Module Details
Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Sanjukkta Bhaduri
Professor, Urban Planning, School of Planning and Architecture, New
Delhi
Paper Coordinator Prof. Dr. Sanjukkta Bhaduri
Content Writer Prof. Dr. Sanjukkta Bhaduri
Content Reviewer Prof. Kavas Kapadia
Former Dean, Urban Planning, School of Planning and Architecture,
New Delhi
Subject Name Planning Approaches
Module Title Eco Cities Case Studies
Objectives • Case studies of eco cities
Unit structure
1.1 Case Studies .................................................................................................................................. 3
1.1.1 Yokohama, Japan................................................................................................................ 3
1.1.2 Stockholm, Sweden ............................................................................................................. 4
2 References ............................................................................................................................................ 5
1.1 Case Studies
1.1.1 Yokohama, Japan Figure 1: Yokohama Location
Yokohama, a prominent
port city, is the second
largest city in Japan in
terms of population
after Tokyo having a
population of 3.7
million (as per 2016).
The city covers an area
of [Link]. (Fig.
1). The city was nominated by Source: [Link]
World Bank as one of the first 6 ECO2 Cities which display the best global practices for
balance of ecological sustainable development and economic urban growth. The city was
selected as one of Japan’s Eco Model cities in the year 2008.
A. CHALLENGES
The population of the city nearly doubled in 20 year period (1960-1980) (population
increased from 1.37 million to 2.77 million). This rapid increase led to various problems
and Yokohama faced challenges like:
Housing Shortage
Urban Sprawl
Disappearing green spaces
Underdeveloped infrastructure
Increased urban waste
Increased air and water pollution
B. STRATEGIES ADOPTED
Green Space: increased tree plantation and promotion of green roof tops. Green areas are
protected via the Urban Green Space Conservation Law. Finances required for conserving
green areas are mobilized by levying a green tax and offering special treatment for fixed
asset taxes in certain green areas. (Fig. 2, 3).
Figure 3: Green tracks along Figure 2: Rooftop green
roads
Figure 4: Community Bikes
Combating Pollution and CO2 Emission: In
order to achieve this Yokohama Green Valley
Initiative was taken up which aimed to reduce
greenhouse gas emission and increase the use
of renewable energy by 10 fold. Community
bicycles were also introduced to combat air
pollution. (Fig. 4).
Reduction of Waste: Yokohama reduced
Source:
waste by 38.7% between fiscal years 2001 and [Link]
2007, despite the growth of 165,875 people 11/04/yokohama-communit y-cycle-
in the city’s population. (Hiroaki Suzuki 2010). [Link]
This reduction in waste was a result of public awareness generated by the government
about the environmental issues and the active participation of citizens in Yokohama’s
3Rs program (reduce, reuse, and recycle). As a result of significantly reduced waste
the city has been able to shut down two of its incinerators which has also brought along
with it huge economic benefit.
Energy Consumption: Solar and bio-energy are two major sources of renewable energy
now used in Yokohama. Economic and regulatory measures such as subsidies for the
installation of solar water heaters and renewable energy use targets in buildings at a certain
size are being imposed on the citizens.
The buildings now mandatorily need building certification, called the Comprehensive
Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency, with subsidies for the assessment
costs. The newly built houses are required to comply with the energy conservation
standards. Loans at a low interest rate are available for house owners who wish to construct
green houses.
1.1.2 Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm is a fast growing city built on 14 islands surrounding the mainland. (Fig.5). It’s the
Cultural, political, media and economic centre of Sweden occupying an area of 188 sq km
housing a population of 0.9 million (as per 2016). Stockholm has been working determinedly on
urban environmental issues for a long time.
Figure 5: Stockholm Location
A. CHALLENGES
Climate Change
Socio economic disparities amongst neighborhoods
B. STRATEGIES ADOPTED
Environmentally efficient transport
Safe goods and buildings free of dangerous substances
Sustainable energy use
Sustainable land and water use
Waste treatment with minimal environmental impacts
Energy Consumption : Adoption of bio fuels as the city aims to be free of fossil fuel use
by 2050. Emissions of greenhouse gases fell from 5.3 tons to 4.0 tons of equivalent
carbon dioxide (CO2e) per person between 1990 and 2005 (City of Stockholm 2009).
Controlled Land development : Around 70% of the city land is owned by the government
whose development strategy is densification through Brownfield Development. The
government has adopted a redevelopment model - Hammarby Sjostad , which uses
integrated city development approach. This model helps to transform a linear urban
metabolism, which consumes inflowing resources and discards out flowing wastes, into
a cyclical system that optimizes the use of resources and minimizes waste.
A healthy indoor environment.
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