Livable Cities: How Urban Planning Can Harmonize With the Natural Environment
Livable cities aren’t so far-off as some might think. While people flock to urban areas for opportunities, a city’s inequities are often ignored to make way for the new. It is not suitable for city dwellers or newcomers alike.
Livable cities need good urban planning that doesn’t put the natural environment around them at risk. This means that sustainability is vital for making cities more livable.
Prioritize Lives and the Environment Over Profit
Looking at the development of sustainable cities worldwide, there is an undeniable link between financial success and overall quality of life. Quality of life for the city inhabitants themselves also means eliminating gross environmental practices.
Creating and using renewable energies helps power the city and leaves less carbon footprint. However, this also means the development of green space and sanitation services is a must for the environment and inhabitants’ lives.
Physical Health and Sustainable Transportation
When creating a livable city, consider the physical health of its inhabitants. This may include creating ways of transportation that are inherently better for one’s health.
Energy consumption declines when new sustainable transportation systems are put in place. In addition, a city is more sustainable when it is walkable and bike-friendly.
It also means that the resources to pursue a healthier lifestyle should be easy to access and readily available. One example of this could look like is having plenty of good food available at a nearby store. Unfortunately, oftentimes in some parts of existing cities, it isn’t easy to access healthy food and ingredients.
Making grocery stores available, as well as sourcing local food, is one way to promote good physical health for inhabitants. A city must improve many other aspects for its people too.
Livable Cities Focus on the City’s People
Urban planning must consider the people who live within the city–both the inner city and the outer limits of the city. In addition, urban planners must look at how the city’s layout and the opportunities present in the city may affect the mental health and safety of the people in the city.
Inequities must be named and removed in order for a livable city to come to life truly. If everyone cannot have the same opportunities, the city is not equitable. At that point, it is unlivable, no matter how tuned in it may be, to sustainable practices for the natural environment.
Urban Planning Must Work with the Natural Environment
Smart and considerate urban planning takes care of the natural environment and works to lower a city’s carbon emissions. It also extends to focusing on what the inhabitants of a city need to live a healthy and equitable life.
How do people even begin to imagine making more livable cities? For starters, the actual building or redesigning of the city must be considered. Looking at how control valves operate is one part of many in the building of a more livable city.
Interested in learning more about livable cities? There are plenty of resources to look into. Check out the Livable City initiative in San Francisco to inspire you!
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