Sustainability is a concept that has entered civilization in a geographical manner, in modern times. The methods used to achieve sustainability along with the costs involved, are extremely interesting when measuring up the necessity of such measures. The rudimentary aspect of this essay will be analysing why sustainability is important, and the differences between MEDC’s and LEDC’s in their attempts of approaching the notion along with how applicable it is in their societies. According to the report ‘Our common future’ by Ms. Harlem Brundtland (http://www.un-documents.net/, 2017) sustainable development is defined as “development that satisfies the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy theirs”. The notion covers a range of topics from abolishing poverty to reducing inequality. The main problem that this world faces, is the lack of forward thinking by its current generation; no concern in preserving the environment and surroundings, so that future generations can make use of them.
It’s relevant for cities to make themselves sustainable because of the lasting impact it leaves on our environment. Sustainability is important for the simple reason; we won’t be able to maintain our good quality of life as human’s or conserve the diversity of life otherwise. There are indications from across that globe that sustainability is something that must be addressed. The burning of fossil fuels, millions of species becoming extinct, the fact we are running out of resources and the damage we are causing our atmosphere by polluting it (http://permaculturenews.org/ , 2017) – all play pivotal parts in why we must make drastic changes in creating a more sustainable environment. To create a sustainable ecosystem, pressure must be placed on environmental protection. This is accomplished through preventative action, advice and guidance (www.theglobalcitizensinitiative.org, 2017) as well as educating people in the areas that need the help the most. Sustainability means having forethought in mind and managing resources carefully to ensure we gain the maximum whilst wasting the minimum.The aim is to achieve healthy, enjoyable, resilient places to live and work and ensure that the draw of their populations’ consumption and enterprises’ production on local, regional and global resources and sinks is not disproportionate (http://www.bu.edu/, 2017).
The goal is to use as little resources as possible, however there are many regions where public transport, renewable energy and other services aren’t as economically friendly as they have the potential to be (https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/, 2017). Newer cities find it easier to adapt as they were designed with sustainability in mind, and as such implementing measures are cheaper for these areas than older cities. The aim is to achieve healthy, enjoyable, resilient places to live and work and ensure that the draw of their populations’ consumption and enterprises’ production on local, regional and global resources and sinks is not disproportionate.
North West Bicester is an example of an eco-town which will see the construction of 393 highly energy efficient, zero carbon homes, creating the UK’s first true zero carbon community. This ground-breaking development will comprise of 40% green space, integrating cutting edge technology, economic opportunities and community engagement, with environmental integrity at its core. Some of the transportation incentives are cycle and pedestrian routes, a bus service within 400m of every home with live timetable updates in each house, charging points for electric vehicles and an electric car club, residents will be encouraged to adopt more sustainable modes of travel (http://nwbicester.co.uk/2014/01/). Through these actions, the government ensures the relevance of sustainability to the general public and helps reduce the level of wasted resources throughout the community as well as increasing the quality of life of its residents and saving future resources.
London actively supports cycling and walking as part of its Green Travel Plan, which aims to reduce the environmental impacts of travel generated by the company ‘City’s staff, students and daily activities. It encourages the use of alternative transport methods, differing from public transport systems and personal vehicles. London discouraging the use of private transport, this is achieved by a congestion charge for vehicles driving through certain areas. Even for people wanting to travel via car through the city, car sharing schemes are encouraged in place of people travelling on their own (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/). In fact, sustainability and the environment were at the heart of London’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games (http://www.queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/).
There are conflicting approaches to increasing and providing more sustainability within MEDC’s and LEDC’S. With the former, able to afford significant and expensive changes but struggling with an ever expanding infrastructure; the latter facing severe poverty and social issues such as squatting, lack of housing and yet does not suffer with the constraints of other administration problems.
An LEDC within Brazil, called Curitiba completely redesigned itself which radically improved the sustainability of the city. Curitiba’s strategy turned waste into a resource, thereby unleashing a range of positives. The widespread problem of food security was alleviated, and city spaces were no longer covered with rubbish, which enabled better material use but also reduced hazards to environment and health. Employment was created in various ways, for example recycling created jobs but also the green trade for bus tickets enabled more of the city’s poorest citizens (e.g. those living in distant slum/favelas) to travel to where the existing jobs were on offer, especially in the city centre (http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/). However, what is most impressive within Curitiba is its rapid bus transportation system which caters for its two million population effectively and eco-efficiently. Triple articulated buses further boosted the number of passengers per bus to an incredible 4,000 per day and Learner claims that it can move more people than a subway yet is 100 to 200 times cheaper. It services eighty percent of the population of Curitiba daily (http://www.coolgeography.co.uk).
Some employers subsidise their employees who use the buses over the tube, as the fares are cheaper and in fact they are the same price wherever you travel. Urban growth is restricted to corridors of growth which are situated along key transport routes – tall buildings are allowed only along bus routes (http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize). Additionally, due to a refuse exchange program for tickets in the poorer areas, many of the financially impaired have access to the buses, therefore increasing their quality of life and potentially leading to gainful employment.
Bristol, within the UK, a MEDC, became England’s first “cycling city” in 2008 in a one hundred million pound government scheme aimed at encouraging cycling that introduced; dedicated cycle lanes, better facilities and more training for children. It aimed to double the amount of cyclers in the city over a three year period. The scheme was designed to encourage people who drove to feel more confident and able to drive instead. They were offering a huge bike rental scheme modelled on Paris’, all in an attempt to ease traffic congestion, improve carbon emissions as well as to improve the health of residents by encouraging exercise (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/7462791.stm). Furthermore the scheme sought to discourage private transport with the congestion charges that were introduced alongside it. The renovating of certain roads also benefited the safety and efficiency of those travelling by public transport as well as those on their bikes.
Aforementioned earlier, there are differing methods of approaching the problems facing sustainability within LEDCs and MEDCs. There would be obvious differences in the way they would tackle the problems with MEDCs having the readily available use of machinery for large-scale constructions where LEDCs would be more inclined to use a labour-intensive front, thereby allowing local residents to gain employment. The machinery at their disposal, would be bare minimum and they would be more likely to use local tools, that would be inexpensive and simple to use with no training required. MEDC’s would also have more resources and experts at their disposal where again, LEDCs would be limited in that department with only local expertise available with urban planning being done using village-level technology and the indigenous people’s technology and technique (http://www.coolgeography.co.uk/, 2017). In LEDCs they adopt projects that are in harmony with the environment, and make use of their local natural resources and where possible recycle materials. An MEDC’s approach to construction, would be minimal amount of labourers, choosing to employ the skilled and equipping those chosen individuals with more complex tools to help with the task at hand. They would have a much wider field to choose from regarding employees, resources, experts they wouldn’t have to rely on the locals they could go further afield.
Kenya has an Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) and is a British charitable organisation that works with developing countries. which has several projects that involve the development and production of various building projects (http://www.iecoafrica.com, 2017). One of the scheme involves the production of low cost roofing tiles from locally obtained clay which has resulted in a reduction in the cost of roofing and developed the skills of the indigenous people. In another scheme, Lime and other natural fibres are added to soil to produce ‘soil blocks. These soil blocks now replace the more expensive concrete blocks and industrially produced bricks. The soil itself is important as a building material, having been obtained locally, being easily compressed and once heated retains warmth. Some MEDCs are interested and are able to help smaller, local communities within LEDCs. There are other charitable groups, notably Practical Action who work with the indigenous people within these developing countries to help provide support for them (https://practicalaction.org/, 2017). Practical Action uses technology to challenge poverty in the developing worlds and in 2016 helped 1.7 million people to change their lives with the simple changes that they implemented. An example of this would be within the LEDC, Nepal in South Asia. The Energy Programme the charity has introduced has given access to energy in lighting, clean, efficient and most importantly sustainable technologies for cooking, benefiting 150,000 rural populations. The major areas of energy sector interventions were in climate resilient energy access planning (https://practicalaction.org/access-to-energy-nepal , 2017). In regards to the aforementioned issues, the difference in techniques and methods between MEDCs and LEDCs is vast. With the money the MEDCs have they can afford to use new technology and can aim to always improve on it, in contrast the LEDCs have to use the methods and techniques they have been using for generations, except for in certain locations where charities intervene and help provide the means necessary to support a sustainable future.