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The importance of sustainability in the urban
setting cannot be over emphasized. As it concerns the very survival
of a city, healthy cities contribute to a healthy nation. Clean
environment and economic growth are complimentary to each other
and result in a vibrant community who see themselves as "stakeholders"
in all aspects of daily life. Other characteristics to sustainable
urban development include:
- Controlled population for whom adequate, meaningful employment is available.
- Adequate governance services which can meet the needs of the population and takes
care of a sense of civic duty, community participation, a sense
of identity, responsibilities, transparency and equity in local
institutions.
- Efficient basic civic amenities for a reasonable comfortable existence. For example,
due to the shortage of power more than 50% [of power] is
illegally consumed without payment to the municipal corporation
leading to corruption, unacceptable financial losses and inadequate
supply to those who pay for the consumption of power. A similar
situation has evolved where an inadequate water supply has led
to similar financial losses and an inadequate supply of water
for the population.
- Planned housing colonies with adequate
infrastructure like schools, parks, drainage system,
and local medicare establishments.
- Transportation affects the environment. Efficient
transportation planning has to take into consideration
a wide range of options and choices like adequate roads, parking
lots, alternate system of transportation, and mass transit facilities.
The aim should be to reduce total vehicle miles driven in congested
areas thus reducing pollution and emission of green house gases.
- Effective environmental infrastructure to address issues of untreated sewage and polluted
rivers, lakes and coastal zones thus threatening the quality
of aquatic systems.
- Empowerment of women and encouragement of their participation in political,
social and economic life in the city and adoption of urban policies
that take into account women's needs and initiatives.
- Development of an efficient urban private
sector, both formally and non-formally, which reduces
poverty by generating jobs and facilitates economic growth.
- An efficient health-care system
would address issues of nutrition, family planning and sanitation.
- Citizens are law-abiding, conscious
of their role and contribute to all aspects of growth of the
city.
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General
Central
Europe
India
Argentina
Sweden
Africa |
