The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a questioning of our traditional ways of living, with many employees globally now working remotely and spending a greater period of their time living within a few kilometers of their homes. At the same time, with our climate today transforming and changing at a rapid pace, sustainability is at the top of the agenda in terms of decisions made, how we act and what we do on a daily basis.
The quest for economic stability, livability, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction will be a testing endeavor, but because more than 60% of global greenhouse gases originate from cities, by doing more and bringing more change for the good, urban communities themselves will benefit.
To bring about beneficial urban environmental sustainability change that results in sustainable urban environs, one concept cities in China can look to adopt and implement is the ‘15-minute city’ concept. The 15-minute city is a fresh concept that promotes both urban environmental sustainability and urban livability.
The urban area and its associated design, planning, development and operation, plays and will continue to play a big role in bringing transformational change to address the changing way we live as well as our changing climate. To increase awareness and bring about beneficial living and urban environmental sustainability change that results in sustainable urban environs, in this report we look at the following topics:
- A change for the good
- The 15-minute city
- What’s happening in China
- Policy
- General urban planning
- Urban public space
- Transit-oriented development (TOD)
- Ecological solutions
- Net-zero buildings
