To account for the growing housing needs in cities, large amounts of building material is needed. Embodied carbon, which represents the emissions caused by the production of building materials and the construction process, accounts for more than 25% of the emissions caused by a building over its life-cycle. The production of concrete and steel is a major carbon contributor in this process. Improving the sustainability of material use in the building sector can either entail decarbonizing the concrete and steel production or replacing them with less polluting alternatives.

Not only the material use, but the construction itself can become more sustainable by integrating principles of energy efficiently through better insulation, reduced heating/air conditioning, and even orientation to the sun.

Other well-documented green building techniques include the use of nature-based solutions like green roofs and facades. These methods present a wide array of benefits for the building and the environment, as they not only contribute to insulating buildings during winter, but cool buildings and their surrounding environment in summer, reducing urban heat island effects. They also catch fine airborne particulate matter, sequester CO2, reduce water run-off, and improve biodiversity.

TOD is a strategy of urban development that concentrates housing, jobs and amenities around public transport stations. This strategy increases the number of dense and walkable mixed-use neighborhoods, greatly reducing the dependence on individual motorized transport. The main policy-instruments of TOD are zoning and land-use regulations (aimed at residential and business development) as well as transport infrastructure investments.

The city of Curitiba in Brazil adopted TOD-principles in its urban planning from early on. Since the onset 1970’s the city has prioritized public transportation in its urban development and supports densified development of housing and recreation sites near public transport stations. Like this, the city was able to substantially reduce its carbon footprint, while boosting the quality of urban life.

Urban nature-based solutions help cities achieve sustainability and contribute to a city’s resilience against extreme heat events, floods, and extreme rain. Parks and other green spaces also have direct physical and mental health benefits for citizens and contribute to the aesthetic value of the city and urban biodiversity.

There are many creative solutions for integrating urban green spaces into the preexisting-built environment. Many cities have converted decommissioned rail lines into walkable linear parks. Paris increased its amount of green space by converting its former interior ring-railway into a partially walkable green space, called la coulée verte.

The concept of the sponge-city uses urban NbS to counteract the effects of soil sealing that has characterized urban development in the past. Due to large-scale soil sealing most urban surfaces became impermeable reducing the ability of city surfaces to absorb rainwater and perform critical ecosystem services. The sponge-city makes use of water-permeable pavement, but also trees planted with the “Stockholm Method” and green spaces to which water is diverted which allows its absorption directly or close into the ground it falls on, rather than being directed into the canalization. Like this, the concept increases cities’ resilience against climate change-induced floods and droughts.

 

Interested in learning more?

Relevant sustainability tools

TRUE Zero Waste

TRUE is a rating system that supports facilities in pursuing—and achieving—zero waste goals, reducing carbon footprints, supporting public health, and maximizing their efficiency in resources use.  

 

 

 

 

Pearl Community Rating System (PCRS)

The PCRS is a rating system that promotes sustainable community development in Abu Dhabi through encouraging water, energy and waste minimization, local material use, and improved supply chains for sustainable materials and products. 

 

LEED for Neighborhood Development

LEED is a rating system that creates and certifies more sustainable and well-connected neighborhoods, through a holistic consideration of communities.  

 

SuRe Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability

SuRe® is a verified, global voluntary standard for sustainable and resilient infrastructure development projects. Projects wishing to undergo SuRe® certification are subject to independent third-party initial certification and annual surveillance audits provided by an accredited Certification Body.

 

EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies)

The EDGE tool help users to manage the environmental and social risks of their projects through providing guidance on how to identify, avoid, and mitigate risks and impacts. 

 

 

 

 

ENVISION Rating system

Envision is a flexible system of criteria and performance objectives to aid decision makers and help project teams identify sustainable approaches during planning, design and construction of infrastructure projects that will continue throughout the project’s operations and maintenance and end-of-life phases.