Climate Change and Urbanization – The Challenges
Today we exist in a world where 50% of the earth’s population lives in urban areas. By 2050, this figure is forecast to reach 70%, as the world’s population grows from 6.8 billion to 9.1 billion [UN data].
Cities are known to consume 75% of the world’s energy. By the year 2030 over 5 billion people are likely to live in cities, contributing over 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Ecological foot-printing shows that the planet is consuming 25% more renewable resources every year than it can replenish.
These understandings have led to the emergence of a ‘One Planet Living’ movement in the UK, which advocates policies and practices designed to allow the planet to survive within its limited resource capacity.
Cities are the engines of global economic growth. The quality of the living/working environment within cities is a major factor in determining the flow of investment capital and of human resources around the world.
It is therefore imperative for economic and environmental reasons that city leaders promote green cities, towns and urban villages that are planned, designed, built and managed with a view to minimizing their environmental footprint and provide a strong sense of well-being for their communities.
Sustainability – The Bigger Idea
Whilst the implementation of a more environmentally friendly, carbon neutral approach to urban development is an effective response to the issue of climate change, there is a need for city development to address a broader range of environmental issues….. the need to use less water; to be smarter about managing waste; to take more care of natural ecosystems; to slow the depletion of non-renewable natural resources; and to produce more food, more efficiently.Broader still is the important concept of sustainability. Since the 1980s, human sustainability has implied the integration of economic, social, cultural and environmental spheres to: “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Green Cities Asia Ltd is committed to a four pillar approach to practicing strategic sustainable urban development. As developers, our challenge is to help make cities more economically efficient, more comfortable, more socially equitable, culturally rich and environmentally sustainable – in summary, better places to live.
Responding to the Challenge
Green Cities Asia Ltd recognizes the responsibility it has to contribute to society by developing environmentally sustainable communities that enunciate a new consciousness to the development of our urban environment, creating exciting new places and spaces in the process.
GCA has the knowhow and experience to meet the challenge of developing city interventions that improve a city’s quality of life.
One of our key business objectives is to work with governments (national, regional and city governments) and our private sector partners to develop new urban communities that demonstrate what ‘sustainable living’ is about and how an improved quality of life can be offered to communities of all social levels. This is achieved within a framework of qualitative and quantitative performance measures.
These communities have been referred to as green cities, eco-towns, green villages etc. They are exemplified in existing urban development projects such as Hammarby Sjostad in Stockholm; the Augustenberg and Western Harbour precincts of Malmo, Sweden; Dockside Green in Victoria, British Columbia; Curitiba in Brazil; and in the concepts behind new international urban development projects such as Masdar in Abu Dhabi, Elephant & Castle in London and Magok-Dong in Seoul.
In the end, sustainability is about Quality of Life - this notion goes to the core of our company’s philosophy.
Hammarby Sjostad - Stockholm
We believe development is not just about building buildings…… it is about creating places for people…..…..people who want to:
- live and work in well sustainably designed apartment and office spaces
- find pleasure in living in places where public space (pedestrian friendly streets, parks,
plazas, civic areas) are prioritized
- enjoy easy access to shops, cafes, restaurants and community facilities such as
schools and medical facilities
- live in a connected community where communications
- commute by means of green transport options
- live in safe, secure neighborhoods
- share a sense of well-being from living in a creative, healthy environment.
In summary, GCA’s urban communities are characterized by a strong sense of place that are sustainable economically, socially, environmentally and culturally and offer a high Quality of Life for their communities.
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