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Sustainable Urban Living

Sustainable living means living in a way that lets people meet their needs now, without reducing the ability of people to meet their needs in the future. Basically, it means living in a way that doesn't irreversibly damage the environment or use up resources faster than they can be replaced. Big cities need so many resources that it's unlikely they'll ever be truly sustainable, but things can be done to make a city (and the way people live there) more sustainable.

Sustainable living means living in a way that lets people meet their needs now, without reducing the ability of people to meet their needs in the future. Basically, it means living in a way that doesn't irreversibly damage the environment or use up resources faster than they can be replaced. Big cities need so many resources that it's unlikely they'll ever be truly sustainable, but things can be done to make a city (and the way people live there) more sustainable.

Key Terms

Sustainable living — Living in a way that lets people meet their needs now, without reducing the ability of people to meet their needs in the future.
Sustainable city — A city that is designed or managed to minimise its environmental impact, conserve resources, and provide a high quality of life for current and future residents.

Case Studies

Exam Tips

  • •Make sure you can describe specific examples of water conservation, energy conservation, waste recycling, green space creation, and transport strategies.
  • •Remember to include specific statistics and named examples (e.g. Curitiba's BRT carries over 700,000 passengers daily, 84% hydroelectric power, Green Exchange Programme 1989).
  • •For traffic management questions, distinguish between public transport strategies (encouraging people to switch from cars) and traffic flow management (managing the cars that are still on the road).
  • •When explaining why sustainable urban living is important, link back to the three pillars: environmental (reducing pollution, conserving resources), economic (reducing congestion costs), and social (improving quality of life).
  • •Know specific London transport examples: DLR (120 million passengers/year), Elizabeth line (opened 2022, +10% rail capacity), Oyster Cards, self-service bicycles.
  • •Durham's congestion charge reduced cars entering the historic city centre by 85% -- a good statistic to use in answers.