.
San Francisco is one of the many counties in America implementing zero waste. They are committed
to Zero Waste Resolution, where they make rules and laws that guarantee that no disposals will
reach the landfill without being recycled or composted. This community agreement started back in
2003. And from there, San Francisco produced less waste than other counties in the U.S.
Reference: https://www.junk-king.com/locations/sanfrancisco/dos-and-donts-of-recycling-in-san-francisco/
https://ecomaniac.org/san-francisco-recycling-center/

Five ways to make cities more sustainable and resilient

By 2050, more than two thirds of the world population are projected to live in urban areas, and most of this
urban growth will take place in lower and lower-middle income countries. But densely built-up urban spaces
tend to come with challenges of their own. Therefore, there is a need to start ensuring today that these
urban areas will be inclusive, safe, sustainable and resilient.
But what does that mean? UNU-EHS Senior Scientist Dr. Simone Sandholz names five promising aspects how
cities with their growing populations could develop to become more sustainable and resilient.
1. Urban transport systems need to become more sustainable
Sustainable urban transport can include giving priority to bicycles over cars as done for example in
Copenhagen where a bridge exclusively for bikes has been constructed, by introducing bus rapid transit
(BRT) with dedicated bus routes like in Johannesburg, or cable cars as part of urban public transport systems
to link hilly and often low-income urban communities to the city like in Medellin or La Paz.
2. Nature-based solutions work for cities, too
Increasingly nature-based solutions are considered in urban climate change adaptation and disaster risk
reduction. An example would be New York City’s greened rooftops and streets that can better manage storm
water runoff and improve urban climate. China introduced the concept of ‘sponge cities’, cities with open
spaces that can soak up floodwater and prevent disaster in ecologically friendly ways. A growing number of
tools are supporting cities throughout the implementation phase, for example this one developed by UNU-
EHS scientists.
3. Community networks can support urban disaster resilience
Impacts from disasters such as floods or storms are often worst in densely populated urban areas. While the
role of proper building codes and land-use planning has been recognized in reducing disaster risks for a long
time, increasingly social ties and community networks are on the agenda. When developing solutions for
how to support the elderly during heatwaves, for example, finding help in the community is equally
important to beneficial infrastructure.
4. Smart solutions can improve urban livelihoods

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For poor urban dwellers access to even basic urban services can be a challenge. If you live in an informal
settlement and you do not have a proper address and a bank account, it is often difficult to sign up for basic
necessities such as water and energy services. Digital technologies such as mobile money can change that. In
Kenya, smart metering enables payment for utilities and transportation by means of mobile money, thereby
providing more equal access. Furthermore, the mobile money services facilitate transfers between urban
and rural areas and are particularly helpful for female-headed households.
5. Cities, countries and international bodies need to collaborate
Urban sustainable development needs to be a top priority not only in cities but beyond urban boundaries.
For this purpose Brazil enacted a City Statute and implemented a Ministry of Cities in 2003 to direct urban
planning and to make it more sustainable and inclusive. Countries are also coming together on an
international level, for example at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban
Development (Habitat III) in which 167 counties participated to focus on sustainable urban development and
adopted the “New Urban Agenda”. While good ideas are getting implemented in different cities around the
world, it is this kind of collaboration that can make a difference globally.
Reference: BONN (2018). Five ways to make cities more sustainable and resilient - Institute for Environment
and Human Security (unu.edu)

When we talk about sustainable development and cities, green architecture is a key component. Green
architects are discovering innovative ways to reduce resource use and lower greenhouse gas emissions —
from using natural building materials and solar panels, to improving ventilation and insulation, planting more
shade trees and installing smart HVAC systems. Green buildings can meet certain requirements to get LEED-
certified, which is increasingly desirable for tenants.
The importance of sustainable cities and communities is becoming increasingly critical in the quest to
reverse environmental damage and improve the livability of cities. Urban green ecosystems can make an
enormous difference for the environment. Here are some of the key benefits of a green city:
 Environmental stewardship — each of us doing our part, using sustainable systems
 Mitigating the impact of global warming
 Better air quality, leading to improvements in residents’ health and wellness
 Improved water management and reduction of avoidable water loss
 More efficient use of the electric grid for reduced carbon emissions and lower costs
 Better use of solar energy and shade trees to reduce the use of resources

Build a Sustainable Future with Green Tech from Digi

The development of sustainable cities is a lofty goal for authorities and city planners but paramount for
combatting climate change. A sustainable infrastructure supports a reliable water supply, and mitigates the
effects of flooding, storms and heat waves.

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