Dr Michael Neuman, Professor of Architecture and Cities at the University of Westminster, contributed to an article on whether cities can be truly sustainable for Earth Island.
The article tracks the debate on whether cities with a high population density can ever be sustainable, or whether areas with higher population density cause ecological damage.
The compact city model argues that as people move to cities, their carbon footprint decreases. It points to the fact that public transport is generally more reliable so people do not need cars, local amenities can be reached on foot and high-rise apartments use up less energy per person than rural houses.
However, there is considerable debate to this theory. As Dr Neuman wrote in 2005, studies “are not conclusive about the link between higher densities and reduced automobile trips… the relation between compactness and sustainability can be negatively correlated, weakly related, or correlated in limited ways.”
He continued: “Since 1960, while human population has doubled, the global economy has quadrupled, and resource consumption quintupled. Thus, we are getting less efficient and less sustainable as we move to cities, not more, contrary to popular belief and professional dogma…there is no such thing as a sustainable city.”
Read the full article on Earth Island’s website.
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