Eco Towns and Sustainable Cities

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.

About 25% of the UK'S carbon emissions come from homes.It is possible to reduce this by improving insulation and installing double glazing to prevent heat loss and by encouraging people to reduce the amount of the energy they use, for example by switching to low-energy light bulbs, turining off standby swithces and turning down heating by a few degrees. Carbon-neutral homes are those where carbon emissions do not add to the net amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

They will meet the highest standards of sustainability, including low and zero carbon technologies and quality public transport systems. They will make use of brownfield land and surplus public sector land where practical and lead the way in design, facilities and services, and community involvement.

For retail purposes, a location that is well connected and up to 300 metres of the primary shopping area. For all other main town centre uses, a location within 300 metres of a town centre boundary. For office development, this includes locations outside the town centre but within 500 metres of a public transport interchange. In determining whether a site falls within the definition of edge of centre, account should be taken of local circumstances.

Advantages:                                                            
-the towns are planned to be sustaible
-they will provide thousands of new houses and many will be 'affordable' for low income families                                                          
-they will help to tackle climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.

Disadvantages:
-they will be built on greenfield sites using up valuable countryside and green belt land.
-too few houses will be built to meet demand
-they will generate more traffic which will generate more carbon emissions