Be it more green areas or a reliable public transport structure, there are plenty of things that might be done to ensure that cities end up being more sustainable at this point in time.
If you take a look at any proposals for new urban projects, one thing that you will hopefully watch in lots of cases is the presence of green spaces. Something as basic as having trees on the side of a street has been proven to assist retain a pleasant temperature during hotter days, and as we are perhaps all aware, trees assist make the air we breathe cleaner. These are only a few the so many reasons why many smart city ideas involve more plants. Whilst parks will usually be popular, a few sustainable ideas for the future have employed small gardens in residential housing, for example on rooftops: this would allow men and women who live in apartments to receive some personal green areas, and even grow some fruits and vegetables or herbs. There have even been vertical implementations of gardens, as seen with developers like Lars Huber. Having plants that help bee pollination, such as lavender, is also a renowned idea that can help the environment.
One of the main characteristics of sustainable cities is the easiness of movement: private cars are not an efficient way of travelling around an urban centre, considering the density of vehicles and the traffic and pollution that it can cause. Alternatively, a good and dependable public transport system is one among the staples of sustainable urban living: not just will it be faster, as more people will be able to travel utilising the same vehicle (and consequently lowering the range of cars on the road), but it will have amazing environmental outcomes, as public transport is beginning to employ more and more electrically powered vehicles. Figures like Heidi Alexander work with important metropolitan transport networks, and are undoubtedly aware of all the perks that each specific means of travel has.
One of the primary aims of sustainable living practices is often to utilise less energy, or to employ the same range of energy more effectively: this is both useful for the planet, as less emissions will be founded, and for the individual, as it will help saving on things like utility bills. A good thing that can be implemented is sustainable architecture: by constructing houses with energy-saving in mind, this aim is easily attained, with real estate figures like Frank Zweegers contemplating this plan to urban sustainability. Developing houses with good insulation will mean that less heating will be required in winter, as the home will stay effectively warmer, and viceversa in summer. Instead of using artificial light, having important windows that are cleverly oriented will provide lots of natural light, which will make the living experience a lot more pleasant.