Ecocities
An ecocity is a human settlement that enables its residents to live a good quality of life while using minimal natural resources.
Buildings
Its buildings make best use of sun, wind and rainfall to help supply the energy and water needs of occupants. Generally multistory to maximize the land available for greenspace.
Biodiversity
It is threaded with natural habitat corridors, to foster biodiversity and to give residents access to nature for recreation.
Transport
Its food and other goods are sourced from within its borders or from nearby, in order to cut down on transport costs.
The majority of its residents live within walking or cycling distance of their workplace, to minimise the need for motorised transport.
Frequent public transport connects local centres for people who need to travel further.
Local car sharing allows people to use a car only when needed.
Industry
The goods it produces are designed for reuse, remanufacture, and recycling.
The industrial processes its uses involve reuse of by-products, and minimise the movement of goods.
Economy
It has a labour intensive rather than a material, energy, and water intensive economy, to maintain full employment and minimise material throughput.
Ecocity definition written by our sister organization, Urban Ecology Australia
Ecocity Builders
339 15th Street, Suite 208 Oakland, CA 94612 Phone/Fax 510-444-4508
We are a non-profit organization dedicated to reshaping cities, towns and villages for long term health of human and natural systems. Our goals include returning healthy biodiversity to the heart of our cities, agriculture to gardens and the streets, and convenience and pleasure to walking, bicycling and transit. We visualize a future in which waterways in neighborhood environments and prosperous downtown centers are opened for curious children, fish, frogs and dragonflies. We work to build thriving neighborhood centers while reversing sprawl development, to build whole cities based on human needs and “access by proximity” rather than cities built in the current pattern of automobile driven excess, wasteful consumption and the destruction of the biosphere.
(Above, Ecocity San Francisco by Richard Register)
Ecocity Builders' President Richard Register (right) with Paolo Soleri (left) at Soleri's 90th birthday party, Arcosanti, Arizona.
Photo credit: Susan Felter 2009
DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
British Columbia Institute of Technology
Ecocity Builders led a sustainable deisgn charette for British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) during the 2009 Gaining Ground conference in Vancouver Canada.
Photo credit: Kirstin MIller
Table group discussion at West Coast Green's West Oakland Design Charette in San Francisco, co-produced by Ecocity Builders and Village Bottoms Neighborhood Association.
Photo credit: Sven Eberlein 2009
International Conference Series
Closing lineup, Ecocity World Summit 2009, the 8th International Ecocity Conference, Istanbul Turkey
Photo credit: Susan Felter
Gavin Newsom, Mayor of San Francisco, addresses the delegates at Ecocity World Summit 2008 in San Francisco.
Photo credit: Mona Miri 2008