Here's how you can use technology to create more sustainable cities.

For cities in developing countries, the first step to becoming "smart" by making use of emerging technologies is by developing dynamic databases... this would mean digitizing their built and natural infrastructure, demographic compositions, and other such considerations. The "smartness" would come as a natural outcome of this process!

Sustainability often permits governments to interfere with the natural order of supply and demand. By abolishing all the pricing controls in the energy sector, everything is justified in terms of profits and losses. Under the condition that the government doesn't print inflation money and gives it to risk-takers to risk in unjustified scenarios under the name of Public-Private-Partnerships. PPP only privatizes the benefits and socializes the costs.

Utilizing technology like IoT and AI for smart infrastructure and renewable energy sources can significantly enhance urban sustainability by optimizing resources, reducing energy consumption, and promoting cleaner energy production while improving air quality and livability through green spaces and eco-friendly buildings.

To effectively convince clients of the importance of designs that decrease energy consumption through smart energy solutions, consider the following approach: 1. Highlight Cost Savings. 2. Environmental Benefits. 3. Regulatory Compliance. 4. Long-Term Investment. 5. Case Studies and Examples. 6. Demonstrate Expertise. 7. Risk Mitigation. 8. Educational Approach. 9. Collaborative Approach. 10. Continuous Improvement. By framing your pitch around these points, you can effectively convey the importance of prioritizing energy consumption in urban designs and convince clients of the value of adopting smart energy solutions

In preparation of GIS based master plan for two cities. I am able to: 1.Defined protected zones and crucial drainage channels with proposals of riparian buffers and afforestation by miyawaki method. 2.Evolved retrofitting framework for urban streets with prioritization to humans, mobility based on public transport and urban forest along arterial streets. 3.Proposed framework and methodology to undo the deterioration of natural channels by pollution. 4. Proposed the type and defined the processes for sewage treatment and planned their network to cater the future.

As recognized by the UN's GlobalABC report, a Shift to BioBased Materials is the 2nd of 3 steps towards decarbonizing building construction, and rapidly-renewable resources such as hemp, bamboo, and straw are preferred over timber, which has a longer renewal cycle and sequesters carbon at an increasing rate as living trees. Natural materials are lower in carbon and potentially carbon storing. Taken to scale, buildings will become the Earth's sixth carbon sink.

New building constructions should aim to be as close to Passive House standards as possible. These buildings imcorporate advanced insulation, airtightness, and efficient ventilation systems to minimize energy consumption, significantly reducing carbon emissions.

Green roofs and living walls are a sustainable solution for modern cities. They tackle the double threat of rising urban temperatures and air pollution by providing natural insulation and filtering pollutants, creating a healthier and more comfortable environment for residents.

Something as simple as painting your roofs white can help lower the temperature of the house. Design buildings with operable windows and strategic ventilation paths to enhance airflow, reducing the need for mechanical cooling. Retrofit older buildings with green technologies to extend their life, reduce urban sprawl, and conserve embodied energy. Design building clusters that share resources like energy and water, creating micro-communities with reduced environmental footprints.

Reduction in waste generation is critical because it at household level or industry level. There should be onus on each citizen to do their part. We usually discuss about incentivising denizens to undertake certain practices but focus should be on making it a lifestyle. A food for thought is - may be disincentivise! Also with e-commerce platforms, there is a need to intervene how this industry is using packaging materials that are contributing to waste.

It's also paramount that waste generators (households) are educated on how to convert waste to wealth through recycling making useful products as in door decor, children's play materials as skip ropes from polythene bags, and manure from decomposable waste

We should stop seeing used water as waste. Reuse of (rain)water is key to produce a local ecowatersystem. Purposed based usage of water should be the start of every water system in the world. Why use clean water to flush the toilet? Or to wash windows or cars?

Para ciudades sostenibles con gestión de residuos innovadora, es crucial abordar la planificación urbana deficiente y la falta de educación ambiental. La ausencia de políticas efectivas de reducción y recolección diferenciada, junto con infraestructura y financiamiento insuficientes, perpetúan los basurales. Involucrar a toda la población es esencial para fomentar la responsabilidad colectiva. Mejorar la coordinación entre los niveles de gobierno y la comunidad fortalecerá la implementación de normativas. Además, las tecnologías avanzadas deben complementarse con políticas de compostaje y consumo responsable. Un enfoque multisectorial y una educación ambiental mejorada son clave para mitigar los impactos negativos.

Un programa de movilidad sostenible conjuntamente con desarrollo urbano según los lineamientos del Desarrollo Orientado al Transporte (TOD) ayuda a densificar corredores de la ciudad, donde transite el transporte masivo, el transporte calmado, el transporte en bicicleta, beneficiando a los ciudadanos y ciudades, creando así sitios ecológicos, de valor social y que ayuden a mejorar la calidad de vida.

In my opinion, sustainable transit and effective public transportation are crucial components of creating more sustainable cities. They contribute significantly to environmental, social and economic sustainability in various ways like reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions ( lower emissions and electric and Hybrid vehicles), decreasing Air pollution ( improved air quality and less Traffic Congestion), Energy efficiency ( high capacity and optimized routes), Land use and Urban planning ( reduced urban sprawl and compact cities), Economic benefits ( cost savings and increased productivity), Social equity and accessibility (enhanced mobility and improved access to services), Health and well being (active lifestyles and reduced accidents) and so on.

Decongesting city centres of vital services and amenities to the residential suburbs, will ensure people don't frequent the CBD or city centre. Meaning this will reduce use of fossil fuels by use of cars, but encourage walking and riding to access the services of shopping, medical care, entertainment etc

Our limited human understanding can lead to regulations with unintended consequences (Nozick, 1974, p. 345). For instance, public transportation initiatives aiming to help the poor and the environment might inadvertently benefit landowners with property value increases, pushing poorer residents further away (Centro et al., 2013). This increases travel distances, harming both individuals and the environment. And finally, the sheer complexity of regulations can create inefficiencies, costs, and unintended consequences. Each new rule adds layers of ambiguity and potential interference with existing codes, ultimately infringing on individual rights and liberties (Sowell, 2008, p. 102:110).

While reducing the number of crowded streets might sound appealing, focusing on less congested roads would likely be a more targeted approach. Many cities, including mine, actively seek to attract visitors for economic growth. For planning cycle routes, I use cycle.travel, a great tool for finding quieter roads suitable for cycling.

Urban farming is a great opportunity not only to increase greening but also to become a livelihood means for many. It is an increasing trend that has the potential to create softscape in dense urban areas and can contribute in mitigating urban heat impacts. It also has potential to contribute in boosting local produce.

The rise of urban beekeeping presents a fantastic opportunity to support pollinators in our cities. However, it's crucial to remember that bees rely on a diverse range of flowering plants for their survival. Consider implementing a rewilding project focused on native bee-friendly plants. This will create a sustainable ecosystem for both the bees and urban beekeeping initiatives.

This is amazing, near perfect solution to food shortages in urban areas, particularly in developing countries. However, majority of the people in need of these technologies do not own their homes, hence, issue of tenure of occupancy.

Urban farming uses technology to turn rooftops and vacant lots into green spaces. Hydroponics and aquaponics enable efficient plant and fish cultivation. Controlled-environment agriculture, with sensors and automation, produces year-round, reducing transport emissions. Examples include Brooklyn Grange in New York, which uses hydroponics for local produce, and Sky Greens in Singapore, which employs vertical farming to maximize food production, showcasing technology's role in enhancing urban food security and sustainability.

Measure the wastewater released from neighborhoods and provide tax breaks if reduced. This will encourage community engagement and change.

Locally, smart irrigation systems optimize water use in public areas by adjusting schedules based on real-time weather and soil data, reducing wastage and sustaining green spaces. These innovations not only improve efficiency but also bolster urban resilience against water scarcity exacerbated by climate change.

In creating sustainable urban development, it is essential to acknowledge that sustainable development can be perceived as 'sustainable change' or simply 'successful development'. To achieve truly sustainable urban development, projects must be designed and implemented according to the needs and abilities of the people who will benefit from them. Sustainable urban development is commonly understood as a type of social change that incorporates the aim of environmental sustainability along with traditional development goals. It requires people-centered thinking and initiative.

Here are a couple of tactical water conservation actions: 1. Require all new construction; residential, commercial, industrial & institutional, to install ONLY water conserving facets, showers, toilets and appliances. Facets should have adjustable auto-shutoffs. 2. Require all new construction to “acquire” its water by retro-fitting the facets, etc. of a similar existing structure. 3. Monitor compliance.

Use privately available data along with publicly available data to map out energy usage, temperature, tree cover, etc. This will allow the city to better predict the benefits of adopting solar and other green initiatives by the citizens. Use media to advertise the benefits.

Lithium based solutions are neither environment friendly nor scalable. Hydrogen, either fuel cell or IC engines seems to be the way to go