Planning Sustainable Cities

Cities are not going to stop growing, so the real question is what kind of cities we build. Good planning decides whether a city drains the land around it or actually gives something back. This page covers what planners aim for, and the named examples that prove it can be done.

Why urban planning matters

Urban planning is the process of designing how land and buildings in a city are used so they meet the needs of the population. It is about the best way to organise urban space for the physical, environmental, commercial, industrial and social needs of everyone who lives there.

Done well, it makes cities grow in an organised and efficient way and prevents overcrowding, pollution and inadequate infrastructure. Done badly, or not at all, you get the sprawl and pollution from the last page.

Factors in sustainable urban planning

There are ten factors to know. Learn them with their named examples, because an example is usually worth a mark on its own.

Three sides of sustainability

Exam questions often ask you to separate the social, economic and environmental aspects of a plan. Green spaces answer an environmental concern; affordable housing answers a social one. Sorting them before you write keeps your answer tidy.

Ecological urban planning

Ecological urban planning treats the city as an ecosystem. It looks at how the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) parts interact, and it aims to balance urban development with the natural environment so the city is sustainable, resilient and healthy for both humans and wildlife.

Urban ecology

Urban ecology means building green spaces and natural habitats into the design of the city rather than fitting them in afterwards. That includes parks, allotments, ponds and canals, all of which give wildlife somewhere to live and improve air quality at the same time.

Urban farming

Urban farming is growing food inside the city, often in unused or repurposed spaces. It covers beekeeping, horticulture, aquaculture and city farms. In New York City, community gardens and rooftop farms supply fresh produce to local residents.

Biophilic design

Biophilic design brings nature into the built environment by putting natural elements into the architecture itself: living green walls, rooftop gardens, water features and the use of natural light.

The famous example is the Bosco Verticale — “vertical forest” — in Milan, Italy. It is a pair of residential skyscrapers covered in trees and plants, which improves air quality and biodiversity in the middle of a dense city.

Resilience planning

Resilience planning designs cities to withstand and adapt to environmental challenges such as climate change. Note the two verbs: withstand a shock when it comes, and adapt so the next one does less damage.

• Vertical farming to produce food in limited urban space.
• Buildings on stilts to protect them from flooding in flood-prone areas.
• Floating homes that rise and fall with the water. Some homes in the Netherlands are built to float.
• Green roofs and permeable pavements that use natural processes to manage stormwater and reduce flooding.

Regenerative architecture

Regenerative architecture is a step beyond sustainability. Rather than only reducing environmental harm, the aim is to actively improve the environment around the building.

• Building skins that clean the air. Special materials or coatings on the outside walls filter pollutants such as nitrogen oxides out of the air, improving air quality around the building.
• Renewable energy sources. Many regenerative buildings use solar panels, wind turbines or bio-digesters to generate more energy than they consume, then feed the clean surplus back into the grid.
• Bio-digesters. These break down organic waste, such as food or agricultural waste, to produce biogas for heating or electricity. They leave natural fertiliser as a by-product.
• Rainwater capture systems. Rain is collected and reused for non-drinking purposes such as irrigation or flushing toilets, which reduces demand on local water supplies.

Worked examples