Cities must be diverse and not zoned by function [business, residential, public]. Mixed-use buildings are much better because they cut down on travel time; thereby cutting down pollution from cars; thereby cutting down wasting energy. Single-function buildings are good only for short-term profit and not for the social and environmental benefits.
Vegetation provides shade, dampens noise, filters pollution and absorbs rain. Varying the heights of buildings allows light to enliven areas and reduces the need for energy for artificial lighting.
New ways to deal with waste are a must: “Experimental sewerage treatment schemes that discharge their waste below industrial forestry have been shown both to increase the growth rate of the forest, woods and parks and to restock local aquifers with purified water.”
Use Combined Heat and Power plants (CHPs) – see my SYSAV post from September.
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