Sustainable Urbanisation

Sustainable Urban Living

Sustainable living involves a lifestyle, wellbeing, transport, water, and energy set-up which can be continued forever. Below are 4 ways that can make urban life more sustainable:

Water conservation

The average one-person household in the UK needs 149 litres of water per day to keep their lifestyle going. In the USA, people use 575 litres and in Mexico, people use 366 litres.
Water conservation schemes aim to cut the water used in an area.
The Bilbao Arena in Spain captures rainwater and uses it to water and irrigate the football pitch below.

Water conservation continuation

Great Barrier House in New Zealand collects rainwater and uses it for running water and for flushing toilets.
Inventors have created new taps that do not run freely and water meters allow us to monitor our water usage.
The California Academy of Sciences uses seawater when they need water for purposes other than drinking.

Energy conservation

Energy conservation schemes aim to use renewable sources of energy and avoid burning fossil fuels to create heat and energy.
- Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, is the most energy efficient city in the world. They use geothermal and hydroelectric power and their buses are hydrogen-powered.
- Vancouver, Canada aims to be the most efficient city by the 2020s. They use solar, wind and hydroelectric power to harness energy and encourage bikes and car-sharing to reduce transport emissions.

Energy conservation continuation

Governments in Europe, particularly in Norway, subsidise Electric Vehicles like Teslas because they are better for the environment.
Making houses energy efficient (better insulated and installing solar panels) and encouraging people to use public transport makes cities more sustainable.

Creating green space

Green spaces are supposed to be good for mental health and encourage exercise (which reduces the chances of having poor mental health by 6%).
Doing exercise improves people's physical well-being and reduces the risk of obesity-linked diseases.
Green spaces are also positive for the environment.
- Air pollution is lower in green spaces and flood risk falls because the green space cuts surface runoff after rain.

Examples of green spaces

Valencia in Spain has a park running all around the city.
Central Park is a big green space in New York City.

Waste recycling

Lagos in Nigeria does not have a good recycling system and lots of waste ends up in the Olusosun landfill site.
Singapore's recycling programme creates enough energy from recycling waste to power 1,000 homes.
A good recycling system involves easy sorting of what can be recycled and what can't, easy collection, low contamination of recycling waste and the infrastructure to actually recycle after collection.
Frequent waste and recycling collections are helpful in large cities.

1Physical Geography

1.1River Environments

1.1.1Weathering

1.1.2Mass Movement

1.1.3Erosion

1.1.4Transportation

1.1.5Deposition

1.1.6River Landforms: Waterfalls & Gorges

1.1.7River Landforms: Interlocking Spurs

1.1.8River Landforms: Flood Plains

1.1.9River Landforms: Point Bars

1.1.10River Landforms: Levees

1.1.11River Landforms: Meanders

1.1.12River Landforms: Oxbow Lakes

1.1.13River Landscape Changes: Long Profile

1.1.14River Landscape Changes: Cross Profile

1.1.15Vertical & Lateral Erosion

1.1.16Flood Risk Factors

1.1.17Human Activities on Rivers

1.1.18River Management: Hard Engineering

1.1.19River Management: Soft Engineering

1.1.20Case Study: The River Eden - Landforms

1.1.21Case Study: The River Eden - Climate

1.1.22Case Study: The River Eden - Geology

1.1.23Case Study: The River Eden - Management

1.1.24Case Study: The River Eden - Human Activity

1.1.25End of Topic Test - River Environments

1.2Coastal Environments

1.3Hazardous Environments - Tropical Cyclones

1.3.1Characteristics of a Tropical Cyclone

1.3.2Structure of a Tropical Cyclone

1.3.3Physical Hazards of Tropical Cyclones

1.3.4The Impacts of Tropical Cyclones

1.3.5Responses to Tropical Cyclones

1.3.6Vulnerability to Tropical Cyclones

1.3.7Preparing for Tropical Cyclones

1.3.8Case Study: Katrina

1.3.9Case Study: Nargis

1.4Hazardous Environments - Earthquakes & Volcanoes

1.4.1Earthquakes

1.4.2Features of an Earthquake

1.4.3Types of Earthquake

1.4.4Case Study: L'Aquila

1.4.5Case Study: Chile

1.4.6Case Study: Japan & Pakistan - Planning

1.4.7Volcanoes

1.4.8Types of Volcanoes

1.4.9Volcanic Eruptions

2Human Geography

2.1Economic Activity & Energy

2.1.1Increasing Energy Consumption

2.1.2Non-Renewable Energy - Nuclear

2.1.3Non-Renewable Energy - Fossil Fuels

2.1.4Renewable Energy - Solar

2.1.5Renewable Energy - Water & Bio

2.1.6Renewable Energy - Hydro

2.1.7Energy - Statistical Skills

2.2Rural Environments

2.2.1Rainforests

2.2.2Temperate Forests

2.2.3Characteristics of a Temperate Forest

2.2.4Goods & Services in Temperate Forests

2.2.5Deserts

2.2.6Tundra

2.3Urban Environments

2.3.1Urbanisation in Different Countries

2.3.2Causes of Urbanisation

2.3.3Consequences of Urbanisation

2.3.4Sustainable Urbanisation

2.3.5Case Study: Rapid Urbanisation in Mexico City

2.3.6End of Topic Test - Urbanisation

3Global Issues

3.1Fragile Environments & Climate Change

3.1.1Natural Causes of Climate Change

3.1.2Effects of Climate Change on the Environment

3.1.3Effects of Climate Change on People

3.1.4Impacts of Deforestation

3.1.5End of Topic Test - Climate Change

3.1.6Increasing Water Supply

3.1.7Sustainable Rainforest Management

3.2Globalisation & Migration

3.2.1Globalisation - Transport

3.2.2Globalisation - Communication Networks & Banking

3.2.3Push & Pull Factors

3.2.4TNCs & Globalisation

3.2.5Tourism Landscapes

3.2.6The Growth of Tourism

3.2.7The Economic Benefits of Tourism

3.2.8The Social & Cultural Benefits of Tourism

3.2.9The Economic Costs of Tourism

3.2.10The Social & Cultural Costs of Tourism

3.2.11Managing Tourism - Sustainability

3.2.12Managing Tourism - Quotas & Tourism Hubs

3.3Development & Human Welfare

3.3.1Ways of Defining Development

3.3.2Different Ways of Measuring Development

3.3.3Environmental Factors Causing Uneven Development

3.3.4Historical Factors Causing Uneven Development

3.3.5Economic Factors Causing Uneven Development

3.3.6Patterns of Development

3.3.7How Can we Reduce the Global Development Gap?

3.3.8Top-Down & Bottom-Up Development

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