Eco-City

A case study of Dongton, China

School of planning and Architecture

Shashikant Nishant Sharma
 ECO-CITY
An eco-city reduces its ecological footprint to fit within the boundaries of one planet. In
an eco-city, people and organisations adapt to a changing climate and gladly act to build
a sustainable future.

As an eco-city has a healthy environment with a high quality of life and a growing economy. We
will develop and use technology to preserve resources to ensure the city is sustainable now and
in the future. Melbourne will achieve zero net emissions, manage climate change risks and lead
the way in sustainable water management.

An eco-city is compact, with a high density of housing, business and cultural uses that sustain
an effective public transport system, and walking and cycling above car use. With excellent air
quality and generous public open space and landscaping, biodiversity is supported and people
enjoy the benefits of health and happiness. City infrastructure and buildings generate and use
renewable energy and feed into the metropolitan electricity grid. Food is grown locally and
creatively, using horizontal and vertical spaces on buildings and in private and public gardens.

In its journey to become an eco-city, the municipality achieves zero net emissions, manages
climate change risks, leads the way in sustainable water and resource management, and
increases its population density. To guide this, the municipality employs a 'city as an
ecosystem' approach to develop new models of living that allow us to prosper within the
Earth's ecological limits.

As a result, people in Melbourne are motivated to minimise their energy and water
consumption and to support mandatory measures such as water and carbon restrictions. The
City of Melbourne also advocates the importance of the metropolitan, regional and global
ecosystem, partnering and sharing knowledge about green technologies and sustainable urban
management practices with other cities. It supports and promotes innovative industries and
businesses that have positive benefits for our environment.

Goals to be an eco-city:
1.Zero net emissions city
2. The city as a catchment
3. Resource efficient
4. Adapted for climate change
5. Living and working in a dense urban centre
1. Zero net emissions city
To become an eco-city the municipality will need to reduce its emissions of greenhouse
gases to zero. We will do this by massively reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and
then offsetting those that remain. The interim target for this ambitious goal is to reduce
the total emissions across the municipality by 59 per cent per worker and 35 per cent
per resident by 2020 (from 2006 levels).

The municipality, along with all developed cities and countries across the world, must make big
reductions in greenhouse gas emissions - and fast. Melbourne can be a leader in the global task
of averting catastrophic manmade climate change. But on average Australians are one of the
worlds highest per capita greenhouse gas emitters.

In 2000 Australian ranked as the 9th highest emitter out of 185 countries and was the highest
emitters of any developed countries. Victoria's Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability
has said "...our energy legacy has positioned Victoria as one of the highest per capita greenhouse
polluting states in one of the highest per capita greenhouse polluting countries in the world".

Community involvement

Effective action to achieve a zero-carbon municipality requires widespread community

participation. A long-term and focused communication program to motivate people will cater
to our diverse community, and will cover all opportunities for meaningful contributions to
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Communications will also focus on increasing awareness
that actions in Melbourne affect not just the city, but also the state, nation and the world.

The City of Melbourne has reviewed and updated its Zero Net Emissions by 2020 - Update 2008 .
The municipality and the Victorian and Federal Governments, as well as community and
professional organisations, have initiated programs and projects to improve the environmental
sustainability of the municipality.

Better data is needed on the performance of inner and central city residences. From these and
other initiatives we can learn what does and doesn't work, who participates and who watches,
and what some of the keys to effective and lasting change are. This will help us energise the
community to take the direct actions necessary if we are to become an eco-city.
Building and infrastructure

All new buildings in the municipality must be energy efficient. New residential and commercial
buildings will aim to achieve a six-star or greater NABERS energy rating. An award could be
instituted as celebration and incentive for this. Reducing the embodied energy contained in
buildings and infrastructure is also important. The manufacture of materials such as concrete
and steel is extremely resource-hungry. Careful selection of materials is necessary to minimise
this problem.

New building and infrastructure are more easily rendered energy efficient. But these only make
up a small proportion of the whole stock of buildings and can therefore only make a limited
contribution to municipality becoming a Zero-carbon city in the short time available.

To achieve this we will retrofit our existing buildings with more energy efficient heating,
cooling, lighting, equipment and appliances through initiatives such as the Clinton Climate
Initiative .

Retrofitting will yield significant savings through reduced energy costs, which can be used to
cover retrofitting costs. Tailored programs, including appropriate data, will be developed for
retrofitting of residential and commercial buildings and could be supported by pro-active
planning scheme provisions. Innovative thinking will be important. For example, roof tops
could become more valuable for wind or solar energy generation and/or food production and
new options for aggregating and renting these spaces put into place.

Urban transport

Changes to transport use patterns will reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emission, see
City of Melbourne Greenhouse Footprint for Transport Draft Report May 2008 . Greenhouse gas
emissions are reduced by changing from unsustainable modes such as cars to public transport 5,
bicycles and walking and also just travelling less by eliminating unnecessary trips.
Low emissions local power generation

Melbourne is heavily dependent on brown coal as an energy source. This energy-source

generates high levels of greenhouse gas emissions 6. Reducing these emission by pumping the
Co2 underground (geo-sequestration) is being researched but full scale commercial application
may be decades away. We need to adopt energy sources with low and even no greenhouse gas
emissions more immediately.

Redesigning and re-equipping whole precincts and neighbourhoods to reduce net energy
demands and to generate energy on-site is an emerging focus of eco-cities across the world.
Partnership with key stakeholders can achieve this. The proposed Green Transformers program
in the City of Sydney is one example.

Local food

In Australia food-related greenhouse gas emissions exceed transport emissions, and may prove
to be more significant than greenhouse gas emissions from power generation. Changes to food
production, processing and consumption patterns will significantly reduce these greenhouse
gas emissions.

This very challenging goal for the municipality can only be achieved through partnerships,
incentives, proactive regulation such as through the planning scheme, and the cumulative effect
of many smaller initiatives.
2. The city as a catchment
Through the adoption of a 'city as a catchment 1' philosophy, the municipality will
conserve water and improve the health of its waterways. By 2020, resident mains water
use will be reduced by 40 per cent and worker mains water use will be reduced by 50
per cent (from 2000 levels). Pollution entering our waterway will be reduced by 20 per
cent by 2020.

A city as a catchment philosophy helps to determine the flow and amount of water moving
through the municipality and the pollutants that are carried with these flows. It ensures greater
emphasis is given to rainwater and stormwater harvesting, which not only saves mains water
and reduces pollutants entering our water bodies, it also detains stormwater, allowing us to
adapt for forecasts of bigger, more frequent storms, a result of climate change.

Through the identification and linking of water source (a road, or a building with a large roof)
and water sinks (a large water-using business or a park), this philosophy allows for water to be
effectively managed locally and to reduce both water demand and polluted run-off into areas
beyond the local catchment.

The movement of water through the municipality today is set out below. A system based on a
city as a catchment philosophy would include less untreated stormwater run-off, which will be
treated and reused where possible.
3. Resource efficient
An eco-city uses only what it needs and produces no waste, creating many
environmental and economic benefits that contribute to sustainability.

While densely populated cities have intrinsic efficiencies of scale we are only just beginning to
understand them as an ecosystem. They currently require an enormous amount of resources to
sustain their inhabitants. London for example needs a staggering 125 times its own area to
supply the resources to sustain itself.

Large cities are central to the flow of goods and services, people, and ideas that have enabled
global integration and prosperity for many. These flows can also create direct and indirect
environmental impacts. We need to understand, measure and monitor these impacts and
design new ways to make them more efficient and reduce their ecological footprint to a
sustainable level.

Melbourne's high consumption of energy, water, food, materials and natural resources is not
sustainable - economically or environmentally. Increased consumption of animal-based,
processed and imported foods as well as out-of-season produce has environmental
implications. Inefficient appliances, entertainment units, airconditioners and other electrical
devices unnecessarily increase the amount of energy and resources used.

Through partnerships with various private and public groups and organisations, Melbourne
will become a resource and material-efficient city. To achieve this goal, we will measure and
report on our ecological footprint, and develop new ways of living that are less resource-
intensive. We will also promote use of backyard and rooftop vegetable gardens, and encourage
greater waste reduction, re-use and recycling. The incorporation of waste-management
facilities that make it easier for people to reduce waste sent to landfill is also essential.
4. Adapted for climate change
Every person in the municipality will be aware of - and manage - risks associated with
climate change. We will adapt to ensure long-term benefits for the community and
capitalise on opportunities for adaptation.

The municipality is already experiencing the effects of human-induced climate change,

including: reduced rainfall; higher temperatures and heat waves; increased evaporation; sea
level rises and storm surges; intense rainfall events; increased storm frequency and intensity;
increased wind speed. These changes in our local weather conditions and climate signal the
start of a long-term shift, they are not merely a variation of the norm.

Developed cities around the world are preparing for climate change. Given the potential high
risk impacts of these changes on our economy and sustainability, our municipality must
prepare for climate change, developing and implementing strategies to reduce its vulnerability
and make the most of its opportunities.

Melbourne has world leading research resources in this area and can become a world centre
for research and innovative industries and businesses that meet the challenge of a changing
climate. In July 2008 The City of Melbourne released its public consultation draft Climate
Adaptation Strategy for the municipality. Operational research is needed into the specific
localised effects and solutions in Melbourne including key institutions such as Melbourne
Water, hospital and retailers.

Adapting to climate change requires a better understanding of the city's dependence on

resource-based or climate-sensitive industries, the capacity and resilience of its infrastructure,
and the needs of its diverse and growing population. We will need to:

 manage water shortages and flooding through actions such as

stormwater harvesting and other strategies set out in The
city as a catchment ;
 use cooling from the city parks and rooftop gardens as part of
the city ecosystem to delivering eco-system cooling services
along with passive shading to reduce the impact of heat
stress and the heat island effect3; and
  ensure that buildings and infrastructure are designed to
mitigate the impacts of projected sea-level rise, storm
damage surge, and flooding.

We will successfully adapt to climate change through a good public awareness of the
municipality's specific risks based on the best scientific and professional research and advice.
We will also adapt through organisations in the municipality collaborating to develop effective,
innovative and economically productive adaptation solutions. These solutions will be aligned
with the municipal greenhouse gas mitigation strategy. This will enable residents, visitors and
workers within the municipality to understand their shared and individual responsibilities.

5. Living and working in a dense urban

centre
To become an eco-city the living, working, cultural and recreational activities of the
municipality will be integrated into a dense and liveable urban ecosystem at the hub of a
metropolitan network of similar urban nodes, creating environmental, economic, social
and health benefits alike for the metropolitan area and the municipality.

Since the 1950s, Melbourne has developed as a sprawling low-density metropolis. Today, most
people depend on motor vehicles to go about their daily activities, and goods and services are
freighted large distances within the city. This pattern has also driven agriculture beyond the
metropolitan area, so food has to be freighted into the city every day.

Our high levels of personal, business and freight travel are a significant source of greenhouse
emissions and increased costs to household and businesses.

Most Melburnians would prefer to have their homes, workplaces, schools, shopping social and
other activities conveniently close by. This is why since the 1980's many are now moving into
urban centres such as the municipality of Melbourne where most daily trips for home, work,
school and recreation can be done easily and in a short time, on foot or by bicycle.
To be an eco-city the municipality needs to have a high density of different types of activities,
give priority for walking and cycling as the most logical and most sustainable transport options.
New urban growth will need to focus around existing and proposed rail stations and tram
routes, particularly along the main roads and boulevards in the municipality (known as transit-
oriented development).

The development of similar urban nodes forming a network of mixed-use urban centres across
the metropolitan area, connected by regular, high-speed sustainable transport and freight
services will start to build a metropolitan urban ecosystem that will be more economic, more
liveable and environmentally sustainable in the future.

Increasing residential population density in the municipality

Currently the municipality has a low residential density of 22 residents / hectare (or 13
dwellings per hectare). However, our population density increases to a high 212 people /
hectare if daily visitors are added to the counts.

Each day, visitors to the municipality outnumber residents 10 to one. Business-as-usual trend
population projections to 2020 for the municipality show residential population reaching
140,000 (currently 86,000) while daily visitor numbers (including workers) should reach
1,000,000 (currently 700,000). This projected daily visitor population presents a major
transport challenge.

If more of these people both lived and worked within the municipality this would reduce the
daily visitor transport task without increasing the number of people in the city daily. Pro-
actively encouraging increasing residential density in the inner city will strengthen its
sustainability.

The six-storey (medium rise) apartment block is the optimum building type for energy
efficiency and can accommodate the household densities Inner Melbourne will require. This
development standard could generate the density required for pedestrian comfort and a good
public transport system. Implementation of this height limit will need to acknowledge and
respond to heritage values.
Giving priority to walking and cycling

Inner Melbourne has an excellent road network that could be very suitable for walking and
cycling. The current high volumes and speeds of motor vehicles in this network could be
reduced in favour of walking and cycling, and the proportion of road space allocated to walkers
and cyclists could be increased.

Changes are already happening in the central city, such as the separated bike lane along the
north end of Swanston Street. Change of this nature could be accelerated and significantly
expanded, eventually forming a network of safe and attractive routes throughout the inner
metropolitan area.

Develop a metropolitan network of urban centres

The Victorian Government's Melbourne 2030 sets out a long-term vision for a network of
activity centres and transit cities connected by tram and high-speed rail public transport.
Activity centres will increasingly provide employment, accommodation and recreation, and the
municipality will include the largest of these centres.

The municipality will be the heart of a network of similar but smaller urban centres forming a
more sustainable and powerfully connected metropolitan region. The City of Melbourne will
foster functional links with Footscray (identified as a transit city), the municipality's closest
urban centre, and will work to create and strengthen sustainable transit links with all
surrounding cities, towns and communities.

Between these urban nodes lower density suburbs would become more energy efficient and
greener.
Developing local food production

Urban agriculture can reduce environmental impacts and increase the resilience of urban food
supplies by:

 reducing vulnerability to oil prices

 reducing food miles and greenhouse emissions
 making use of alternative agricultural inputs such as
stormwater, wastewater and food waste
 reducing land conflict between food production, biodiversity
and biofuels.

City of Melbourne residents, restaurants and businesses will increasingly source more fresh
foodstuffs grown and processed locally, and therefore reduce the financial and greenhouse gas
costs of food freight. Food-yielding trees and plants may be incorporated into public parks and
private body corporate gardens. Space will be used intensively, including rooftop and wall
gardens.

Throughout the metropolitan region, food will be produced in and between urban centres and
distributed locally and regionally. Up to one third of food consumed in the city will be sourced
locally or regionally. Organic waste including food waste may be collected and processed
locally as compost.

A sustainable city, or eco-city is a city designed with consideration of environmental

impact, inhabited by people dedicated to minimization of required inputs of energy, water
and food, and waste output of heat, air pollution - CO2, methane, and water pollution.
Richard Register first coined the term "ecocity" in his 1987 book, Ecocity Berkeley: building
cities for a healthy future. Other leading figures who envisioned the sustainable city are
architect Paul F Downton, who later founded the company Ecopolis Pty Ltd, and author
Timothy Beatley, who has written extensively on the subject. The field of industrial ecology
is sometimes used in planning these cities.
A sustainable city can feed itself with minimal reliance on the surrounding countryside, and
power itself with renewable sources of energy. The crux of this is to create the smallest
possible ecological footprint, and to produce the lowest quantity of pollution possible, to
efficiently use land; compost used materials, recycle it or convert waste-to-energy, and thus
the city's overall contribution to climate change will be minimal, if such practices are
adhered to.

Case Study of Dongton,Shanghai

Arup, the British engineering consultancy firm, was contracted in 2005 by the developer,
The Shanghai Industrial Investment Company (SIIC), to design and masterplan Dongtan, an
eco-city on Chongming Island close to Shanghai, the first of a planned series.

Dongtan was presented at the United Nations World Urban Forum by China as an example
of an eco-city, and is the first of up to four such cities to be designed and built in China by
Arup. The cities are planned to be ecologically friendly, with zero-greenhouse-emission
transit and complete self-sufficiency in water and energy, together with the use of zero
energy building principles. Energy demand will be substantially lower than comparable
conventional cities due to the high performance of buildings and a zero emission transport
zone within the city. Waste is considered to be a resource and most of the city's waste will
be recycled.

However, the planned ecological footprint for each citizen in Dongtan is currently 2.2
hectares, higher than the 1.9 hectares that the World Wildlife Fund claims is theoretically
sustainable on a global scale.

Dongtan proposes to have only green transport movements along its coastline. People will
arrive at the coast and leave their cars behind, traveling along the shore as pedestrians,
cyclists or on sustainable public transport vehicles. The only vehicles allowed in the city
will be powered by electricity or hydrogen. Houses are now selling here to Shanghai middle
classes for use when spending weekends away from the city. The Controlling authorities
are now backtracking on these commitments and allowing private vehicles onto the site.

EPSRC, the UK funding body for academic research, is supporting four Dongtan research
networks of UK and Chinese universities to study the research agenda for eco-city design.
Arup is assisting in the coordination of these networks and in planning associated
Institutes for Sustainability.
References:-

 www.ecocities-india.org/

 Stanislav E. Shmelev and Irina A. Shmeleva (2009) "Sustainable cities: problems of integrated
interdisciplinary research",International Journal of Sustainable Development, Volume 12,
Number 1, 2009, pp. 4 – 23
 Richard Register (2006) Ecocities: building cities in balance with nature, New Society Publishers.
ISBN 0-86571-552-1.
 Shannon May (2008) "Ecological citizenship and a plan for sustainable development",
City,12:2,237 — 244
 Timothy Beatley (2000) (1997) [http://worldcat.org/oclc/36695680&referer=one_hit Eco-city
dimensions  : healthy communities, healthy planet, New Society Publishers. ISBN 0-86571-353-7.
 Richard Register (1987) Ecocity Berkeley: building cities for a healthy future, North Atlantic
Books. ISBN 1-55643-009-4.
 Sim Van der Ryn and Peter Calthorpe (1986) Sustainable communities  : a new design synthesis
for cities, suburbs, and towns, Sierra Club Books. ISBN 0-87156-629-X.
 Paolo Soleri (1973) Arcology  : the city in the image of man, MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-19060-5.
 Ian L. McHarg (1969) Design with nature, Published for the American Museum of Natural History
[by] the Natural History Press.
 Louise Crabtree (2006) Messy humans, dirty economies and leaky houses: citizenship,
sustainable livelihoods and housing in Australia, doctoral dissertation, Macquarie University,
2006.

Shashikant Nishant Sharma

BP/461/2008

School of Planning and Architecture