Green Cities Spaces for Sustainable Cities

Green Cities Spaces for Sustainable Cities

Featured Writers: Kenneth Er, Geoff Dyer, D. Trainham, Jason Byrne, Peter Fisher

ISBN: 978-981-07-4724-4

Published: January 2013

Issue #6

 

Abstract

This issue of CITYGREEN aims to share insights on the values of nature in cities.

While Dr. Jason Byrne discusses alternatives to greenspace planning in contrast to the traditional standards approach, Geoff Dyer describes the model SmartCode for achieving walkable, mixed-use urbanism, and Dr. Peter Fisher and D. Trainham illustrate how buildings can be reconnected to the natural world through a “naturising index”.

The issue also highlights the cities that have been named European Green Capitals by the European Commission in its annual competition to reward and encourage local governments that have taken the environment into account in urban planning and management, as well as a number of noteworthy projects with significant sustainability goals, including the international London 2012 Olympic Parklands and Public Realm (cited “Europe’s most significant landscape for 150 years”—to last a generation) and Housing Development Board’s neighbourhood park Greenwood Sanctuary @ Admiralty in Singapore.

These technical articles are balanced with more personal interviews and essays. Photographer Jonathan Fleming refl ects on his experience of “walking the High Line”, while landscape designer Jane Martin, whose founding work at Plant*SF gained the support of San Francisco City’s mayor to introduce permeable landscaping along its streets, shares her journey and motivation. In an excerpt from Dr. Timothy Beatley’s article in the The Nature of Cities blog, he suggests how thinking about the Nature Pyramid, a tool similar to the Nutrition Pyramid, may help us to better determine the necessary amounts of exposure to nature and outdoor natural environments.

 
 

World Building of the Year: Cooled Conservation at Gardens by the Bay

Authors: Kenneth Er, Ng Boon Gee, Andy Kwek and Matthew Potter

World Building of the Year: Cooled Conservation at Gardens by the Bay

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European Green Capital Awards: Role Models for a Sustainable Europe

Author: Karl Falkenberg

European Green Capital Awards: Role Models for a Sustainable Europe

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Techniques for a Healthy Liveable City: Green Guidelines

Author: Mark Long

Techniques for a Healthy Liveable City: Green Guidelines

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Greenspace Planning: Problems with Standards, Lessons from Research, and Best Practices

Author: Jason Byrne

Greenspace Planning: Problems with Standards, Lessons from Research, and Best Practices

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Seeking Balance in Land-Use Planning: Using the Land-Use Conflict Identification Strategy to Explore Land-User Futures

Author: Margaret Carr and Paul Zwick

Seeking Balance in Land-Use Planning: Using the Land-Use Conflict Identification Strategy to Explore Land-User Futures

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Designing a Soil Strategy: Grounding the Olympic Park

Author: Tim O’Hare

			 Designing a Soil Strategy: Grounding the Olympic Park

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Sustainable Landscapes Through the Eyes of a Friend of the High Line: Walking the High Line

Author: Jonathan Fleming

Sustainable Landscapes Through the Eyes of a Friend of the High Line: Walking the High Line

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Greenwood Sanctuary @ Admiralty: A Delightful Eco-Nature Neighbourhood Park

Authors: Lydia Ma and Lee Sai Guek

Greenwood Sanctuary @ Admiralty: A Delightful Eco-Nature Neighbourhood Park

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Marina Promenade: Connecting the Marina Bay Fabric

Authors: urchin

Marina Promenade: Connecting the Marina Bay Fabric

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London 2012 Olympic Parklands and Public Realm: Legacy Public Landscape

Author: Neil Mattinson and Gavin McMillan

London 2012 Olympic Parklands and Public Realm: Legacy Public Landscape

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Interview with Jane Martin: Sustainability Meets Beautification on the Sidewalks of San Francisco

Author: Angelia Sia

Interview with Jane Martin: Sustainability Meets Beautification on the Sidewalks of San Francisco

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Integrating Stormwater Practices into Sustainable Green Spaces: Runoff in Public Spaces

Author: William Hunt and Benjamin Loh

Integrating Stormwater Practices into Sustainable Green Spaces: Runoff in Public Spaces

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Workshops on Ecoliteracy: The Nature of Making

Author: Tracy Wyman and James Wang

Workshops on Ecoliteracy: The Nature of Making

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Reconnecting Buildings with the Natural World Through a Design innovation Metric: Naturising Outside-In

Authors: Peter Fisher and D. Trainham

Reconnecting Buildings with the Natural World Through a Design innovation Metric: Naturising Outside-In

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The SmartCode Ethic: Placemaking Beyond Aesthetics

Authors: Geoff Dyer

The SmartCode Ethic: Placemaking Beyond Aesthetics

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Nature as Essential Nutrition: Exploring the Nature Pyramid

Authors: Timothy Beatley

Nature as Essential Nutrition: Exploring the Nature Pyramid

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