Essay Sample Describing the Case Study of Vauban: Car-Free Suburb

Vauban district, in Southern German, is the classic example of sustainable urban living. The city has been developed with an approach to holistic environmental planning and the preservation of the environment (eco-friendly living.). With the idea of going green, the designers of the city made planning around the green transportation.

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Bicycles and pedestrian paths form great interconnection, green, efficient transportation network whereby people can access major institutions such as schools, shopping centers, and businesses through a walking distance (Melia, 2006). All the building structures in the city are obligated that they must have the very minimum low energy consumption standards. Fewer cars ensure that there is low pollution of the environment and consistent walking and the use of bicycles facilitates health and fitness.

The community's material flow and lifecycle are monitored with automated software (GEMIS software). Through the use of software, the experts in the community track and estimate various issues such as heat supply, electricity supply, infrastructure, buildings, waste and water, private and traffic consumptions.

The architectures and biologists have designed people's forum which ensures that the people living in the region make the contributions, make their voices heard and determined the fate of their future with ease (Scheurer, 2011). The estate is also powered by solar energy to ensure that there are no forms of pollution. Solar energy is cheap and almost free once the solar panels and devices are installed. In the process, the cost that could have been used for the alternative source of power is drastically reduced. This means that the entire idea is very economical.

The situation in America is opposite with the design of Vauban city. In America, cities are designed with the aim of accommodating maximum cars possible. Therefore large area is dedicated to car parking hence using much space. Vauban's city does not have car parking's which has enhanced very large free space, children's play areas, and the gardens. The design, change, and embracing of new systems are some of the issues which contribute to great success in the Vauban city. However, there is progress in major cities of Europe where the governments built similar projects. China is also applying ways which will see water, energy and food sustainability approach applied. Once the nations of the world fully adopt Vauban city's idea, then eventually the war against the global warming will be won, but it needs collaboration and unity of different countries.

Why is the city so green and the best regarding environmental conservation?

There is a relatively high concentration of environmental sustainability specialists living in the region such as the ISES (the international Solar Energy Society) and Local Governments for Sustainability. The experts might have decided to practice what they preach around the world through the design of the most adorable green living system. For making the future cities sustainable, the idea of extensive training, networking and training should be borrowed from Vauban city. Vauban is a real eye opener city for the entire world when it comes to the protection and sustainable ways of getting value from the environment. It also shows various ways through which urban design can help people across the world live sustainable with the environment and the neighborhood. Lastly, it shows that car is not a must and the process of car free-lifestyle makes the economic sense.

Reference

Scheurer, J., (2011). Urban Ecology, Innovations in Housing Policy and the Future of Cities:Towards Sustainability in Neighbourhood Communities. Ph.D. edn. Perth: MurdochUniversity Institute of Sustainable Transport

Melia, S., (2006). On the Road to Sustainability - Transport and Carfree Living in Freiburg. Report for W.H.O. Healthy Cities Collaborating Centre edn. University of the West of England.