Monday, June 23, 2008

Eco-city Development: Planning a Sustainable Community

"Unlike biological communities, cities constitute a kind of artificial ecosystem dominated by human activities, sustained by natural life-support systems, and vitalized by ecological processes. The concept was introduced by Ma and Wang a Social-Economic-Natural Complex Ecosystem (SENCE) (4). The natural subsystem of the eco-city consists of the 5 traditional Chinese elements: metal (minerals), wood (living organisms), water, fire (energy), and soil (nutrients and land). Its economic subsystem includes the components of production, consumption, reduction, transportation, and regulation; while its social subsystem includes technology, institutions, and culture. Urban sustainability can only be ensured by human ecological understanding of the complex interactions between environmental, economic, political, and social/cultural factors and with careful planning and management based on ecological principles.
An eco-city is an ecologically healthy city. It is a healthy human ecological process leading to sustainable development within the carrying capacity of local ecosystems through changes in the production mode, consumption behavior and decision instruments based on ecological economics and systems engineering
(5). Cities should be ecologically designed to enhance the health and quality of life of their inhabitants and to maintain the ecosystems on which they depend. This requires careful ecological planning and management and participation of citizens and stakeholders in the planning and management processes.
Eco-city development is a whole systems approach integrating administration, ecologically efficient industry, people's needs and aspirations, harmonious culture, and landscapes where nature, agriculture, and the built environment are functionally integrated." to find out more...

Passage from http://ambio.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1639%2F0044-7447(2004)033%5B0341%3AEDIC%5D2.0.CO%3B2&ct=1&SESSID=e6fad4d675a4b0275c4b3d8c8cb965ce

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

BuildLC

"We started the BUILD blog with the intention of providing a communication hub for modern design in the northwest as well as an information trading ground for The Modern List."

"The Modern List is a modernist guide to several cities around the country, primarily on the west coast. It’s a guide intended for the design conscious interested in experiencing modern architecture, design, art, food and culture. With the guiding principal that every traveling experience should be exciting or at least enjoyable, we originally started compiling these lists of places and spaces out of a desire for fun and effective travel. Nothing pisses us off more than settling for a mediocre cup of coffee at some fill-in-the-blank large coffee chain when you know that there must be a great little well-designed coffee shop with great beans just around the corner – like Grey Dog Coffee in Manhattan. If only you had a list of such places… We’re constantly updating the guide so if you’ve got recommendations, opinions or scathing criticisms, send them our way.
With the BUILD blog we intend to toss-out the holy veil of the design culture that seems to make architecture so snooty and uninteresting to discuss. We’d like to get fun, sensible, genuine information out on the table. Let us know how we’re doing." to find out more...

Passage from http://buildllc.wordpress.com/category/about-us-contact-info/

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city

"Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city has applied the planning concept of eco-economy, eco-residence, eco-culture, harmonious community and scientific management. By integrating advanced ecological, environmental protection, and energy-saving techniques, it will create a natural, harmonious and livable human residence, and thus commit itself to constructing an eco-city that is economically vibrant, environmentally friendly, resource-efficient and socially harmonious. The project will promote the use of clean energy and renewable energy/resources, with strengthened innovation capabilities and optimized industrial structure to achieve a highly-efficient recycling economy. An eco-culture with regional features will be formed to promote a green and healthy style of life and consumption. Focusing on coordination with the neighboring regions in terms of environment, socio-culture, economy and policy will help to realize regional integration. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An Eco-city of International Cooperation A showcase of sustainable development A dynamic city with great vitality A comfortable city featuring healthy lifestyle A harmonious city of beneficial coexistence A future city of ecological culture" to find out more...
Passage from http://www.eco-city.gov.cn/eco/shouye/zoujinshengtaicheng/shengtaichengjianjie/en/en.html
Image from http://www.eco-city.gov.cn/eco/shouye/zongtiguihua_en/Part_6/index.html_1094844438.html