U R B A N

S U S T A I N A B L I T Y

URBAN SPRAWL
Low residential density
Unlimited outward extension of urban de
velopment
Spatial segregation of different types of
land uses through zoning
Leapfrog development
No centralized ownership of land or plan
ning of land development.
All transportation dominated by privately
owned motor vehicles
Fragmentation of governance authority of land uses among many
local governments
Great variance in the fiscal capacity of local governments
Widespread commercial strip development along major roadways
Major reliance on a filtering process to provide housing for low
income households

Low Density
M ainly Residential
Use

High Density

High Density

Com m a cia!

Com m ercial,

B u sin ess,

BuH188$

Residential U se

Residential U se

C o n trib u tio n to u rb a n su sta in a b iity

Su b
Low Density
Mamly Residential
Use

C h a ra c te ristic s of

En viro n m e n ta l

So c ia l

Eco no m ic

c o m p a c t c iity

b e ne fits

Be ne fits

b e n e fits

Sho rte r intra-urban

-Few er co 2

-G reater

-Higher

level distances / less

Em issions

Accessibilty

Productivity

Due to low er

Due to

-Less pollution

Tra nsp o rt

Shorter

From autom obiles

Cost

Travel time

-Higher

Fo rw o rk e rs

_________A _________

ZR2
m u

I I I !

autom obile
dependency

compact
c ity

Ooe*w&y Road
(Traffic tow 60kmfti)

One-way Road
on the Arts

BRT
Dedicated Lanes

on the Ax rs

9H

M obility fo r

Trinary Road System

ECO-COMPACT CITY(San Sebastian)

People

-D evelopm ent

W ithout

O f green job s/

Access to a car

Technologies

SPRAWL CITY (Modena)

2

M ore district w id e-

-Less energy

energy utilisation and

C onsum ption

local energy

Per capita

-D evelopm ent
O f green job s/
Technologies

generation

COMPACT CITY

-Few er co 2
Em issions

RURAL

TRANSECT

URBAN

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-Few er co 2

-Higher quality

-Rural

resources

Em issions due to

O f life due to

Econom ic

& M ore opportunity

Sho rte r

M ore

Developm ent

Recreational

(urban

Activities

Agriculture,

for urban-rural linkage Travel m ileage

I)

srvcut.
DISTRICT

The Compact City or city of short distances is an urban planning and

urban design concept which promotes relatively high residential den
sity with mixed land uses.
It is based on efficient public transport system and has an urban
layout which - according to its advocates - encourages walking and
cycling, low energy consumption and reduced pollution.
It is also arguably a more sustainable urban settlement type than
urban sprawl because it is less dependent on the car, requiring less
(and cheaper per capita) infrastructure provision.
A large resident population provides opportunities for social interac
tion as well as feeling of safety in numbers a nd " Eye On The Streets."

district

O ptim um use o f land

b -1

\
ILSS
l KI

Dependence

DISTRICT
3

T!

-M ore energy

180 inhabitants
Urbanized Area: 2.000 hectares
Mall Surface: 55.000 sqm
Retail Surface: 1370.000 sqm

180 inhabitants
Urbanized Area: 4.300 hectares
Mall Surface: 1200.000 sqm
Retail Surface: 176.500 sqm

- C onservation of

Renew able

Farm lands &

Energy,etc.)

Natural
Biodiversity

CURRENT URBAN TRENDS UNDERSCORE THE NEED FOR COMPACT CITIES

Continuing urbanisation underscores the need to conserve land resources.
By 2050, 70% of the worlds population & 86% in OECD countries will live in
urban areas . Land consumption for built-up areas will increase more rapidly
than the population in 30 out of 34 OECD countries.
Global warming raises new issues for cities and requires new responses.
Increasing energy prices can affect living patterns, for example by raising
transport costs.
The recent economic crisis has affected local governments finances,
making it more difficult to invest in new infrastructure.
As demographics change , policy makers need to adapt urban p o lic ie s.
The elderly population has doubled over the past 60 years in OECD countries
and tripled worldwide. The average household size has also decreasedin
OECD countries.

M ore efficient public

-Public service

-Low er

service delivery

Level fo r social

Infrastructure

W elfare

Investm ents &

M aintained by

C ost of

Im proved

M aintenance

Efficiency

Better access to a

-Higher quality

-Skilled la b our

diversity of local

O f life due to

Force

services & jo b s

Access to local

Attracted by

Services (shops,

High quality

Hospitals etc.)

O f life

city

compact city model

ORIGIN OF COMPACT CITY:

The term Compact City was first coined in 1978 by George Dantzig
and Thomas L. Saaty, two mathematicians whose Utopian vision was
largely driven by a desire to see more efficient use of resources.
Compact cities was created by the idea of SUSTAINABLE URBAN PlANNTNG in European countries in the late 1990's.
The concept of compact city is based on the SUSTAINABILITY
, a term used by THE CLUB OF ROME in 1972.
APARNA M P

Barcelona

2013M UD004

ACT CITIES

AN A P P R O A C H

TO URBAN

S U S T A I N A B L IT Y