Urban sustainability and its evaluation
Climate change has earned a high spot on political agendas. However, all too often this stardom is not accompanied by an efficient translation into objectives or consistent policies and programs are adopted to achieve them and more, if we talk about the evaluation and the indicators of urban sustainability of cities. Finding valid and easily understood tools to measure the impact of urban interventions on sustainability and their environmental consequences in the city has become almost a nightmare for modern urban planners.
We should just start avoiding this …
Urban assessment tools
A tool named RFSC (Access from HERE) has given birth from Europe to begin to understand the urban criteria that our city has and its shortcomings. It is a guiding tool to promote sustainability in European cities through an evaluation of 30 items or key points based on the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities.
Two major differences in this tool RFSC evaluation of the traditional ones. The first has a shared character at the European level and focused on cities, from which it follows that we can compare cities using the same language and criteria. And secondly, the synthesis of the results with reference to other tools.
We want to show an outline of the best-known territorial evaluation tools and urban spaces to have a broad perspective:
Urban evaluation criteria
The tool presents an approach with multiple interactions and evaluation criteria where 5 main dimensions were defined that are represented with 30 objectives (Self-evaluation or checklist) for a European vision of the sustainable cities of tomorrow. (Recall that in the article on urban sustainability indicators, a PDF document with a template for evaluation is offered HERE)
Spatial dimension
- Sustainable development of urbanism and land use.
- Ensure the spatial equity of urban land.
- Increase and define the resilience of cities. (The concept of resilience)
- Preserve and enhance the architectural appearance and cultural heritage
- Promote the high quality and functionality of public spaces and the living environment.
- Alternative development and sustainable mobility.
Governance dimension
- Ensure the strategic dimension of the territory.
- Sustainable financial management of the city.
- Continuous evaluation process.
- Increased participation in the city.
- Strengthen governance.
- Facilitate development and communication.
Social dimension
- Guarantee social inclusion.
- Ensure social sustainability and intergenerational equity.
- Construction of a housing offer for all.
- Protect and promote health and social well-being.
- Improve inclusive education and training.
- Promote cultural and leisure opportunities.
Economic dimension
- Stimulate green growth and the circular economy.
- Promote innovation and smart cities.
- Ensure connectivity.
- Developing employment and a resilient local economy
- Encourage sustainable production and consumption.
- Encourage cooperation and innovative organizations
Environmental dimension
- Mitigate climate change.
- Protect, restore and enhance biodiversity and ecosystems.
- Reduce pollution.
- Adapt to climate change with prevention.
- Manage natural resources in a sustainable way avoiding waste.
Once the evaluation has been carried out, it will show us a graphical and easy-to-understand sustainability diagram that will also serve us for the exchange of experiences between cities. An example of the diagram …
A free tool that can undoubtedly be of benefit to many cities in our country. Two reference articles are required to complete the information.
- Ecological guidelines in the sustainable city
- Evaluation of the development of transport in the city
The sustainability criteria applied to urban planning walk in a fine line where many times we "get lost" from the main objective and the drift of urbanism in recent times is not a sensitive issue that is perceived by the population as a serious environmental or social problem , despite the obvious and repeated excesses and speculative practices, but we must be aware and be prepared for future adversities. Both the commented tool and the following manual HERE of criteria to consider in the sustainable city of the Basque Government or the report of planning of sustainable cities from UN Habitat, represent two items of importance for the study of the city.
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