Sustainable Cities And Energy Policies

The aim of this book is to highlight the great potential of decentralized (i.e. local or urban) energy policies in achieving environmentally-benign developments for modern cities. Urban sustainability is placed in the context of the debate on global sustainable development. A wide array of policy initiatives is discussed and evaluated, ranging from market-based energy policies to technological innovation policies for the energy sector. A theoretical framework for technology adoption processes is developed and empirically tested. The main question addressed is: which are the critical success factors for successful urban energy policies? This question is also dealt with in a meta-analytic context by assessing and comparing the performance of energy policies in various European cities, with a particular view to renewable energy.

Although urbanization steadily increases, many modern cities are finding the accommodation of their populations an increasingly difficult task. Planners and policy-makers battling to alleviate the problem with a host of urban renewal initiatives have made environmental issues and policies central to their quest for urban sustainability.;Drawing on the CITIES programme of the EC, this study describes the urban energy and environmental policies now available. Through detailed case studies of various European cities, it explains how to devise and implement strategies for urban growth and development.

No progress towards sustainable development is possible without the participation of informed and aware citizens and decision-makers. This book examines a dynamic sector – energy - and a space – city - that are critical for sustainability. Urban energy systems are capital intensive and have long lives. Immediate change is difficult, but innovation is crucial for progress toward more intelligent systems. Here is an informative guide for decision makers and citizens alike.

The twenty-first century will be increasingly urban.

The objective of Sustainable Communities Design Handbook is to ensure a better quality of life for everyone, both now and for generations to come. This means creating a better and safer environment internationally through the sustainable use of natural resources, encouraging sustainable development which supports a strong economy, and ensuring a high quality environment that can be enjoyed by all. Sustainable Development Partnerships brings together in one reference today's most cutting edge technologies and methods for creating sustainable communities. With this book, Environmental Engineers, Civil Engineers, Architects, Mechanical Engineers, and Energy Engineers find a common approach to building environmental friendly communities which are energy efficient. The five part treatment starts with a clear and rigorous exposition of sustainable development in practice, followed by self-contained chapters concerning applications. Methods for the sustainable use of natural resources in built communities Clearly explains the most cutting edge sustainable technologies Provides a common approach to building sustainable communities Coverage of sustainable practices from architecture to construction

Questions of how to green the North American economy, create a green energy and transportation infrastructure, and halt the deadly increase in greenhouse gas buildup dominate our daily news. Related questions of how the design of cities can impact these challenges dominate the thoughts of urban planners and designers across the U.S. and Canada. With admirable clarity, Patrick Condon discusses transportation, housing equity, job distribution, economic development, and ecological systems issues and synthesizes his knowledge and research into a simple-to-understand set of urban design rules that can, if followed, help save the planet. No other book so clearly connects the form of our cities to their ecological, economic, and social consequences. No other book takes on this breadth of complex and contentious issues and distills them down to such convincing and practical solutions. And no other book so vividly compares and contrasts the differing experiences of U.S. and Canadian cities. Of particular new importance is how city form affects the production of planet-warming greenhouse gases. The author explains this relationship in an accessible way, and goes on to show how conforming to seven simple rules for community design could literally do a world of good. Each chapter in the book explains one rule in depth, adding a wealth of research to support each claim. If widely used, Condon argues, these rules would lead to a much more livable world for future generations—a world that is not unlike the better parts of our own.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. Two trends come together in the world’s cities to make urban sustainability a critical issue today. First, greater and greater numbers of people are living in urban areas—and are projected to do so for the foreseeable future. Additionally, cities contribute to climate change in a significant way and must make systemic changes to mitigate and adapt to climate change effects. Urban planners face serious challenges in enhancing sustainability but also have an important set of tools available for creating innovative solutions. This book adds to the conversation about the place of urban planning in the creation and maintenance of sustainable cities.

This book examines the extent to which the environment is addressed in the sustainability plans of Canadian cities. It assesses if and to what extent select leading environmental priorities are addressed in the sustainability plans of sixteen Canadian cities, followed by analysis of efforts towards each priority. It scores and ranks cities against each environmental priority and highlights what makes some cities lead and others lag in environmental sustainability. The book unravels the complexity, similarities, and differences in environmental sustainability planning across major cities in Canada. The project reflects what’s working, who’s leading, and which environmental priorities support the sustainable city model. Climate change has exacerbated the impacts of flood, droughts, wildfire and storms, urban centers must account for sustainability to mitigate and adapt to a changing and uncertain landscape. It begins with robust and integrative sustainability plans that prioritize the environment. This book will make a timely contribution to the on-going debate regarding the ways and means to become a sustainable city. It reflects the on-going sustainable development discourse and deliberations to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. It cut across many SDGs in particular SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities. What makes this study unique is its special attention to environmental priorities within urban sustainability planning. This subject is topical and would appeal to both scholars and practitioners at local, regional, national, and global scales.