Whether it is more green spaces or a trustworthy public transport system, there are lots of things that might be done to make sure that cities become more sustainable at this point in time.
If you look at any proposals for brand new urban projects, one thing that you will hopefully view in plenty of cases is the presence of green spaces. Something as easy as having trees on the side of a street has been proven to assist maintain a pleasant temperature during hotter days, and as we are potentially all aware, trees help make the air we breathe cleaner. These are only a few the so many reasons why many smart city ideas involve more plants. Whilst parks will usually be popular, a few sustainable ideas for the future have employed small gardens in residential housing, for example on rooftops: this would allow individuals who live in flats to access some personal green areas, and even grow some vegetables and fruits or herbs. There have even been vertical implementations of gardens, as seen with developers like Lars Huber. Having plants that assist bee pollination, such as lavender, is also a famous idea that can help the environment.
One among the main characteristics of sustainable cities is the convenience of movement: own cars are not an reliable way of travelling around an urban centre, considering the density of vehicles and the pollution and traffic that it can cause. Alternatively, a nice and reliable public transport system is one of the staples of sustainable urban living: not just will it be faster, as more individuals will be able to travel with the same vehicle (and therefore lowering the amount of cars on the road), but it will have extraordinary environmental consequences, as public transport is starting to employ more and more electric powered vehicles. Figures like Heidi Alexander work with huge metropolitan transportation systems, and are surely aware of all the perks that each certain means of travel has.
One of the main goals of sustainable living practices is frequently to make use of less energy, or to utilise the same range of power much more efficiently: this is both worthwhile for the planet, as less emissions will be crafted, and for the person, as it will help saving on things like utility bills. A nice thing that might be implemented is sustainable architecture: by building homes with energy-saving in mind, this objective is easily attained, with genuine estate figures like Frank Zweegers contemplating this approach to urban sustainability. Building homes with excellent insulation will suggest that less heating will be needed in winter, as the home will stay naturally warmer, and vice versa in summer. In place of employing artificial light, having big windows that are cleverly oriented will provide lots of natural light, which makes the living experience a lot more pleasant.