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Chapter Summary
Chapter 14 examines the nature of sustainable and resilient urban development at global and Canadian scales, determines the impacts of cities on the environment, examines how urban areas become vulnerable to environmental variability, and considers strategies for cities to become part of the solution rather than the problem regarding environmental quality, sustainable development, and resilience. This chapter explores not only “what is the right thing to do” but also “how to do the right thing
Urban form, urban sprawl, and spatial scale are examined as key factors influencing urban sustainability and resilience. Environmental issues and sustainability responses in cities are then discussed, with a focus on transportation, energy use, air pollution, air quality, waste management (waste management hierarchy), brownfield sites, industrial waste management, and stormwater, drinking water, and wastewater. Superstorm Sandy is used as a case study to illustrate how hazards can be experienced by urban dwellers and to highlight some of the resilience responses taken in the aftermath of the disaster.
Yet each of these issues does not happen in isolation, and an integrated approach is needed to respond to the environmental challenges that cities pose. As an example of “putting it all together,” the chapter concludes with a review of the approach taken in Vancouver, British Columbia to become the greenest city in the world by 2020.
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
- Explain the nature and significance of urbanization
- Describe the quality of environmental conditions in Canadian cities
- Outline the impacts of urban areas on the environment
- Discuss the vulnerability of urban areas to natural and human-induced events
- Identify strategies to reduce the impact of urban areas on the environment