Currently the city of Abu Dhabi has a population of 1 million. By the time of 2030, the figure will rise to 3 million. What will the urban planning department deal with such a large population, and guide the city towards sustainability? This short video will tell you.
Environment
Singapore – Best Place to Live for Asian Expatriates 2012
Environment, PlanningAccording to ECA International, 2012 global ranking for the best livable location is Singapore, which has “good air quality, excellent infrastructure and healthcare facilities, low crime and health risks.”
“Updated annually, ECA International’s Location Ratings system helps companies to establish appropriate expatriate allowances to compensate for the level of adjustment required to complete an assignment. It objectively evaluates a host of factors to form an assessment of the overall quality of living in over 400 locations worldwide. These factors include climate, availability of health services, housing and utilities, isolation, access to a social network and leisure facilities, infrastructure, personal safety, political tensions and air quality. ”
Top 20 most liveable locations globally for Asians
| Global Rank 2012 | Location | Global Rank 2011 |
| 1 | Singapore | 1 |
| 2 | Sydney | 2 |
| 3 | Adelaide | 4 |
| 3 | Brisbane | 3 |
| 5 | Kobe | 4 |
| 6 | Perth | 6 |
| 7 | Canberra | 9 |
| 8 | Dublin | 12 |
| 8 | Melbourne | 10 |
| 8 | Copenhagen | 10 |
| 11 | Bern | 17 |
| 11 | Hong Kong | 14 |
| 11 | Vancouver | 14 |
| 11 | Auckland | 12 |
| 15 | Antwerp | 17 |
| 15 | Wellington | 14 |
| 17 | San Francisco | 20 |
| 17 | Tokyo | 6 |
| 17 | Yokohama | 6 |
| 20 | Amsterdam | 22 |
Source: ECA International
Sustainability Initiatives
Economic Development, Environment, PlanningThe table below shows three dimensions of initiatives which you might be interested in adopting to or examining the sustainable development.
| Environmental Protection Initiatives | Economic Growth Initiatives | Social Equity Initiatives |
| Environmentally Sensitive Area Protection | Brownfield Reclamation | Affordable Housing Provisions |
| Water Quality Protection Programs | Comprehensive Planning | Day Care Services for Service Sector and Low Income Employees |
| Energy Conservation Effort | Infill Development | Mass Transits Access with Local Income Subsidies |
| Environmental Site Design Regulations | Sustainable Indicators Project | Neighborhood Planning |
| Green Building Program | Urban Growth Boundary/Urban Service Boundary | Sustainable Food Systems or Food Security |
| Open Space Preservation Programs | Tax Incentives for Environmentally Friendly Development | Living Wage Ordinance |
| Transportation Demand Management | Agricultural Protection Zoning | Youth Opportunity and Anti-gang Programs |
| Environmental Education Programs | Eco-Industrial Park Development | Jobs-Housing Balance |
| Alternative Energy Offered to Consumers | Local Business Incubator Programs | Homeless Prevention and Intervention Programs |
| Ecological Footprint Analysis | Empowerment/Enterprise Zones | Women and Minority Owned Business CDCs and Investment Programs |
| Green Procurement | Incentive Zoning/Inclusionary Zoning | Housing Conservancy |
| Operation of Inner-city Public Transit | PDR/TDR | Local Head Start Programming |
| Renewable Energy Use by City Govt. | Business Retention Programs | Anti-Discrimination Programs |
| Curbside Recycling Program | Cluster/Targeted Economic Development | Anti-Gentrification Programs |
| Alternatively Fueled City Vehicle Program | Main Street Program | Community Asset Mapping |
| Car Pool, Van Pool Ride Share Programs | New Urbanist Development Approaches | Local Currency Programs |
| Household Hazardous Waste Collection and Recycling | Community Development Financial Institutions | |
| Solid Waste Life Cycle Management | Community Land Trusts | |
| Community Gardening | ||
| Integrated Pest Management | ||
| Life-cycle Public Construction |
Source: Local Government Efforts to Promote the “Three Es” of Sustainable Development: Survey of Large Cities in the U.S.
Best Lightning Talk at GeoDesign Summit 2012
Environment, Planning, Urban and Regional DesignTwo winners of Best Lightning Talk at the 2012 GeoDesign Summit are Abby Jones from Anthro/Ecological Design Collective and Ryan Perkl, assistant professor of the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning at the University of Arizona.
The following links lead to their presentation:
Abby Jones: Red Fields to Green Fields—Los Angeles
Ryan Perkl: Geodesigning Landscape Linkages: Coupling GIS and Corridor Design in Conservation Planning
Source: Esri: http://www.esri.com/news/arcwatch/0212/geodesign-summit-lightning-talk-winners-announced.html
