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Urban Form and sustainability

To achieve sustainable urban form, we need to know what it really is. We need to be clear and held common concept of “what is the sustainable city?” How it will function, how it will look like and how it will change overtime. There has been researches focused on compact versus dispersed settlement patterns and some indicated that compact urban forms offered the most sustainable future. But there is a lack of theory that helps us to evaluate whether a given urban form contributes to sustainability or to compare different forms according to their contribution to the sustainable development objectives and agenda.
However, we also need to consider the complexities and impacts of a whole range of urban forms. The key elements of urban form such as density, compactness, mix of uses, housing type need to take into consideration when measuring sustainability. Prospects for the future are dire indeed, unless we act collectively to alter our energy-dependent lifestyles. Urgent changes are needed not only in our behavior but also in the design of the urban form. Compact urban form that is easily walk-able, small enough to eliminate the need of a private automobile, yet large enough to provide the variety of opportunities and services that constitute a rich urban life can be good example of sustainability urban form. The smaller physical separation of activities is, travel needs are likely to be lower and can easily fulfill by walking, cycling, and environmentally friendly transport. 

Density, the ratio of people or dwelling units to land area is important in determining sustainable urban forms of cities. The relationship between density and urban form is also based on the number of people within a given area becomes sufficient to generate the interactions needed to make urban functions or daily activities. High density and integrated land use not only conserve nonrenewable resources but provide for compactness that encourages social interaction for social and economic benefits. Mixed land use has an important role in achieving sustainable urban form, it allows to locate in close proximity to one another and thereby decrease the travel distances between activities. It reduces the probability of using a car for commuting, shopping, and leisure trips, since jobs, shops, and leisure facilities are located nearby. Diversity of activity is another essential key element sustainable urban form, promotes further desirable urban features, including greater variety of housing types, building densities, household sizes, ages, cultures, and incomes and represents rich social and cultural context of the urban form.

The ideal sustainable urban form must have a high density and adequate diversity, compact with mixed land-uses, and its design should base on sustainable transportation. Sustainable urban forms can achieve different objectives such as decreased energy use, reduced waste and pollution, reduced automobile use, preservation of open space and sensitive ecosystems which create desirable cities and community oriented environments for residents.
Source-http://www.journalofgreenbuilding.com/doi/abs/10.3992/jgb.7.2.44?code=copu-site
Image source- http://www.boredpanda.com/jet-packing-over-philly/

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