Eco-cities

By
Dhahir A. Taha
Urban and Rural Planning
Central South University
6th Nov 2018
Introduction
An eco-city is a city built from the principles of living within environment
means.
 What is an Eco2 city?
As the name implies, an Eco2 city builds on the synergy and interdependence of
ecological and economic sustainability, and their fundamental ability to
reinforce each other in the urban context.
Innovative cities in both the developed and the developing world have
demonstrated that with the appropriate strategic approach they can
economically enhance their resource efficiency—realizing the same value from
a much smaller and renewable resource base—while simultaneously reducing
harmful pollution and unnecessary waste
The ultimate goal of many
eco-cities
Eliminate all carbon waste (zero-carbon city).
 Produce energy entirely through renewable resources.
Merge the city harmoniously with the natural environment.
Stimulating economic growth.
Reducing poverty.
Using higher population densities.
Obtaining higher efficiency.
And improving health
History of Eco- City
• Origins
The concept of the “Emils Gejs” was born out of one of the first organizations
focused on eco-city development, “Urban Emiils.” The group was founded by
Richard Register in Berkeley, California in 1975.

Urban Emiils Idea:

reconstructing cities to be in balance with nature. They worked to plant trees
along the main streets, built solar greenhouses, and worked within the Berkeley
legal system to pass environmentally friendly policies and encourage public
transportation.
 A journal they started publishing in 1987
International Eco-City Conference
Urban ecology further advanced the movement when they hosted the first International
Eco-City Conference in Berkeley, California in 1990. The Conference focused on
urban sustainability problems and encouraged the over 700 participants to submit
proposals on how to best reform cities to work within environmental means.
Eco-City Conferences have been held in ( Adelaide, Australia; Yoff. Senegal;
Curitiba. Brazil; Shenzhen, China; Bangalore, India; San Francisco. United States;
Istanbul. Turkey; Montreal. Canada; Nantes. France Abu Dhabi (2015.UAS
Conference on: Green Urbanism hold in Italy from 12–14 October 2016 Eco-cities and
Different other Topics.
The conference Ice Cool Earth (ICEF), first held in
Tokyo, Japan in 2014, and now every year at the same
Eco-city criteria
• Operates on a self-contained
Several sets of criteria economy, resources needed are
for Eco-cities have been found locally
• Has completely carbon-neutral and
suggested, encompassing renewable energy production
the economic, social, • Has a well-planned city layout and
and environmental public transportation system that
qualities that an eco-city makes the priority methods of
transportation as follows possible:
should satisfy. The ideal walking first, then cycling, and then
“ecocity” has been public transportation.
described as a city that • Restores environmentally damaged
urban areas.
fulfils the following • Ensures decent and affordable
requirements. housing for all socioeconomic and
ethnic groups and improve jobs
• Resource conservation—maximizing
efficiency of water and energy
resources, constructing a waste
management system that can recycle
waste and reuse it, creating a zero-
waste system
• Promotes voluntary simplicity in
lifestyle choices, decreasing material
consumption, and increasing
awareness of environmental and
sustainability issues
• Supports local agriculture and
produce
Practical achievements
• Economic impact
• Environmental standards
• Social ( Poverty reduction, Population distribution, Public health)
Technology and urban layout
• Transportation
• Transportation
• Landscape
• Energy
• Water
Leading eco-cities
• Curitiba, Brazil
The city of Curitiba, Brazil
proactively began to address the
challenges of sustainable urban
development in 1966 with a
master plan that outlined future
integration between urban
development, transportation and
public health

Linear urban development in Curitiba contrasted with surrounding

residential development
Leading eco-cities
• Auroville, India
Auroville was founded in 1968 with
the intention of realizing human
unity, and is now home to
approximately 2,300 individuals
from over 45 nations around the
world (substantially less than the
50,000 anticipated). Its focus is its
vibrant community culture and its
expertise in renewable energy
systems, habitat restoration, ecology
skills, mindfulness practices, and
holistic education.
Leading eco-cities
• Freiburg, Germany
The city of Freiburg, Germany,
whose sustainable policies date
all the way back to the 1970s,
has constructed itself as a
sustainable city by actively
committing to its target areas of
energy, transportation, and to its
three pillars for sustainable
development: energy saving,
new technology, and renewable
energy sources
Leading eco-cities
• Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm in Sweden has been
an environmentally focused city
that is redeveloping itself to
become an ecocity through
efficient urban planning and
resource use.
Stockholm has established six
environmental goals, called
Vision 2030, that act as the
foundation of this initiative
Challenges
Despite the sustainability, efficiency and other established benefits of
ecocities, actual implementation can be difficult to attain. Existing
infrastructure, both in terms of the physical city layout and existing local
bureaucracy, are major, often insurmountable, obstacles to large-scale
sustainable development
 Ecological cities as economic cities
Eco2 Cities is a new initiative launched by the World Bank, as an integral part
of the World Bank Urban and Local Government Strategy, to help cities in
developing countries achieve greater ecological and economic sustainability.
 How the Eco2 Cities Initiative works
The Eco2 Cities Initiative
works through the application
of an analytical and
operational framework that
helps cities systematically
achieve positive results. As a
framework, it provides a point
of departure and needs to be
customized to the particular
context of each city.
An expanded platform for
collaborative design and decision-making
A one system approach
A one system approach enables cities
to plan, design, and manage the
whole urban system by integrating
and optimizing its key subsystems.
In so doing, it provides the
opportunity for cities to realize the
many benefits of synergy.
An investment framework that values
sustainability and resilience
Despite rising interest in sustainability in many locations, and demonstrated
capacity for urban design solutions, cities today are having difficulty
investing in systems that are long term and ecological
Thanks for your attention