Page Text: | Environment | Urban | Community | Economy | Information |
rban areas are an enigma, an oxymoron of advantages and disadvantages, of good and bad, of happy and sad things ... On one hand, it is seen as a settlement of choice for an increasing number of the world's populance, but this is difficult to reconcile with the huge amounts of resources consumed and wastes generated. Larger issues of political inaction, lopsided policy formulation and decision-making have had negative impacts on the urban environment and the quality of life enjoyed by its residents.
Quite obviously, a pragmatic approach in maximizing the benefits offered by cities, and minimizing its negative impacts, is key to enhancing the sustainability of cities. The flagship theme page under the urban sphere deals with urban environmental management. The UEM pages look at urban areas as the intersection of natural, built, and socio-economic environments. GDRC's urban sphere also explores the themes of urban governance and urban heritage and conservation.
Themes under the Urban Sphere
Urban Environmental Management
This GDRC programme is a designated 'WWW Virtual Library' on Urban Environmental Management
So what can we do with urban environments, since they are starting points for most global environment problems?
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With more than an increasing percentage of humanity (more than 50% in 2010) choosing to live in cities and adopting "urban" lifestyles, the challenges that cities face will be daunting. The relative advantages of cities in terms of agglomeration and compactness give way to disadvantages of environmental degradation and disproportionately large ecological footprints.
urban environment, ecology, urban planning, urban design, green business, green building, urban management, environmental technology, alternative energy, waste, water, tourism
On the theme of urban environmental management, GDRC is currently looking at cities as "sustainable ecosystems". In order to reduce their ecological footprint, there are a number of step that urban residents need to take - to aim for a closed-loop recycling society. It has also covered a number themes including: