Currently, suppose you’re living in a metropolis. In that case, you might have felt this at least once—we’re living amid buildings, breathing smog-full air, consuming non-eco-friendly products and services every single day, and where is sustainability here? You’re right! The current metropolises have only tech-based smart systems to make your life easier, but not 100% sustainable smart systems. A sustainable space will help reduce waste, use environment-friendly products, and, most importantly, leave some space on earth for the natural habitation of birds, animals, and water animals.

What is a sustainable urban city?

An urban city that aims to address all aspects of urban city infrastructure and, at the same time, social and environmental concerns like waste removal or recycling, more green spaces, etc., is called a sustainable urban city.   

Principles of green city planning for the future 

Green city planning is based on the 3P principle—people, planet, and profit—an infrastructure that benefits people (smart), planet (eco-friendly), and profit (economic growth for the country).

Some of the city’s initiatives that align with these principles are:

• Recycling systems for both resources and waste
• Preservation of cultural practices
• Ecological restoration
• Effective utilization of underground spaces
• Green finance mechanisms
• Climate change adaptation 

Glimpses on Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2023 >>>

Major characteristics of sustainable urban planning 

1. Transportation
   1. Charging stations: Sufficient charging access for electric vehicles
   2. Pedestrian pathways: To promote walking in the city for short distances
   3. Bikable or cyclable pathways: Replace all car lanes with equal bike/cycle and car lanes 
   4. Public transport systems: Encourage the public to prefer public transport systems for commutation 
2. Sustainable farms
   1. Water conservation: Agricultural farms that effectively use and save water in the best possible ways
   2. Solar-powered: Use renewable solar energy to generate electricity for irrigation and other purposes
3. Green buildings
   1. Green spaces: Allocate some space for gardening or plantations within the buildings 
   2. Waste management: Close the loop by rightly routing the wastes to waste management systems 
4. Eco-friendly community zones
   1. Biodiverse parks: Develop greeneries and parks for people to enjoy nature
   2. Sustainable food production: From growing the crops to processing them, ensure a sustainable process 

Get inspired by today’s sustainable urban cities

Listed below are the top cities that rank higher on the list of green cities or sustainable planning in the world. In no particular order: 

1. Oslo, Norway: Above 45% of the city is green and stands first on the list of most sustainable cities in the world. 
2. Copenhagen, Denmark: The city has been transforming all its buses from diesel to electric. 
3. Tokyo, Japan: When comparing APAC countries, it is the first-most green city. 
4. Amsterdam, Netherlands: It has caused a revolution in biking platforms, i.e., more than 8,00,000 bikes are on the road instead of cars.
5. London, United Kingdom: The city ranks 6th and has made improvements in public transport systems and air quality.
6. Vancouver, Canada: Most buildings in the city are green buildings. And has more than two hundred public parks and gardens.  
7. Curitiba, Brazil: The city has the best recycling and composting systems that save the planet. 
8. Portland, United States: It is a bike-friendly city and has been reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% every year. 
9. Singapore: The city has nine thousand hectares of green spaces in the form of parks, community gardens, public spaces, etc.
10. Seattle, United States: A whopping 80% of electric power is generated through carbon-free hydroelectric systems.  

Have some sustainable business ideas? Drop your comments! Alternatively, are you looking for some ideas? Here is the top 7 business idea list!

Conclusion

For everyone to understand about a sustainable future, sustainable urbanism studies had to be mandatorily incorporated into the education system. This will help make future generations aware of green planning in urban cities and, hence, support the same!  

Let us all strive toward making our cities carbon-neutral and gift our children a sustainable future to live their lives in.