Ch. 6: Designing Cities for People

1. Curtis Pottle Julian Franczyk Ch. 6: Designing Cities for People http://www.google.com/imgres?q=tokyo+intersection&um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&biw=1680&bih=869&tbm=isch&tbnid=Jr9A5aWQ0IoSQM:&imgrefurl=http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-photo/hungyhungyhippo/1/1255541771/okonimiyaki-ish.jpg/tpod.html&docid=T0fWEj6M1u5wNM&w=550&h=413&ei=E7-UTtWCHdLYiAKJrMybBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=197&vpy=326&dur=3775&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=166&ty=144&page=1&tbnh=163&tbnw=217&start=0&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0

2. Megacity Population Change Over Time

3. The Ecology of Cities • Evolution of cities related to advances in transport (combustion engine and cheap oil  mobility of people) • The amount of food, water, energy, and materials needed in cities is far greater than the amount of those resources nature can provide. • Today’s cities draw resources from far away places • Los Angeles water from Colorado River 600 miles away • Japanese wheat and corn comes from places like Kansas • The oil required to move resources comes from far away oil fields • Richard Register: we need to fundamentally rethink the design of cities • Design them for people, not cars. Integrate cities into local ecosystems, not impose on them. • San Louis Obispo, CA creek restoration invigorated people, decreased commercial vacancy along creek • When Designing Cities, we can take advantage of the local ecosystem • Natural heating of buildings, urban food production, recycled water, etc

4. Redesigning Urban Transport • Mixture of rail, bus, bike, walking transportation routes provides low-cost transportation, mobility, and a healthy urban environment • Rail is geographically fixed and permanent, can develop around them • Buses can take people out of cars and put them into more efficient systems • BRT system, like a special HOV lane. • Some cities charge cars to enter their city centers • Singapore—Debit card system • London—Entrance fee, speed up traffic and cut down on pollution and noise • Paris—City Bike Rental Program • USA—Complete Streets Movement (streets are friendly to pedestrians and bikes) • It is much cheaper to build-in sidewalks and bike lanes the first time rather than add them later • Movement stressing children walking to school (UK 1994, now in 40 Countries) • 40 years ago—40%walked. Now—15% walk • Safer, energy efficient, and more healthy

5. Bogotá BRT System • http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/BRT_Bogota.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.streetsblog.org/2006/10/24/dot-announces-five-bus-rapid-transit-corridors/&h=399&w=500&sz=201&tbnid=2yw07ZvmsQHEJM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=113&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbrt%2Bsystem%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=brt+system&docid=6uJhS_Yg4b6dNM&sa=X&ei=Jb2UTtnsLsfYiAL7__yaBQ&ved=0CDsQ9QEwAg

6. Return of Bicycles • Riding bicycles reduces congestion, lowers pollution, and has health benefits, also they are easier to park and are affordable • 6 Bicycles can fit into the space taken up by one car • Chinese own the greatest number of bikes (increase since economic and social reforms of 1970’s and 80’s. • European ownership rates are higher than those of China • United States police departments are employing bike cops • Bicycle courier services faster than car delivery • Need to promote bicycle friendly transportation systems (trails and street lanes) • Netherlands—27% of trips by bike; USA and UK—1% of trips (More trips by bike than car in Amsterdam) • Netherlands policies make driving expensive and cars hard to buy • USA and UK lack such policies, so people drive more • “Attitude that bicycles are backwards and used only by the poor” • Connect bicycles and rail commuter systems (parking at rail stops) • Electric bikes powered by muscle and battery

7. Worldwide Production of Bicycles and Passenger Cars

8. Urban Water Use • Today: • “Flush and forget” creates a lot of waste water • Waste drains into closest bodies of water • Creates “dead zones” • In India • The average family contaminates 150,000 liters of water per year • Sewer system becomes a “pathogen dispersal system” • In The U.S. • Toilets and showers account for half of indoor water use • Average toilets use 6 gallons per flush • Average Showers use 5 gallons per minute

9. Redefining Urban Water Use • Composting toilets • Low cost, simple, odorless toilets can be connected to a nearby compost facility • Urine can be collected separately and trucked to farms • Fecal matter can be converted to a dry, soil-like product and used as fertilizer • Recycling water • Treatment facilities can separate water from sewage • This water can be filter, treated for pathogens and reused as drinking water • Creates “closed loop systems” requiring only small amounts of fresh water for each cycle

10. Farming in Urban Centers • Urban or peri-urban farms supply food for 700 million urban residents worldwide • Originating from small plots or rooftops • In countries like The U.S., Many cities have potential for urban farming • Chicago – 70,000 vacant lots • Philadelphia – 31,000 vacant lots • Provides a sink for the potential of composting toilets • Reduces increased price of produce due to rising oil prices • Also increases intangible benefits such as improved mental and physical health, as well as higher quality produce

11. Squatter Settlements • Nearly all growth in the upcoming years will occur in urban centers. • In developing nations, this growth will flow into squatter settlements • Favelas in Brazil • Barriadas in Peru • Gecekondu in Turkey • Life is characterized by a severe lack of services • Generally little clean water • No health care • Small and rudimentary shelters

12. Reducing or Upgrading Squatter Settlements • Encourage rural investment • Industrialization outside of the city reduces density of major cities • Reduces population movement into cities to a manageable pace • Create planned squatter settlements • In developing cities, set aside plots of land for squatters • Remove squatter settlements from high-risk areas such as the favelas • Provide potable water taps • Provide bus transportation for workers living in squatter settlements • Provide micro-crediting options so that squatters can slowly upgrade their situations within the settlement

13. % Year Predicted 30% Increase over 85 Years

14. Cities for people • Creating livable cities involves getting people out of cars and into nature • Provide incentives to bike or take public transit • Subsidize employees for public transit or bicycles has reduced automobile use in some firms by 17 percent • Declare car-free areas to make walking and biking safe • Make areas of congregation within public transportation appealing

15. Two Ways to Deal With the Challenges of a City • Modify existing cities: “PlaNYC” • 130 initiatives to reduce carbon emissions in the city • 15% of cabs have been converted to hybrids • 200,000 trees have been planted • Raising the energy efficiency of buildings • Create entirely new cities • 91,000 acre Babcock Ranch in Florida • Sold 73,000 acres to the state as a permanent reserve • Use the rest for a business and commercial center as well as a high-density residential development