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Setting the Context - Urban
Environmental Management Sustainability
is the key underlying principle in Ecocity.
The principle of sustainability, is extended
beyond its apparently simple core structure to apply to larger and
extremely complex urban systems, giving rise to the new term of
Ecocity. Ecocity constitutes Ecology & Economy (Eco) and City (urban
systems) to bring together conventionally diverse and conflicting
concepts. The
Ecology part in Ecocity represents a "closed"
system, truly self sufficient and cyclic within its own barriers.
On the other hand, modern cities have been conceived
as "open" systems, interacting with other such "open"
systems for mutual economic gains. In getting together such diverse
concepts, the term Ecocity not only reflects
a changed mindset but also represents a potential agent of change
that can help planners rethink the conventional planning principles.
Although, the conception of the term Ecocity
is not well traced to a particular country,
city or a planning movement, its ideology imprint is seen in different
parts of the world. Ecocity initiatives
are starting to be placed on the planning
agenda of small & medium sized towns in Modern
technologies and increasing world populations have burdened the
"Carrying Capacities"
of the environment, thus creating piles of waste that can not be recycled naturally. The rate of waste generation
far exceeds any attempts towards natural or human-induced recycling.
This scenario is typical of almost all modern day cities, which
have indirectly impacted a larger than their due share of the environment.
The ecological footprints of modern day cities far exceed their
physical limits of growth. The Ecocity
concept aims to reduce the "Ecological Footprints"
of cities by planning an eco-sensitive physical & socio-economic
pattern of development through efficient and less resource consuming
processes, in which people play the most important role in making
decisions. In other words, the focus of all planning, physical (urban/environmental
design), social (environmental policy & processes) & economic
(economic policy & sustainability) is towards the sustainable
utilization of environmental resources. An Ecocity
stresses on actions and strategies that are geared towards local
enhancement in terms of economic returns, decision-making and social
well being. In other words, Ecocity principles
are advocating self-contained city units that induce an input-output
cyclic equation.
Input-Output Cyclic Equation The Ecovillage concept
hs been relatively quite prevalent across the world for some
time. It stresses the principle
of improved quality of life through self-sufficiency. In Urban
centres were looked
upon as points of extreme pollution, with low quality of life, which
led to the concept of sustainability during the last part of this
decade. This looked at the issue of preserving and retaining the
environmental resources for improved quality of life for the present
& future generations. With this shift in the human mindset,
there have been efforts to create healthy and sustainable cities,
which can comfortably fulfill the needs of the present generations
and ensure that unspoilt environmental
resources are available for the future generations. There are various parameters and influencing factors
that are responsible for creating an Ecocity. Ecocity represents not
a mere action but a process change that should transform all levels
of city function. Conscious changes in lifestyles of the local residents
to reduce energy consumption, reuse of
resources and recycling of waste to form energy sources, are the
three most significant influencing factors towards creating an Ecocity.
The physical form of Ecocity shall evolve
out of eco-sensitive policies and actions. It will be a direct attempt
towards achieving more compact forms, people friendly (pedestrian use & "eyes
on the road") & vernacular in character. Eco-sensitive
landuse planning for Ecocity will
be a tool to explore suitability of land for ecological and economic
sustainability. Enhancing
local economy through planned and resourceful use of the available
resources; environmental education & general awareness; developing
& installing efficient technologies & processes; and high
level citizen participation through effective decision making
in which the residents take informed decisions about the planning
of their cities are other significant aspects that underlie the
concept of Ecocity. Thus Ecocity
is an attempt to develop holistic environmental solutions for improvement
of quality of life of the present citizens and ensuring a similar
quality of life for future generations. |
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