The majority of people currently reside in urban areas and cities. By 2045, the world's urban population will increase by 1.5 times to 6 billion. Cities are hubs of knowledge exchange and understanding, people flock to them from rural areas, in search of a brighter future. Urban intensification and population density, however, pose a threat to sustainability and a greener future.
The most notable and disastrous cases of urban intensification bring forth critical problems in their development, marching on towards financial gain, heedless of environmental impact, moreover, to the detriment of the city’s inhabitants. Oftentimes, developing cities suffering from heavy and unstable urbanization cater to the affluent members of society, prioritizing consumption and real estate, which stands to create a socio-economic divide in the city, and is simply not sustainable. Looking further past economics, heavy urbanization presents a myriad of problems, namely automobile reliance, unreliable food, energy, and water availability, and a severe lack of biodiversity to name a few.
The concept of Green Urbanism is one of foresight. It looks to implement elements of renewable energy, sustainable transport, and minimizing pollution and health risks, all the while preserving the heritage, cultural, and architectural assets of cities. Cities should aim to create a sustainable environment for their inhabitants, where there are multiple eco-friendly modes of transport to get to a destination, whether on foot, by bicycle, or by public transit, where the surroundings aid in the development of creative and healthy minds for future generations, and secure their futures. Green urbanism aims to do this precisely. It tackles the rising threat of urban intensification and proposes a greener approach which, if done correctly, can be an economical growth opportunity that benefits all.
The time for action is now. The age of fossil fuel usage has proved to be one of limited supply and one that is costing us our planet. There is growing concern about the soaring price of food around the globe, and in many parts of the world, water shortage is on the horizon. We are at the precipice of a new age for humanity and it is in our hands to choose what kind of age it will be. Tackling the threat of climate change will require a new and sustainable approach that governs how the majority of people live. A green approach.
Join us at IEREK, in our 8th Edition of the “Green Urbanism (GU)” Conference where academics, scholars, and researchers from around the globe will gather to solve one of the world’s most pressing issues. Selected papers of the conference will be published in a book series entitled Advances in Science, Technology, & Innovation (ASTI) by Springer. Other papers will be published in the ARChive journal by IEREK Press.
