ECOCITY BRASIL
WHAT IS AN ECO CITY?
Richard Register was the first to coin the term 'ECOCITY' in his 1987 book, Berkeley: building cities for a healthier future. Register states that "an ECOCITY is an ecologically healthy city," and, while that remains the best general description, the term has developed over the past two decades to refer to a city that can feed and power itself, creating the smallest possible ecological footprint for its residents.
There are many ways in which this is achieved, however, such is the current preoccupation with and trend towards ecological living that, earlier this year, a delegation at the ECOCITY World Summit in San Francisco laid out a series of ways in which a city can become as ecologically friendly as possible
- Providing safe, clean shelter, water and air for all citizens.
- Being built for people, not cars and preventing the sprawl of developments.
- Identifying and protecting ecologically sensitive areas.
- Maximising energy conservation, renewable energy sources and recycling.
- Being safe for pedestrians with efficient public transport.
- Providing strong economic incentives for ecologically healthy building and other organisations.
- Educating and training citizens, as well as supporting community initiatives.
- Encouraging inter-city, domestic and international cooperation and shared learning.
In summary, an ECOCITY is about enhancing the health and quality of life - not just for the ECOCITY itself, but for the area, country and planet. (Published by North Atlantic Books)
How does Ecocity Brasil stand out?
