Strategies for developing sustainable cities

There is no 'one scheme fits all' approach towards sustainability because cities can be so diverse with challenges and populatin size as well as economic status, development and technology

There are however, a number of key strategies to achieve sustainability. These are:

Investment in infrastructure:

• Includes: roads, water, sewers and electricity and services such as schools and healthcare
• Curitiba's bus system has reduced the amount of traffic and carbon emissions at an estimated cost of about 200 times less than subway systems
• Retrofitting of buildings
• Improved electricity and water efficiency

Green investment in low-income countries:

• Helps poorer cities 'leapfrog' from high-carbon energy use to a zero-carbon development path
• This could provide employment for the 'youth bulge' within these cities

Renewable energy:

• Investment in the production and use of renewable energy
• In Freiburg Germany, solar investment subsidies are given to residents installing solar panels and 'plus energy' homes have been constructed which produces more energy than it uses.
• Also in Germany, low-energy construction standards have also been introduced in a bid to reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions by 40% by 2030

Waste collection:

• Reduction of waste…