Resource Guide: Land use and Sustainable Cities

Benfield, Kaid. "What Cities Should Do to Become More Sustainable and Resilient (and It's Not What They Are Doing Currently)."  Switchboard: Natural Resources Defense Council Staff Blog (2010). Published electronically March 30, 2010. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/what_cities_should_do_to_becom.html

Benfield discusses the current issues that some cities face when it comes to addressing sustainability. Many cities focus their efforts on energy efficiency and conservation when in fact tranpsortation is it's largest source of emissions. Benfield and Warren Karlenzig, founder of the Common Current determine seven rules of thumb for economic vitality and sustainability in cities: Planning, Mobility, Built Environment, Economy, Food, Resources, and Management. Thess actions will provide me with areas of solutions to discuss in my writing.

           

Birch, Eugenie L, and Susan M Wachter. Growing Greener Cities: Urban Sustainability in the Twenty-First Century.  Philadelphia Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008.

Birch and Wachter discuss important topics in their writing to improve urban sustainability. They stress the importane of sustainability throughout a region rather than simply one large city, greening cities through the public realm approach, greening homes, infastructure, financing development, ecosystem services and the evolution of the urban green movement. Through this wide array of topics, these authors conclude key components of what makes cities green.

           

Brugmann, Jeb. Welcome to the Urban Revolution.  New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2009.

Brugmann argues how cities can be transformed to address the problems of the twenty-first century. Through examples and case studies of the worlds most productive, sustainable, and equitable cities, brugmann makes a case for how these cities can be used to transform other cities. Barcelona, Vancouver, and Curitiba Brazil serve as models with practices that can be taken and implemented in cities across the globe.

           

Bulkely, Harriet, and Michelle M Betsill. "Rethinking Sustainable Cities: Multilevel Governance and the Urban Politics of Climate Change." Environmental Politics 14, no. 1 (2005): 42-63.

This journal discusses four key reasons why reducing greenhouse gas emissions is important for urban areas. In addition to these reasons, Bulkely argues for a multilvel governance approach to sustainable city planning for climate change. Within different levels of government, energy conservation is a key issue within urban sustainability. The multilevel government approcah offers two types explained through case studies used to illustrate ingishts for uban sustainability.

Gedikli, Bahar. "The Open Space Contributing to Neighborhood Sustainability through Public Events: A Case from Ankara Turkey."

In this paper, Gedikli explains the benefits of open space for mitigating climate change within urban and suburban neighborhoods. Gedikli explains the benefits of open space related to the quality of life which is then used to explain urban sustainability through the environment, economic, and social justice components. Through a case study of Ankara Turkey, the impacts of open space are identified for community benefits and nieghbohood sustainability.

           

Gill, S.E., J.F. Handley, A.R. Ennos, and E.R. Pauleit. "Adapting Cities for Climate Change: The Role of Green Infrastructure." The Built Environment 33, no. 1 (2007): 115-33.

As the climate continues to change on a daily basis, the authors of this journal discuss the need for green space and green infastructure in great britan. They call for a transition away from the typical mitigation stratagies that many cities currently use, and argue for a transition to green infastrucute made up of greenspace. The biophysical components that greenspace provides positively impacts human health and the health and longevity of urban infastructure. These authors discuss green infastructure as a way of adapting to cities to climate change. 

           

Glaeser, Edward L. Triumph of the City : How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier.  New York: Penguin Press, 2011.

Edward Gleaser’s Triumps of the City, describes how cities are the greatest invention that make humans happier, richer, smarter, greener and wealthier. Gleaser provides a strong framework for how cities serve as sustainable alternatives to address climate change and growing greenhouse gas emissions. This book discusses current city practices that are successful in health, happiness and sustainability and the steps that some cities should make to increase their success.

           

Grant, Jill L. "Theory and Practice in Planning the Suburbs: Challenges to Implementing New Urbanism, Smart Growth and Sustainability Principles." Planning Theory and Practice 10, no. 1 (2009): 11-33.

Grant discusses the theories and planning frameworks used in planning urban areas and suburbs in Canada. She discusses the current theories used in planning suburban areas which are often associaed with unsustainable low density development. Grant specifically discusses the New Urbanism and Smart Growth movements throughout Canada, the pressures that urban planners face and lack of political support for these movements.  

Ling, Ooi Giok, and Belinda Yuen. World Cities: Achieving Livability and Vibrancy.  Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pete. Ltd., 2010.

This book provides a strong framework for planners, activists and governments to use in working towards sustainable urban development. The book focuses on different topics from waste management, transportation, biodiversity and infastructure. Through these issues, the authors ultimate goal is to explain how cities create greater happiness and can achieve vibrancy and liveabilty in a rapidly changing environment. This book will complement the writing of Edward Gleaser and form a substantial portion of my argument in sustianable urban development.

           

Office of Sustainable Communities, Smart Growth Program. "Our Built and Natural Environments: A Technical Review of the Interactions among Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Quality." 2013.

This comprehensive report provides data from the U.S. Environmental Proetection Agency and other government departments on population projections and metropolitan growth throughout the United States. It explains how the environment is affected by varying forms of transportation and land use, our current scope of greenhouse gas emissions in these aras, and the different processes we can use to move forward in sustainable land use and urban residential sustainability.

           

Peter, Camaren, and Mark Swalling. "Sustainable, Resource Efficient Cities- Making It Happen!", 2012.

This complex report from the United Nations Environmenal Programme provide in depth information on urban infastrucutre and sustainability, 21^st century trends, and steps to take forward to reach our goals. Specific examples from different countries are used to highlight what regions are doing well and what some need to improve upon. This will provide me with a global scope on problems and actions to make cities resource efficient.

           

Smith, Heather. "Suburbs of Chicago and San Francisco Struggle over Who Gets to Live There."  (2015). http://grist.org/cities/suburbs-of-chicago-and-san-francisco-struggle-over-who-gets-to-live-

This article outlines suburban growth in two major urban centers and highlights the environmental justice componet of them. Sustainable cities are not just about the quality of the natural environment, but also about the social justice of who gets to live there and its affordability for the average citizen. This article will provide insight into current problems facing suburban homeowners beyond the environment and sustainability.

           

Thompson, Claire. "The 15 Most Sustainable U.S. Cities."  Grist (2009). Published electronically July 17, 2009. http://grist.org/article/2009-07-16-sustainable-green-us-cities/full/

Thompson provides data on a recent project from 2009 to highlight the most sustainable U.S cities and their current practices. Thompson provides details on the 15 most sustainable U.S Cities from 2009 and highlights the areas that each city focuses on for sustainability and the environment. This will provide me with a good overview of U.S. practices in urban sustainability.

           

"Urban Planning and the Importance of Green Space in Cities to Human and Environmental Health." http://www.hphpcentral.com/article/urban-planning-and-the-importance-of-green-space-in-cities-to-human-and-environmental-health.

This article explains briefly what urban planning is and then describes the importance of green space in urban areas. Green space is important for not only the environment but also for human health and the biodiversity and health of the city. The heart of this argument draws upon the fact of making cities liveable. The better liveability a city has is determined by not only it's ammenities but also it's management and efforts in making it truly sustainable and healthy.

           

Wilson, Jonathan Sinclair, Hamish Ironside, Alison Kuznets, and Andrea Service. "Cities and Climate Change: Global Report on Human Settlements 2011." edited by Naison D. Mutizwa-Mangiza, 1-300. Kenya: United Nations Human Settlements Programme, 2011.

This extensive document outlines urban development and action as a global problem and area of effort. following a history of climate change policy and negotiation, it focuses on areas where cities can improve to adapt and mitigate climate change. This document calls for immediate action amongst nations as well as state and local government action. This report will provide me with in-depth global data on actions regions throughout the world are taking and how developing nations can be successful amidst this time of crisis for city infastructure.