A Brief Look at Sustainable Urban Planning

 Based in San Diego, California, Douglas Austin is an architect with several years of experience. He is also the chairman and CEO of AVRP Studios in San Diego. Douglas Austin studied urban retail planning at Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

As the effects of climate change become more apparent, there is a need to ensure that land, water, and living spaces are put into sustainable use. The United Nations, in its 1987 report, defined sustainability as any form of development that addresses present needs and does not reduce the chances of future generations meeting their own needs. Therefore, sustainable urban development is a form of urban development that prioritizes protecting the environment and conserving environmental resources so that future generations can access them.

With sustainable urban development, cities are planned in ways that are friendly to the environment. Fewer funds will be spent on massive infrastructure like highways. Instead, the government will spend money constructing walkways, bike lanes, recreational parks, etc. Furthermore, the government will prioritize infrastructures like metro systems, underground railways, and electric trolleybuses.