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Advantages to Sustainable Cities
As seen by other organizations
 

 

Smart Communities Network

Sustainable urban development can:

  • enhance a sense of place;
  • reduce crime;
  • mitigate natural hazards;
  • conserve energy and resources;
  • preserve culture and heritage;
  • improve traffic circulation;
  • reduce waste; and
  • attract more viable economic development.

 
Developing Sustainable Communities: The Future is Now

"These communities and others demonstrate the multiple goals of sustainable development. Sustainable development can enhance a sense of place, reduce crime, mitigate natural hazards, conserve energy and resources, preserve culture and heritage, improve traffic circulation, and reduce waste. It can attract more viable economic development as competition among communities for high-quality businesses becomes more intense. Perhaps most important, it can help relate and integrate the many components of a community to achieve a synergistic whole."
- http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/freshstart/articles/future.htm

"The benefits would be reduced energy budgets, reduced material consumption, and a smaller, more compact urban pattern interspersed with productive areas to collect energy, grow crops, and recycle wastes…. Cities with low automobile dependence are more centralized; have more intense land use (more people and jobs per unit area); are more oriented to non auto modes (more public transit, foot traffic and bicycle usage); place more restraints on high-speed traffic; and offer better public transit…. The ideal urban form for a particular locale will depend on the nature of the energy-supply options: for example, higher densities make most efficient use of district heating and public transport networks, while lower densities make solar energy more viable."
- Rees, William E. and Roseland, Mark. 1991. Sustainable Communities: Planning for the 21st Century. Plan Canada. 31: 3. 15-26.

 
Bureau of Meteorology, Australia

"In the climatically optimum city, the thermal comfort and even the health of some city-dwellers improves. Less energy is needed for indoor temperature control. Peak power demand and peak stormwater run-off are reduced, saving on the cost of city infrastructure."
- http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/environ/design/design_d.shtml

Central Europe

Sweden

Argentina

Advantages noted by other organizations

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