Ecocities Emerging

To support humanity's transition into the Ecozoic Era

Ecocity Builders
October 2011

Greetings,

Welcome to the October 2011 edition of Ecocities Emerging, an initiative of Ecocity Builders and the International Ecocity Conference Series.

"Why are we here?" It's a question often posed philosophically. Posed practically, the answer is pretty straightforward - we're here because our planet supports conditions for life, including human life. Alarmingly, humans are now impacting living systems to a point where our life-sustaining conditions are being undermined. The deeper and more urgent question at this point is: "How do we stop doing this -- and what can we do to support and sustain both people and planet?"

We know that the answer to this question must be framed within the limits of what the planet can provide while maintaining stable life supporting conditions. Scientists at the Stockholm Resilience Centre have outlined nine planetary boundaries as comprising a "safe operating space" for humanity. Drawing upon current scientific understanding, quantifications have been proposed for seven of them:

1. climate change;

2. ocean acidification;

3. stratospheric ozone;

4. biogeochemical nitrogen (N) cycle and phosphorus (P) cycle;

5. global freshwater use;

6. land system change; and

7. the rate at which biological diversity is lost.

The two additional planetary boundaries for which thresholds have not been yet established are:

8. chemical pollution and

9. atmospheric aerosol loading.

(More information here, including an address from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urging world leaders to apply planetary boundaries thinking.)

We have already transgressed 3 planetary boundaries: climate change, rate of biodiversity loss, and changes to the global nitrogen cycle. We are in a critical predicament. The question remains inanswered. Can humanity - cities and citizens - exist, even thrive, within the boundaries? We believe that we can. Cities, we believe, can save the earth.

And cities already have helped save the earth once before. When it was discovered in the mid 1980s that there was a ozone hole in the atmosphere (conditions causing the stratospheric ozone layer to become very thin) creating dangerous and unhealthy biological consequences, cities in the United States came together to ban the CFCs that were causing the problem as outlined in the Montreal Protocol, even though then President Bush and his administration were refusing to include language in the Clean Air Act to put the Montreal Protocol into effect. But cities took action anyway. Their efforts got the attention of the United Nations and the world and led to the formation of ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability, an organization that went on to further assist cities in taking local action on global issues through the adoption of local Agenda 21 plans, Climate Action Plans and other initiatives. More on ICLEI's story in next month's newsletter.

A planetary boundary that was threatened (stratospheric ozone) was restored. This is a significant accomplishment that is not talked about very often, but it should be. The Montreal Protocol embodies the principle agreed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 that "countries have a common but differentiated responsibility to protect and manage the global commons."

We can live within our planetary common boundaries, but only when we know what this kind of living looks like and how it is applied. Once we know that, we can then finally accurately define "the green economy" (one of the major themes of the upcoming UN Earth Summit), and know how to best invest in humanity's healthy future with fairness and equity. Ecocity Builders and our international associates and advisors are currently sharing work to date on defining conditions and an approach for living and thriving within the planet's safe operating boundaries, now and into the long-term future. The International Ecocity Framework and Standards initiative is bringing together cities, citizens, academics, scientists, business, government and NGOs around a shared vision of sustainable development - a way to successfully live within this safe operating space. (The IEFS's 15 basic conditions for sustainable development are listed here.)

Cities can save the world.

As we build, so shall we live.

Kirstin_signature

Kirstin Miller

Executive Director, Ecocity Builders

Ecocity Builders
339 15th Street, Suite 208
Oakland CA 94612 USA

www.ecocitybuilders.org

Keeper of the International Ecocity Conference Series

Ecocity Builders is a non-profit organization dedicated to reshaping cities, towns and villages for long-term health of human and natural systems.

The Ecozoic Era refers to a vision, first promoted by cosmologist Thomas Berry, of an emerging epoch when humanity lives in a mutually enriching relationship with the larger community of life on Earth.

Will we be able to make the transition in time to retain a biosphere healthy enough to regenerate living systems now under extreme stress? Our role in exploring ecocities is to clarify a vision of cities that can. And then go out and build them. There is no way to be certain we will succeed, but our position is that there's no time to just sit around and wonder about it: now is time for action.

Maybe one day all cities will be ecocities.

ANNOUNCING

Ecocity World Summit 2013

NANTES, FRANCE

Details to come ..

Richard Register at Tianjn Eco-city (yellow arrow)

Visiting Tianjin Eco-city

by Richard Register, President, Ecocity Builders

This was it: big arching orange bridge girders over the small river and high rising towers by the grand entrance as our company car from Bluepath crossed over the river and into Tianjin Ecocity. We took pictures of each other, Brian Heimberg and I. That's me (above photo), looking small and sitting at the foot of the sign under the swinging crane, right beside the waterfall.

Behind Brian (below photo) - the other picture taken in the other direction - we can see enormous windmills celebrating our arrival. Almost every building, up to about 25 stories tall, are clad in scaffolding, most of it braced outward from the upper six or so stories with vertical walls falling away below the cantilevered metal spider webs with working crews on straddling planks high in the sky.

Brian Heimberg of Bluepath Consulting, subcontracting planning to the Tianjin Eco-city project

Considering the name, of course it was a pilgrimage for me to visit the first city to actually incorporate the term I began using in 1979 - 32 years ago - into its actual name. I'd stepped out of the car feeling a little like Neil Armstrong stepping out of the Lunar Lander, stepped down onto Eco-city soil and like our dear representative of people on the moon, took a few steps. There I posed, recorded in this brave new, hopefully sustainable, urban world. It is being constructed right now, dozens of enormous buildings rising from the old salt flats. There will be, first phase and considered pretty much built out, 350,000 people or a little smaller than Oakland in population.

I'll be making a longer report taking up the challenge of the night before stepping into the Eco-city when, around one of those circular tables of officials and guests so common to the 20 course Chinese meals and "combés," which are the traditional toasts meaning "bottoms up" with wine or stronger, you meet your new and see your old friends again. There, the head of the project, Director Lin, told me "no yes-man business," (through a translator, myself speaking almost no Chinese and same for him in English).

That meant he wanted to know exactly what I thought of the project, negative as well as positive. So I will give you a few quick impressions and hold the more detailed ones for later to be shared with him, his Bluepath planning subcontractors who work out of the same offices as the main project, the first and presently almost only occupied building on the site that looks like it is about the same land area as Manhattan. I'll share the longer version with our Ecocity Builders members later if they write and ask. For now, while writing for this issue of our newsletter, I'm packing for another trip across the Pacific, this time to Korea for a talk in Seoul, so I can't finish my Tianjin work. But in a week I'll be back and can complete my Tianjin Eco-city assessment then. For now, here's some general info. (Bluepath is the company Brian works for organized by Shenfang Dong, who spoke at Ecocity 7 in San Francisco in 2008. Also that year he invited me to speak at a conference in Langfang, China he was helping plan while at the same time he was working for the Shanghai International Investment Company on ecocity projects that stalled enough that he jumped ship and started out on his own. Now as mentioned, his company, Bluepath, is subbing out to the main project building Tianjin Eco-city.)

Read on

Ecocity Insights

by Jennie Moore,

Director, Sustainable Development and Environmental Stewardship, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Access by Proximity Principle

A distinguishing feature of ecocities is that they enable "access by proximity" (Register 2006). This is important for reducing automobile reliance (Newman and Kenworthy 1999).

Transportation accounts for the second largest component of Vancouver's ecological footprint (COV 2011) and single occupant vehicle travel is responsible for half of that. Although emissions from air travel are also important, they represent under 20% of Vancouver's transportation eco-footprint. Ecocities concentrate density coupled with a mix of uses to enable access to jobs, services and entertainment by foot. To reduce reliance on automobiles, the nodes of development within ecocities are connected through rapid transit. Getting where you need to go becomes fast and effective when the transit service is frequent and drop-off points are centrally located just a few minutes' walk from your destination.

A challenge to transforming urban centres to pedestrian/transit-oriented development is minimum parking requirements that require a certain number of parking stalls be made available per square foot of built area. This approach of designing for the car as the primary mode of transportation can prevent clustered development, the type needed for access by proximity, to happen. An example is the sea of parking that surrounds many shopping malls, even ones that are serviced by rapid transit. Of course, goods movement is also a challenge, but one that can be overcome with a shift in investment to home delivery service.

Finally, there are people for whom walking is not an option due to physical ailments or disabilities. Ecocities are just cities, and making sure that people with special needs can be accommodated is a priority that can be met through greater investments in transportation services. Medical assisted travel is expensive but these costs can be offset by the savings in reduced motor-vehicle infrastructure. To achieve access by proximity, therefore, requires not just smart land-use decisions, but a shift in public service investment coupled with a transportation system designed around moving people first, then goods, and lastly single-occupant vehicles.

References:

Register, Richard. 2006. Ecocities: Building Cities in Balance with Nature. Gabriola Island BC: New Society Publishers.

COV (City of Vancouver). 2011. Greenest City Action Plan. Administrative Report, July 5. Vancouver BC: City of Vancouver. (http://vancouver.ca/greenestcity/)

Newman, P. and J. Kenworthy. 1999. Sustainability and Cities: Overcoming Automobile Dependence. Washington DC: Island Press.

BCIT School of Construction and the Environment (http://www.bcit.ca/construction)

Car Free Journey

By Steve Atlas

walking

This month's spotlighted city: Denver, Colorado

Downtown Denver is very walkable, and there is frequent bus service to most destinations. Denver blends mountain views with big city attractions. A one-day transit pass, good for both local buses and light rail, costs just $6.75 and can be ordered by phone (303/299-6464) or online. (Unfortunately, passes are only mailed out twice each month: around the 10^th and 22^nd of each month.) Weekend visitors arriving by air can purchase this pass at Level 5 on the west side of the Main Terminal.

Getting Here and Once You Arrive

Because Amtrak is operating out of a temporary terminal, with limited public transportation, and the once-per-day train is frequently late, we recommend arriving by bus or plane. From Denver International Airport (DIA), RTD's (Regional Transit District) hourly Sky Ride service to downtown Denver costs $11 each way. The Greyhound Bus Terminal, at 19^th and Arapahoe, in the downtown district, is served by several RTD buses, and is just a three-block walk from the Free 16^th Street Mall Shuttle.

Getting Around After You Arrive

As you plan your weekend getaway to Denver, take time to read this article (written by a Denver writer, and recommended by Visit Denver: the official travel and visitor bureau for Denver): http://www.denver.org/transportation/get-around-denver-without-car

If you are a cyclist, check out Denver's bike-sharing program: B-cycle. A 24-hour membership is $6, and 510 bikes are available at 51 area sites. Pick up a bicycle at one station and drop it off at another one. There is no charge for the first 30 minutes; 30-60 minutes costs $1. Each additional ½ hour costs $4. The B-cycle system is closed in winter. For more information, visit http://Denver.bicycle.com, call (303) 825-3325, or e-mail infor@denverbikesharing.org. Denver has over 850 miles of off-street trails. For more information about Denver's bicycle trails, visit http://www.denver.org/what-to-do/sports-recreation/denver-bike-trails.

Many visitors may not want the hassles of choosing which of Denver's many attractions to visit. If you are one of these people, an organized tour may be the best solution. For information about local tours, visit http://www.denver.org/transportation/colorado-tours

Non-drivers should focus on downtown Denver, and use RTD buses and free 16^th Street mall shuttle to get around. Visit RTD's website: http://www.rtd-denver.com, or call (303) 299-6089 for live customer service from 6 a, m,-8 p.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends and holidays (all times are mountain time).

Visit http://www.denver.org for information about Denver attractions, transportation, and accommodations. Or call (toll-free) 800/273-6837 or (local phone) 303/892-1505, or e-mail visitorinfor@visitdenver.com.

Read On

"The problem is the present design of cities only a few stories high, stretching outward in unwieldy sprawl for miles. As a result of their sprawl, they literally transform the earth, turn farms into parking lots and waste enormous amounts of time and energy transporting people, goods and services over their expanses. My solution is urban implosion rather than explosion."
-Paolo Soleri

www.arcosanti.org

Freiburg, Germany: City of the Future

by Sven Eberlein

This summer I got to spend a few days in Freiburg, a city of 220,000 at the edge of the black forest in the south-western corner of Germany, near the French border. While the reason for traveling to my native Germany was in large part to visit family and friends, the trip to Freiburg had a very specific objective: to find out more about the city that has become the poster child for urban sustainability and innovative city planning. My assignments were a photo essay for Grist and an interview with Freiburg's Head of Urban Planning, Professor Wulf Daseking, for Planetizen. Check them out if you're interested. But I thought I'd share some of the extra info, pics and snippets that I think give you some excellent insight into why Freiburg has earned the title of Germany's Environmental Capital.

Awarded the Academy of Urbanism's European City of the Year Award in 2010, Freiburg's success in becoming one of the most livable urban environments in the world is attributable to a long-term vision that combines a deep respect for its cultural and architectural roots with an irreverent flair for bold and unconventional planning decisions.

There's much ground to cover, so I've split it up into two parts. As Professor Daseking kept pointing out to me, planning sustainably is a long-term process that involves a lot of people and commitment over several generations; it doesn't happen just because a couple of folks get together and decide to go green.

Very fittingly then, this first part will be about this sense of continuity, longevity and quality that forms the backbone of Germany's environmental capital:

Part I: Freiburg Historic City Center - Keeping What Works

Martinstor at the southern end of Kaiser Josephstrasse in downtown Freiburg, Germany.

A Key to Ecological Design: If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Read on

Sphere of Influence Tour Teams up with Ecocity Builders

Reconnecting people to nature and living systems through the way we build and live is a topic of serious interest to the winter sports industry. With global temperatures rising, the world of winter sports is already getting hit hard. "Save Our Snow" and global warming awareness campaigns are being launched across North America and Northern Europe by the skiing industry in an effort to bring attention and action to the problem.

Absinthe Films has teamed up with Ecocity Builders to bring its carbon neutral Sphere of Influence tour to Berkeley. This annual tour gives winter sports lovers a chance to meet featured riders and see the latest snowboard films on the big screen first.

Absinthe Films' twel2ve, along with the YES crew's latest offering: YES. It's a Movie premiere on Friday October 28 at the California Theatre in Berkeley. Doors open at 7:30, show starts at 8:00pm.

Tickets are $10 at select snowboard and YES retail shops Milosport and Desintation 1440 and will also be available at the door. A portion of the proceeds from each ticket sold will support Protect Our Winters and Ecocity Builders.

Ecocity Builders' Kirstin Miller + Walter Hood of Hood Design will be on hand to talk how the battle to stop global climate change begins right where we live. They will also give an update on Berkeley's Center Street Plaza project, which will re-envision the downtown as a people centered destination with nature in mind.

For more info: http://www.absinthe-films.com/film-tour/usa

Women's Leadership and Building Resilient Communities: A Personal and Practical Seminar and Training
December 16th-18th 2011

Register here

Location: Strawberry Creek Design Center, 1250 Addison Street in Berkeley. The Center overlooks a park and sits alongside Strawberry Creek, which was unearthed from culverts and restored to its natural state. Seminar/training fee: $145.00

Before the first Earth Day in 1970, women worldwide worked to protect their communities and the regions where they live. Their love and care to protect water, forest, farms and air is a shared and honored history. Come partake in the legacy of women-led earth movements and your next step in the journey.

This gathering will focus on personal leadership skills for women in a turbulent world; the challenges and successes of women's experiences as change-makers, giving real tools and exercises to create positive momentum. We will explore what it means for women to lift up their voices for their own empowerment and for the sake of the Earth, our children and future generations.

The seminar will help women unlock new ways to contribute to their home circle, organizations and communities and is designed for women who are 1) already leading and want to deepen their skills and collaborate with others or 2) those who are just finding their way into leadership.

Instructors:

Kirstin Miller, Executive Director of Ecocity Builders.

Osprey Orielle Lake, Director of the Women's Earth and Climate Caucus.

Walk Score. What it is, and why you should know yours

Walk Score, or walkscore.com is the first large-scale, public access walkability index. According to the Washington Post, "Walkscore.com ranks communities nationwide (and soon, globally) based on how many businesses, parks, theaters, schools and other common destinations are within walking distance of any given starting point."

A one-mile walk in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood.

According to the site's creators, "The Walk Score algorithm awards points based on the distance to the closest amenity in each category. If the closest amenity in a category is within .25 miles (or .4 km), we assign the maximum number of points. The number of points declines as the distance approaches 1 mile (or 1.6 km)-no points are awarded for amenities further than 1 mile. Each category is weighted equally and the points are summed and normalized to yield a score from 0-100. The number of nearby amenities is the leading predictor of whether people walk."

Why your walk score matters:
Walkable neighborhoods offer benefits to the environment, our health, our finances, and our communities.

Environment: Cars are a leading cause of climate change. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines.
Health: The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood.
Finances: One point of Walk Score is worth up to $3,000 of value for your property. Read the research report.
Communities: Studies show that for every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10%.
Read more about what makes a neighborhood walkable HERE.