Urban Sustainability
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| urban sustainability/ˈɜːbən səˌsteɪnəˈbɪlɪti/ | Managing cities to meet present social, economic and environmental needs without undermining future generations' ability to meet theirs. |
| smart growth/smɑːt ɡrəʊθ/ | Planning that favours compact, connected development, mixed land uses and transport choices to limit inefficient outward expansion. |
| greenbelt/ˈɡriːnbelt/ | A designated area of open or protected land around or between settlements intended to constrain development or preserve environmental functions. |
| green space/ɡriːn speɪs/ | Vegetated open areas within or near settlements, such as parks, gardens and protected natural spaces. |
Greener cities
- Urban sustainability 城市可持续性 means growing cities without wrecking the environment.
- It tries to balance economy, society, and the environment.
- The goal is a city that can thrive for the long term.
Smart growth and greenbelts
- Smart growth 精明增长 builds up (dense, mixed-use) rather than out (sprawl).
- A greenbelt 绿带 is protected open land that limits outward sprawl.
- Both fight car dependence and protect farmland and nature.
Sustainable or unsustainable urban choice?
Sort each choice as making a city more or less sustainable.
Building a city dense and up rather than sprawling out is called...
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Smart growth builds up, not out, to fight sprawl.
A greenbelt is protected open land that limits a city's outward sprawl.
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Greenbelts stop cities spreading into farmland and nature.
Match each term to its meaning.
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Smart growth = up; greenbelt = protect; green space = urban nature.
Everyday sustainability
- Public transit, cycling, and walking cut emissions.
- Green space, recycling, and energy-efficient buildings help too.
- Sustainable design must also be fair — accessible to all residents, not just the rich.
True sustainability must also be socially ____, accessible to all residents.
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Sustainability balances environment, economy, and fairness.
Select all sustainable urban strategies.
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Transit, greenbelts, and efficiency are sustainable; car-only sprawl is not.
Sustainability is not only about the environment — it also has a social side. A "green" project that pushes out poorer residents (green gentrification) is not truly sustainable. Real urban sustainability balances environment, economy, and fairness.
A city adopts smart growth: it builds dense, mixed-use neighbourhoods near transit and draws a greenbelt around its edge to stop sprawl into farmland. People walk, cycle, and ride transit more, cutting emissions — a more sustainable urban form.
Urban sustainability grows cities without wrecking the environment, balancing economy, society, and environment. Smart growth builds up not out; greenbelts limit sprawl; transit, cycling, and green space cut emissions. It must also be socially fair.
Write from a boundary that limits sprawl
- A city draws a growth boundary around the built-up area.
- New housing on the farmland beyond the line is refused.
What sustainability tool is the boundary?
A growth boundary holds new building inside a line.
What does the growth boundary do?
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Refusing housing beyond the line contains sprawl.