Greening Cities

In recent years, as national governments have begun to deal with the impacts of climate change, local governments in cities and towns have begun to pursue sustainable initiatives. New policies and design features such as congestion charges, green roofs, managed growth, revised building standards, increased green spaces, and low- or zero-carbon public transport are set to minimize environmental impacts, curb resource use and consumption, and transform the urban landscape in municipalities of all sizes. Both individual boroughs in metropolises such as Islington in London and entire towns such as Curitiba, Brazil and Totnes, the first ‘Transition Town’ in the UK, have moved towards environmentally-minded planning policies, a crucial development: the UN has reported that in 2008, the number of people living in cities exceeded for the first time those living in rural areas, and that by 2030 this figure would reach 5 billion.

See also: Population Growth and Climate  Change

Further Resources
Greening the City (EU)
Vélo’v (France)
Transition Towns (UK)
Ecobuild (UK)
Curitiba’s Urban Experiment, PBS Frontline
Urbanization: A Majority in Cities (UNFPA)