Edx Cities and the Challenge of Sustainable development Part 3 Ten Pillars of Sustainable Cities

Summary
1. All electric:  for clean, green energy-efficient system to reduce CO2 emissions
2. Clean energy source:    to be free from fossil fuels
3. Smart grids or IoT:   to use energy efficiently
4. Innovation:  generating new technology and jobs   at universities collaborating with businesses
5. dependence from automobile cities:   trains, bicycles, trails, etc.
6. security:   through inclusiveness
7. share economy:    car and room rental systems
8. E-everything:    various services through the use of the Internet to reduce waste of time and to make access for services fair
9. Inclusive development: development of the whole metropolitan area
10. Environmental resilience: preparation for the impacts of the climate change

HW

• Think about your city. What energy system does your city currently run on, and what would it take to convert your city's infrastructure to clean, green electricity? -- I work in Tokyo and live in one of the suburbs of Tokyo. The population of Tokyo is 13.94 million and the density is 6,354 as of 2019. Tokyo runs on fossil fuels. It has highly developed train and subway systems, but there are enough cars and trucks to pollute the air, too. Our power plants are run mostly by fossil fuels, which account for about 80 % of all the energy sources for electricity generation as of 2016. Natural energy accounts for around 17 %. Before Fukushima nuclear meltdown, as much nuclear energy as fossil fuels in percentage was used, but most nuclear reactors are not in operation now. What we did about energy shortage right after the power plant disaster was to reduce the use of energy. Electricity usage in some areas was restricted for certain hours a day for a while, and about half of the light bulbs on highways and streets were gone.  Shift to LED was done quickly. Using air conditioners moderately has become a norm. I think Japan should work more on hydroelectric and geothermal energy  sources, for we have a lot of rain and volcanoes. Also, as we have big earthquakes, typhoons, and floods, compact generators in store and solar panels on each building will lessen the damages in the aftermath of a disaster. Some railway companies have started coach seat reservation services to accommodate the needs of the aging suburban inhabitants. This new service is part of their projects in view of Mobility as a Service (MaaS), which will streamline transportation resources while expanding mobility.

Hello, James. Thank you for your response. Your description of the challenge of your city is impressive. Establishing a stable supply of electricity for over 20 million people would require a lot of efforts... I hope Lagos will soon build a sound, sustainable electricity supply system. 

Hello, M-zed. Your picture of future streets is my dream, too. Shared bikes public bike rental systems with maintenance stations would be nice in some communities, too. Young and healthy people will walk or ride a bike, and those who need help can have mobility thanks to self-driving, electric cars. Everyone can enjoy freer, safer, and cleaner transportation in the future.

Hello, HPDejean.  It seems to me that you already live in a sustainable city. Probably the air of your city is much less polluted than that of mine, a city near Tokyo. Clean air makes vegetable gardening and cycling preferable. Shift to clean energy sources opens the door to a happier life.

• Think about your home or work environment. Imagine a system governed by the Internet of Things. How could you make the appliances and features of that living space work together to create a smarter, greener system?　- If some part of the IoT is in short of energy while another part of it has plenty of it or even wasting it, IoT can coordinate the distribution of the electricity. Also, while no one is at home or work, the network of the place can turn itself off maintaining some important appliances like the refrigerator.
• What can be done to make cities more healthful spaces? Could more parks and plants help to decrease carbon in the atmosphere to make the air more breathable? Can mass public transport and travel by bicycle be encouraged to increase physical activity and decrease pollution?   -  My intuitive guess is that we need a massive amount of green like that of a jungle to decrease carbon in the atmosphere and to make the air more breathable. Also, plants' respiratory systems release CO2 into the atmosphere at night. The reason why we have more oxygen than carbon dioxide in the air is that carbon is buried underground, trapped in waste and dead bodies, which will turn into coal, oil, and natural gas. To stop digging out and burning fossil fuels is imperative for reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere. Therefore, using more public transportation and bicycle should be encouraged. It is good for the health, too, as it makes the air less toxic and our lifestyle less sedentary.