Urban Environments Case Studies
Medellin, Columbia
- A giant outdoor escalator has been built in the favela- cost $7m (£4.5m) - Previously had to climb hundreds of steps to get home from the city centre - this was not an option for the elderly, pregnant women etc - About 12,000 residents of Comuna 13 will benefit from the escalator, which is free to use and shortens a half-hour walk to about five minutes - Has given many people the independence to travel around the slum and to get the CBD to work - It has improved their sense of community
Rio de Janeiro - Favelas
- According to the 2010 Census, about 6% of Brazil's population live in favelas or shanty-towns - around 11.25 million people across the country - However, there could be even more living in these communities - Rocinha is Brazil's largest favela and unofficial estimates say it has up to 180,000, compared to the census figure of just 70,000 Positives: - Favelas have thriving communities, with a whole range of employment, people and facilities - Sense of community - Some businesses thrive and people are able to make a life for themselves Negatives: - There are great disparties within the favelas, and between people from favelas and from other parts of Rio - High class residential areas are found next to the CBD and along beaches of areas such as Copacabana. Apartments are very exclusive and cater for the wealthy workers of the CBD- many of these high rise apartments have 24 hour security and armed guards - More than 1.2 million people live in the favelas on less than £1 per day - High incidences of malnutrition, diarrhoea and other diseases - High crime rates and gang violence - Lack access to the most basic public services, such as health care, education, and space for recreation -Infant mortality rates are high in favelas- 50 per 1000 compared to a national rate of 15 per 1000 Solutions: 1. Site and service schemes - These give people the chance to rent or buy a piece of land that is connected to the city by transport links and has access to essential services such as running water - People build their own homes using money from a low-interest loan 2. Self help schemes - People are given tools and training to improve their homes - Low-interest loans may be used to help people fund these changes - People may be given legal ownership of the land they live on 3. Rural Investment - Improving the quality of life and creating greater opportunities in rural areas may prevent people from migrating to urban areas
Tokyo's ecological footprint
- According to the Earth Council, a biologically productive area of 1.7 hectares is needed per person for basic living - For Tokyo, they would need 1.2 times the area of Japan for each person to have this amount of land Working towards sustainability: - A mandatory program for 1,400 of the area's factories and office buildings to cut their carbon emissions 25% from 2000 levels by the end of 2020 - Toughened environmental building standards - Cash incentives for residents to install solar panels - A plan for greening the city, including planting half a million trees and converting a 217-acre landfill in Tokyo Bay into a wooded "sea forest" park
London - Ethnic segregation
- Between 1960 and 1980, the white population of London relocated to the suburbs - Housing left behind was then occupied by immigrant populations - eg. Indians, Pakistanis, Black and Caribbean Africans, Bangladeshis - Today, Bangladeshis are concentrated in Tower Hamlets - 30% live in overcrowded accommodation - Their segregation is due to : Late arrival Inability to speak English on arrival Wish to maintain cultural identity Poverty - The community has established a network is businesses and is now a prosperous zone in Tower Hamlets - They are also employed in food, retailing, clothing, travel and money lending
London Congestion Charge
- Congestion charges were introduced into central London in February 2003 - There is an £8 daily charge for driving or parking a vehicle on public roads within the congestion zone between 7am and 6pm on Mondays to Fridays - The original congestion zone covered 22km2, but was extended by 50% in 2007 - Cameras at the entrance point of the zone automatically capture the number plates of vehicles in the zone and a penalty of £100 is given to those who do not pay the charge - Some vehicle types are exempt- e.g. buses, taxis and motorcycles, and some can apply for a reduced price eg. disabled people Impacts: Traffic levels in the zone have been cut by 20% Congestion has been reduced by around 30% during the time frame There has been an 82% increase in cycle trips There has been a net reduction of between 40-70 road traffic casualties per year
Dharavi, Mumbai - The informal economy
- Dharavi is located in the heart of Mumbai, close to international airports - It is the largest and oldest slum in Mumbai with a population of 600,000 people living in 100,000 makeshift homes - Highest population density in the world - 100,000 people per km2 - Their informal sector is worth an estimated $665 million Cost to human welfare: - Poor living and working conditions - Unsanitary conditions - Long working hours - Poor pay - Dangerous jobs without regulation - eg. people working in factories without safety gear - Labour intensive - One toilet shared by 1400 residents - People are being forced from the land into tiny apartments in high rise buildings - destroying social and economic flows for its population - A solution to this is redevelop low-rise, high density buildings for the residents to live in - to maintain their networks - However, this is extremely difficult to financially support
Paris Heatwave 2003
- In 2003, a persistent anticyclone over Europe caused a heatwave with consistent temperatures of over 40 degrees recorded in some areas - 30,000 people in Europe we killed - Paris maintained temperatures of over 38 degrees for nine consecutive days - The heat caused extreme dehydration and cardiovascular illnesses - Those most afflicted were the elderly - Paris in particular had a high population of elderly women living alone who could not cope with the heat Responses: - A debate about how France deals with its elderly care led to the development of a heatwave plan of action - this includes local government, the health sector, humanitarian organisations etc - The elderly and handicapped people were encouraged to become more involved in the community - A phone help line was set up and alerts and cool shelters were set up for future heatwaves - A subsequent heatwave in Paris in 2006, where temperatures reached over 40 degrees killed only 42 people - The plan does not address the long term problem of overheating in cities
Australia - Inequalities
- Inequalities between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians - Indigenous people have: - shorter life expectancy - higher rates of infant mortality - poorer health - lower levels of education and employment - This is due to racial descrimination, lack of education and employment etc - In 2016, Indigenous children experienced 1.7 times higher levels of malnutrition than non-Indigenous children - There is over a decade difference in life expectancy - around 70 for indigenous and around 80 for non-indigenous - In 2016, Indigenous children experienced 1.7 times higher levels of malnutrition than non-Indigenous children - Median weekly income for Indigenous Australians was $542 in 2014-15 compared with $852 for non-Indigenous Australians - In 2008, the Australian government made a formal commitment to address Indigenous disadvantage in Australia, known as 'Closing the Gap' - The Closing the Gap strategy has made some improvements to Indigenous health since it was introduced in 2008. Sadly, all except one of the seven Close the Gap targets were behind target in 2016
Kathmandu, Nepal - Waste Management
- Kathmandu is a rapidly urbanising area - This is creating issues with waste disposal - the average amount is relatively low, at 0.37kg per day per person, but this is increasing much more rapidly than their population Sustainable Waste Treatment: - Composting organic waste - reduces the cost of environmental impacts by reducing landfill needed and helping soil fertility - Waste is gathered through door-to-door collected and then composted - The compost bags are then sold at the local market - They have designed a 100-litre capacity home composting bins - around 800 households are composting at home - The Community Mobilisation Unit (CMU) works with community groups, youth groups and schoolchildren to raise awareness and provide training in solid waste management - Aims to conserve resources via waste minimisation, reusing and recycling
Oxford - Park and Ride
- Park and Ride schemes encourage people to park their car on the outskirts of the CBD and then continue their journey by bus - There are five park and ride sites located around Oxford's ring road, with regular bus services to the city centre, and - from some car parks - to the hospitals
Shanghai - Megacity
- Shanghai is a rapidly growing megacity in China - During the 70s, China began reopening its economy to the world, and Shanghai was designated one of the countries mega cities - The Shanghai Economic Zone was established in 1983 - In the 90s, the city became a major centre for export manufacturing based on automobiles, biotechnology, chemicals and steel, and its service-industry sector - Over the 90s, the city began to reemerge as a world city - It attracted lots of foreign investment- more than half the worlds top 500 TNCs are set up here - Annual regional growth rate of 20% - Population of 15 million - Manufacturing jobs have slowing declined (shedding almost 1 million jobs) to make way for business services, finance and real estate - There is increasing disparity between rich and poor as more skilled, wealthy workers are attracted Problems: - Housing shortages and overpopulation- almost half the population live in less than 5% of the land area, population density reaches 160,000 people per km2 - Causing by high in-migration - High disparities between rich and poor - Issues with water - less than 60% of waste and storm water is intercepted, treated and disposed of - Problems with pollution - Threat of coastal flooding Solutions: - Family planning and medical care - Compulsory work permits - Education initiatives to improve immigrant job opportunities - Transport systems were upgraded and attempts were made to limit car ownership growth - worlds fastest train connects the underground system to the airport that can reach 431 km/hour - Pedestrianisation Effectiveness of solutions: - Decreased population density in heart of the city and increased it elsewhere - Life expectancy is increasing - it is estimated that by 2020, 34% of the population will be over 60
Birmingham - Revitilisation
Birmingham is the UK's second-largest city and has strong connections with other countries in the world as a result of its ethnic diversity. The city presents many positive opportunities such as: - Social - ethnic and cultural diversity allows people to experience different religions and foods. The Balti Triangle is an area of Birmingham famous for its restaurants and curry houses. St Paul's Square is a popular venue for live music. The Birmingham Royal Ballet and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra help to create a culturally-rich city. The city also has five universities, which cater for over 65,000 higher education students. - Economic - the Bullring shopping centre includes 140 shops generating employment and income for the local economy. Brindley Place is a city centre development which includes bars, retail, offices and entertainment facilities and which generates a large income. - Environmental - canals in Birmingham have been cleaned up. The towpaths have been upgraded to encourage people to walk and cycle along the canals in the city. The Eastside City Park is a new park developed to increase the amount of green space. To reduce pollution, traffic has been managed by creating a park and ride scheme, encouraging the use of buses and the Birmingham Metro tramline.
Transport for London
Goals set by TFL 1. Support economic development and population growth 2. Enhance the quality of life for all Londoners 3. Improve the safety and security of all Londoners 4. Improve transport opportunities for all Londoners 5. Reduce transport's contribution to climate change and improve its resilience 6. Support delivery of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and its legacy - "Our responsible procurement policy promotes fair employment practices. We aim to purchase low-carbon, resource-efficient goods, and services that are responsibly sourced." - "We are working with local communities to make public transport, walking and cycling more accessible. These initiatives include our school travel plans scheme and the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) ambassadors programme." - "We are introducing a number of measures to help the Mayor achieve his target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60% in 2025 (from 1990 levels)."
Curitiba
Location of Curitiba: City in South East Brazil, Capital of Parana Province 1.8 million people Transport: - 465 bus lanes caters for more than 2 million passengers a day - Buses are quick and cheap - affordable and of good quiality - 5 main routes, centre lane for bus only - 5 main transportation routes cris-cross the city thanks to the BRT - bus rapid transit system - The stations are elevated to provide the passengers access to the same level as the bus - Called 'Tubular bus stops' - bus drivers don't take fares making 1/3 less travel times - The buses have platforms which are lowered to allow the passengers to get off quickly without wasting time - There are 2 doors on the buses so that people can get on and off at the same time, this means they are stood still creating air pollution for less amount of time - No person lives more than 400 meters from a bus stop - There are lanes which are reserved exclusively to the BRT - 25% less congestion - public transport is now used by 75% of commuters on weekdays - Create a subway line running North to South Recycling: - 2/3 of the city's waste is recycled - Awarded the highest environmental prize in 1990 by UNEP - Efficient recycling collection service - Education on how to recycle Open Space: - 28 parks in Curitiba - 4 times the green space recommended - Some acts as flood plains - Increasing the area per person from 0.5m² thirty years ago to 54m² today - Planted over 5 million trees
