SUSTAINABLE CITIES INTRODUCTION Read Growing Pains in Portland

SUSTAINABLE CITIES INTRODUCTION Read “Growing Pains in Portland, Oregon” on page 291. Question: How can we balance our needs for housing and jobs with the needs of the environment?

SUSTAINABLE CITIES EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION • City planning is the attempt to design cities to maximize functionality and beauty. – Zoning is the practice of classifying areas for different types of development and land use. – Some cities adopt an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) to inhibit suburban growth. – Smart growth is a philosophy that includes building upward and redevelopment. – “New Urbanism” is an attempt to design neighborhoods with homes, businesses, and schools close together to reduce

SUSTAINABLE CITIES EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS • Many cities were not designed to carry high volume of car traffic. • Mass transit is a way that can support infrastructure, is cheaper, more energyefficient, and cleaner. OPEN SPACE • Natural lands, parks and open space provide greenery, scenic beauty, freedom of movement, places for recreation, and may help preserve ecological processes.

SUSTAINABLE CITIES EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION GREEN BUILDING DESIGN • The goal of green building is to save energy and other resources without sacrificing people’s comfort. • Features include motion-sensitive heating & lighting, rooftop solar panels, and insulated skylights.

SUSTAINABLE CITIES GUIDED PRACTICE You are an urban planner who has been given the task by the city council to explain to a group of taxpayers why tax money should be spent on urban parks and forests. 1. Provide a few examples of open spaces in which you plan to spend tax money on. 2. Explain the ecological and economical importance of the open space to the city.

SUSTAINABLE CITIES INDEPENDENT PRACTICE 1. Briefly describe how city planners use zoning, UGBs, smart growth, and new urbanism. 2. How is a successful mass transit system important to improving the quality of life in a city? 3. Why are open spaces important to people who live in cities? What benefits do they provide? 4. Explain how sprawl can contribute to the economic decline of a city.