As the world continues to urbanize at an unprecedented rate, the need for sustainable urban development has become more pressing than ever before. That’s because urbanization has been significantly impacting the environment, and right from increased pollution levels to resource depletion, everything is somehow associated with urbanization only. However, it is these urban areas, basically the cities, that also present an opportunity to create positive change through sustainable development practices, like Green Cities.
Green cities are designed to address environmental challenges by integrating sustainable practices into urban planning and design. We at the Tribhuvan College of Environment & Development Sciences, one of the leading BSc environmental science colleges in Delhi NCR, firmly believe that the need of the hour is to move to a green cities approach where attention is laid on finding alternatives that can take care of man’s needs, while not interfering with the environment. How do you do that? Come let us see in this blog today.
Strategies for Building Urban Sustainability Through Green Cities:
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Smart Transportation Choices:
By now, we all know that one of the major causes of air pollution, climate change, global warming, and acid rain is nothing but the harmful emissions that are let out from the vehicles we use.
This brings us to an effective green strategy, which speaks about switching to public transportation so that the number of active vehicles on the road can reduce. Switching to electric cars works as another effective solution in this regard. Individually, you can also come forward and opt for car-pooling, riding a bicycle, or walking nearby distances.
If you think it is impossible, you should visit the Gili Islands in Indonesia, where the only mode of transportation are bicycles and horse-drawn carriages. If they can do it, why can’t we make the switch?
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Clean Energy Production:
Are you aware that the energy you consume in your household mainly comes from fossil fuel combustion? Needless to say, this form of energy production is responsible for an array of environmental hazards, which include but are not limited to air pollution, climate change, water pollution, thermal pollution, and solid waste disposal.
Do we have a way out? We sure do! All you need to do is switch to solar energy, which isn’t just naturally produced but is available in plenty. Irrespective of the size of your premise, you can have solar panels fixed and use energy generated from these panels. This is an excellent way of contributing your bit to helping your city turn into a green city.
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Planting More Greens:
When speaking about the creation of green cities, how can we overlook the need to plant more trees?
Not many know, but deforestation has become a leading environmental hazard, which has greater consequences than what we can imagine. Deforestation brings along with it related environmental problems such as loss of biodiversity, fluctuation in the natural habitat, soil erosion, and disturbed natural water cycle. This, in turn, impacts life on the planet.
Hence, if you are desirous about turning your city into a green city, the first step you need to take is to come forward and plant more trees. At the same time, you need to ascertain that fellow citizens aren’t damaging whatever you are diverting your efforts to create. Take care of this, and your dream green city will not remain a distant dream.
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Water Conservation:
If there is one resource on this planet that most of us take for granted, it has to be water. Why do you think that happens? Probably because we have come to believe that 70% surface of the earth is covered by water.
This may have been a reality in the past but fails to be true in today’s day and age. Water contamination, pollution, and scarcity are common problems that we as a planet continue to face.
This is where building a green city becomes useful as this concept focuses its attention on rainwater harvesting, green infrastructure, and waterless hardware, which are some of the excellent ways of preserving and taking care of water.
Conclusion
The need for sustainable urban development cannot be overstated, and green cities offer a promising way forward. By integrating sustainable practices into urban planning and design, we can create cities that are more environmentally friendly, socially inclusive, and economically prosperous. However, achieving this goal requires a collaborative effort between different stakeholders, including government agencies, businesses, academic institutions, and communities.
At the Tribhuvan College of Environment and Development Sciences, ranked among the best BSc environmental science colleges in Delhi NCR, we recognize the importance of working together with these stakeholders to promote sustainable urban development. Thus, through this blog today, we would like to urge everyone reading this write-up to join hands and take concrete steps toward building green cities that can serve as models for a sustainable future. By working together, we can create more sustainable and liveable cities that will benefit both people and the planet. Let us take action now to build a better future for ourselves and for generations to come.