Sustainable urban infrastructure allows communities to thrive while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions and environmental impact, as well as providing resilient local economies and adhering to Sustainable Development Goals.
Leading themes of sustainable urban infrastructure include governance, engineered facilities and utilities, climate change adaptation, green infrastructure with its ecosystem services and e-city potential, and governance issues.
Energy
Sustainable infrastructure aims to incorporate all-round environmental principles in its design of equipment and systems (such as roads, bridges, telephone pylons or hydroelectric power stations ) that meet people’s essential service needs while still supporting nature. However, strong traditions in infrastructure planning can hide assumptions or simplify solutions at a time when climate change demands innovation.
Many cities around the world have adopted ambitious climate goals and prioritize urban biodiversity as an essential component of their sustainability agenda. To meet this commitment, more communities must be informed and involved in decision-making processes so they can participate actively with green infrastructure initiatives; public awareness campaigns like that run by Penrith City Council are critical in this regard.
Water
Urban areas typically meet their water needs through various services and infrastructure, including drinking and waste water systems, storm and wastewater management and groundwater recharge programs.
Sustainable urban infrastructure refers to creating infrastructure services that work in harmony with nature rather than fighting it, such as flood protection, water filtration and temperature regulation. Also referred to as “green infrastructure,” these strategies are cost-effective, climate resilient and create benefits such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation and aesthetic enhancements.
Urbanisation disrupts the natural water cycle by decreasing infiltration and evapotranspiration rates, causing runoff. Switching towards hybrid and decentralized systems may help lower energy consumption costs while improving resilience against climate impacts; success of such practices relies on developing policies and processes at precinct level that highlight and celebrate sustainability.
Transportation
Sustainable urban infrastructure refers to engineered systems designed to deliver water, energy, transportation, sanitation, information and the built environment for social and environmental benefit. Furthermore, such infrastructure also contributes to local governance issues like economic growth and climate change mitigation.
Cities around the world are taking action against this challenge by adopting sustainability initiatives that foster resilient and healthy environments for their inhabitants. Munich in Germany has implemented energy efficient buildings and electric vehicle charging stations as green initiatives to decrease its carbon footprint.
Green infrastructure is an integral component of sustainability, connecting nature with people to provide ecosystem services that benefit both nature and humans alike. Cities worldwide are adopting green infrastructure into their infrastructure plans through initiatives like CitiesWithNature and Green Infrastructure & the City of the Future.
Sanitation
Sanitation is one of the cornerstones of sustainable urban infrastructure. It ensures people’s safety, dignity and health; contributes to food security and local economies through reused water, nutrients and organic waste; generates clean energy and generates clean power.
However, sanitation systems in cities around the world often have been left outdated or overburdened, lacking sufficient capacity to respond to weather-related disturbance regimes and weather-related disturbances. Due to this limited capacity and ineffective operation of their systems, many fail to fulfill their intended purposes or even break down entirely.
There are a range of technological tools that could assist with reducing water and energy consumption and improving waste management in urban agglomerations areas, with various degrees of effectiveness and costs implications, providing substantial advantages to people, the environment and economic activity as a whole.
Waste Management
Given that most of humanity lives in cities and that cities account for a disproportionate share of greenhouse gas emissions, environmental sustainability issues are of crucial importance for city livability. When managed well, urban infrastructure reduces an urban’s environmental footprint while stimulating economic development and improving overall quality of life.
Sustainable urban water management can make cities more resilient against natural disasters and climate change impacts, including rain gardens and green roofs, bioswales and permeable pavements.
Waste management is one of the greatest challenges cities are currently facing, as improperly managed trash can pollute our oceans, clog drains and cause flooding, transmit diseases from garbage dumps, harm wildlife that consume the trash, as well as lead to respiratory problems for those living nearby.