2024 S2IP GE Sustainable Cities (STU) PDF

Topic 4: How can we build sustainable cities?  Learning Outcomes In this topic, we will learn to: Describe the characteristics of cities; Describe how cities are related to rural areas; Describe the ways cities impact the environment and peo...

Topic 4: How can we build sustainable cities?  Learning Outcomes In this topic, we will learn to: Describe the characteristics of cities; Describe how cities are related to rural areas; Describe the ways cities impact the environment and people; and Describe the strategies used to sustainably build cities.  1. What are Cities? ______ population size ______ Built-up areas Large Different countries use different Land surface is mostly covered by guidelines to identify their city. buildings. It would usually be a minimum Cities have intensive infrastructure. population size. ______ high population density Range of ______ functions Measurement of the number of Cities serve a range of functions or people living in a unit area of land. activities; such as Cities typically have higher Administrative, commercial, education, population density. manufacturing  Exercise : Population Density Population Number of people living in an area Density = Land area City, Country Population size Land Area Population density (people) (square km) (people/sq km) Buenos Aires, 14,970,000 203 73 743 Argentina Singapore, Singapore 5,685,800 725.7 7 835? Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam 8,140,000 2061 3 949 Seoul, South Korea 9,963,000 605 16 467 As long it is in the thousand for density it would be city  2. What is the Relationship between Cities and Rural Areas? Study the pictures of rural Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh city below. Discuss with your partner how the rural areas of Vietnam can be linked to Ho Chi Minh city. Video: Relationship between rural areas and urban areas  (a) Rural-Urban Migration Definition : ___________________________________________________________ __. PUSH FACTORS (Reasons why migrants ______ leave their place of origin) PULL FACTORS (Reasons that ______ attract migrants to a destination)  (b) Provision of Goods and Services Cities rely on rural areas for ______________ food supply (since there is limited land space for agriculture in cities). Rural farmers rear animals or grow crops for their own needs or sell them at markets in the cities. Rural inhabitants travel to cities for their amenities. - E.g. Hospital (where they can get expert medical help and advanced treatment). - They can also buy certain goods which are only available in the malls in the city.  3. How do Cities Affect their Inhabitants and the Environment? What opportunities are there for people in cities ? A. Education and B. Technological __________ innovation ___________ employment Cities are centres of learning with a variety of Cities are known for technological educational institutions, including vocational schools innovation which is the use of scientific and universities that cater to different interest. knowledge to create new products or services. Businesses in the cities can benefit by hiring directly from a large pool of skills employees. This is possible because many skilled people live in the cities, such as They can also offer work-study arrangements with researchers, designers and entrepreneurs. educational institutions to train their employees. There is also funding from governments With education, people can gain useful knowledge and investors to experiment with new and skills and can apply what they have learnt when ideas. they gain employment.  3. How do Cities Affect their Inhabitants and the Environment? What challenges do people in cities face? A. Increased environmental B. Competition for natural pollution resources ______ pollution water ______ Land resource ______ Air pollution ______ Water resource  Increased Water Pollution Water supplies in cities are often affected by _________ improper management of household and industrial waste due to inadequate or broken sewage systems. water quality This causes ________________ to be reduced. _________ Pollution can threaten human and aquatic life.  Increased Air Pollution air Cities often face _______ pollution because of the use of coal to generate electricity, high volume of vehicular traffic and emissions from factories. Prolonged exposure to air respiratory pollution can lead to _________ infection, lung cancer, heart diseases or even death. Poor health ____________ will lead to an increase in healthcare services.  Competition for Natural Resources – Land Resources There is a high demand for land in cities to accommodate their large and growing populations for different purposes. housing, commercial (industries ), infrastructure (utilities)  Competition for Natural Resources – Water Resource Competition for ________ Land limits the construction or expansion of reservoirs. Water catchment areas and groundwater are also affected as more ___________________ natural vegetation is converted to _________ concrete surfaces.  4. How can Cities be Sustainably Built and Managed ? Important : Read the reading that has been given! A. Environmental B. Improving quality of life Management Management of physical Providing safe housing environment Providing a variety of Management of hazards transportation modes Considering the needs of different groups  Environmental Management – Mgmt of Physical Environments Cities have large environmental _________. footprint Large amount of _________ waste and _________ pellutants are released into the physical environment, giving rise to environmental pollution. regulat We therefore need management strategies to _________ the use of natural resources and minimise the negative environmental impact from human activities. For e.g.: i. Reducing pollution through water treatment ponds. ii. Reducing air pollution through laws.  Reducing Pollution through Water Treatment Ponds Kranji Reservoir is one of the 17 reservoirs in Singapore and is located in an agricultural area. When it rains, rainwater mixes with nutrients from nearby farms and pollute the reservoir. To prevent this treatment pends _________________________ have been water built to channel and collect rainwater and excess nutrients. Plants such as cattails and fragrant pandan are grown in the water treatment ponds. https://www.pub.gov.sg/Documents/brochure_Nursery_English.pdf  Reducing Air Pollution through Laws enact law City governments _____________ to regulate people’s actions and , industrial activities. For e.g. In China, the cities of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei have adopted the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan. Some strategies : license plate lottery policy (limits number of new vehicles that can be registered) & vehicle restriction rule (limits the use of private cars to selected days in a week according to the last number of their license plate. Outcome : lower air pollution and lessen traffic congestion.  Environmental Management – Management of Hazards Hazards are events that have a negative impact on people, the physical and built environments and the economy. Human-induced ___________________ hazards arise from human actions or inaction, such as ignoring safety regulations or warnings e.g. fires, oil spills and industrial accidents. Natural _________ hazards arise from processes in the physical environment. For e.g. earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruptions. Management strategies include: i. Use of better quality building materials ii. Land use planning  Use of Better Quality Building Materials Buildings need to be of good quality to withstand the threat of hazards such as earthquakes. Japan is recognised as a world leader in designing and building earthquake-resistant buildings.  Land Use Planning Land use planning involves making decisions on how land resources may be used for various purposes such as housing, recreation and transport. Planning agenic __________________ may disallow some of these uses and construction in unsafe locations to prevent hazards from occurring. This information is shared with land owners and property developers to ensure everyone’s safety.  Improve Quality of Life well being Quality of life refers to a person’s ____________, which is affected by several factors such as physical and mental health, level of independence and relationship with others. Strategies to improve quality of life include: i. Providing safe housing ii. Providing a variety of transportation modes iii. Considering the needs of different groups  Providing Safe Housing Housing refers to structures or buildings constructed to shelter people from weather elements such as extremely high or low temperatures or rain. Squatter settlements form when housing supply is insufficient or too expensive. People may resort to building their homes at locations without obtaining permission. Describe the appearance of this slum settlement.  Providing a Variety of Transportation Modes Transportation modes refer to the ways in which people and goods move from one location to another. Benefits: More options to move around. Reduced congester Traffic ____________________. Reduced environmental pollution  Considering the Needs of Different Groups Cities need to be designed with the needs of various groups – such as elderly people and persons with disabilities. Singapore adopts a universal design __________________ _________ for concept buildings in public areas. Aims to create a built environment that is safe and accessible for everyone, including children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.  4. How can Cities be Sustainably Built and Managed ? Important : Read the reading that has been given! A. Environmental B. Improving quality of life Management Management of physical Providing safe housing environment Providing a variety of Task : You will be put in groups to summarise how to sustainably build Management of hazards and manage cities. In your summary, you must have the following transportation modes points : Considering the needs of a) Strategy used and description of how it works different groups b) Example(s) of where this strategy has been used (other than the ones mentioned in the TB) After your group discussion, share and construct your own mindmap /