Interconnecting Themes
1) Climate Change and Urban Planning Cities must be part of the solution to climate change: up to 70% of GHG’s are generated in cities, home to more than 50% of the world’s population. An ecocity will address climate change by meeting the challenges of urban sprawl, mass transit, waste reduction and treatment, as well as building standards, materials and design.
2) Ecomobility, Urban Planning, Public Space How should we organise cities and suburbs to enable sustainable forms of mobility? How can we activate public space? Cities and suburbs are dynamic entities—constantly in transformation. They are ceaselessly being recalibrated and adapted, like any ecosystem, to their changing populations.
3) Governance and Democracy in the Ecocity Transforming our cities into ecocities implies a new vision of not only their physical form, but also of the way they are governed. It will be necessary to re-think the roles and responsibilities of municipal government, as well as those of other orders of government, to bring them into line with an integrated vision of sustainable development.
4) Economics of the Ecocity What is the purpose of the economy in an ecocity, and how do we define terms like “sustainable development,” “prosperity,” “well-being,” and “quality of life” in line with that purpose?
5) Health and the Built Environment An emerging body of research shows that urban living conditions influence the health of individuals and populations and that the uneven distribution of environmental conditions, resources and amenities in urban areas result in social inequalities in health outcomes. This new field of public health study touches on several subjects including but not limited to air quality, urban heat islands, pedestrian and cyclist safety, active transportation, water quality, obesity, heart and lung disease, and mental health.
6) Biodiversity and Urban AgricultureBiodiversity, green spaces and urban agriculture are inter-related concepts which contribute (directly and indirectly) to our general well-being: to health, the environment, and the quality of our lives and that of the landscape around us.
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