Cities with sustainable blood: pleasure with urban sense

Javier Trespalacios
May 30, 2023
12 min read

Updated: Jun 18

In an increasingly urbanized world, the concept of sustainable cities has become a global priority. This urban model is built upon three interconnected pillars: environmental, which minimizes the urban ecological footprint [1]; social, which guarantees equity and quality of life; and economic, which promotes balanced growth that is responsible with natural resources (UN-Habitat, 2016).

Cities house 56% of the world's population, generate 80% of global GDP, and represent 70% of carbon emissions. By 2050, the United Nations estimates that 68% of humanity will live in urban environments (UN-Habitat, 2020). This reality makes cities decisive actors in the fight against climate change and social inequality.

Historical evolution of the concept

The path toward sustainable cities began to be charted at the Rio Earth Summit (1992) [2], which gave rise to Agenda 21 [3], the first global action plan oriented toward sustainable local development (United Nations, 1992). Two years later, the Aalborg Charter [4] adapted these principles to the European context (ICLEI, 1994).

In 2015, the 2030 Agenda [5] explicitly incorporated SDG 11 "Sustainable Cities and Communities," recognizing the crucial role of cities in global sustainability (United Nations, 2015). That same year, the Paris Agreement [6] underscored the responsibility of cities in mitigating climate change (UNFCCC, 2015).

Finally, the New Urban Agenda of 2016 [7] consolidated a common vision of inclusive, safe, and resilient cities by establishing a policy framework to promote urban sustainability (UN-Habitat, 2016).

How to recognize a sustainable city

The characteristics of sustainable cities can be defined based on the Global Framework for Sustainable Cities (World Bank, 2018) and SDG 11 on sustainable communities (United Nations, 2019). Cities committed to sustainability share distinctive features evident in their daily functioning:

Integrated urban planning: Characterized by compact development that integrates diverse uses—residential, commercial, recreational—in the same space, respecting the territorial carrying capacity [8] (UN Environment Programme, 2019). Pontevedra (Spain) exemplifies this approach by having transformed its historic center into a predominantly pedestrian space that favors local activity (Pontevedra Concello, 2020).
Sustainable mobility: Efficient public transport systems, safe cycling infrastructures, and accessible pedestrian environments that reduce dependence on private vehicles (IEA, 2021). Lyon (France) has created an extensive network of bike lanes integrated into the Vélo'v system, with more than 3,000 bicycles distributed across 330 stations (SYTRAL, 2020).
Efficient resource management: Advanced water treatment, waste management based on the circular economy [9], and energy efficiency in buildings (UNEP, 2020). Kamikatsu (Japan) achieved 81% recycling through its "Zero Waste" policy, classifying its waste into 45 different categories (Kaza et al., 2018).
Green infrastructure: Parks, roofs, and ecological corridors that regulate temperatures in the city [10], improve air quality, and increase urban biodiversity (WHO, 2021). Singapore has developed more than 350 km of green corridors to combat the urban heat island effect that affects large cities (National Parks Board Singapore, 2021).
Affordable and efficient housing: Guarantees access to decent housing designed with bioclimatic criteria [11] and sustainable materials [12] (UN-Habitat, 2020). The Casa Cevallos project in Ambato (Ecuador) reuses public buildings with passive climate control techniques (Carrión, F., 2020).
Participatory governance and digital transparency: Smart technologies that involve citizens in decision-making, facilitate access to information for the use of urban services, and guarantee institutional accountability [13] (World Bank, 2020; International Telecommunication Union, 2020). Better Reykjavík (Iceland) allows residents to propose and prioritize urban initiatives through a digital platform (Citizens Foundation, 2019).
Adaptation to climate change and disaster resilience: Robust infrastructures, nature-based solutions, and adaptive planning (C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, 2018). Rotterdam (Netherlands) with its "Water Squares" program, parks that transform into temporary water retention areas in case of flooding (Municipality of Rotterdam, 2019).
Urban public health: Environments designed to promote physical and mental health through active spaces and equitable access to health services (World Health Organization, 2020). Medellín (Colombia), the Life Articulation Units (UVA) integrate services in vulnerable areas to strengthen the social fabric (Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano, 2020).
Social equity: Guarantees fair access to urban services and economic opportunities for all residents (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2018). Buenos Aires (Argentina), the "Comprehensive Neighborhood Rehabilitation" program, combining housing improvement with educational, training, employment, and health policies in neighborhoods, promoting social inclusion and community cohesion (Rehabilitación de barrios, 2023).
Urban renewable energies: Production and distribution of clean energy, district heating networks, and community microgrids (International Renewable Energy Agency, 2020). Melbourne (Australia), achieved a 65% reduction in emissions in municipal buildings with its "Zero Net Emissions"by 2020 program, through photovoltaics in public buildings and renewable energy purchase contracts (City of Melbourne, 2021).
The local economy: Promotes circular value chains, socio-environmental enterprises, and green jobs, strengthening economic resilience and reducing the ecological footprint (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2020). Bristol (United Kingdom) implemented the local currency "Bristol Pound", which contributed during its existence to strengthen local economies and reduce emissions from goods transport (Bristol City Council, 2019).

Global Indices to Evaluate City Sustainability

The growing importance of addressing global environmental, social, and economic challenges has driven comparative assessment of urban sustainability. Various indices quantify and contrast the performance of cities, providing a comprehensive perspective to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Some prominent indices:

Green City Index: Evaluates environmental behavior through indicators such as energy, buildings, transport, and air quality. Copenhagen led this ranking in 2021 (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2020).
Sustainable Cities Index: Weighs social, environmental, and economic aspects. Zurich obtained the best score in 2020 (Arcadis, 2020).
Mercer Quality of Living Index: Evaluates urban quality of life considering factors such as infrastructure, public health, and natural environment. Vienna has maintained the top position for the last decade (Van Kamp, I. 2021).

Details of Five Cities with Sustainable Blood

Urban centers that have integrated sustainability into their essence, tangibly improving the quality of life of their inhabitants. These examples demonstrate that it is possible to live, visit, and experience the benefits of sustainability in the urban environment:

Copenhagen, Denmark: Champion of cycling mobility

The Danish capital stands out for its carbon neutrality plan for 2025, a pioneer among major European cities. With about 650,000 inhabitants, it has developed a deeply rooted cycling culture: more than 55% of its residents use bicycles as their primary means of transportation (City of Copenhagen, 2020).

CopenHill in Copenhagen (photo by Javier Trespalacios)

A reference point is CopenHill (Amager Bakke), an energy recovery plant [14] that annually transforms 400,000 tons of waste into electricity and heat, simultaneously functioning as a recreational space with a ski slope, running routes, and a climbing wall (Danish Ministry of Environment, 2020).

Amsterdam, Netherlands: Pioneer of the circular economy

With approximately 826,000 inhabitants, Amsterdam has adopted a comprehensive approach to sustainable mobility—known as "the city that doesn't love cars"—and leads the transition to the circular economy. Its "Amsterdam Circular" strategy establishes concrete objectives to reduce the consumption of raw materials by an absolute 50% by 2030 (City of Amsterdam, 2020).

De Ceuvel in Amsterdam (photo by Javier Trespalacios)

The De Ceuvel project: a former industrial shipyard in Buiksloterham transformed into a creative center with offices installed in reconditioned boats, an ecological café, and gardens that clean contaminated soil using natural phytoremediation techniques (Metabolic, 2021).

Vienna, Austria: Quality of life for all

The Austrian capital, with 1.9 million inhabitants, harmonizes its historical heritage with advanced sustainability policies. It stands out for its social housing model, with a high percentage of inhabitants residing in municipal or cooperative housing with controlled costs that incorporate advanced energy efficiency criteria (City of Vienna, 2020).

Signs within public transport in Vienna (photo by Javier Trespalacios)

Its public transport system, considered among the best in the world, has achieved that only a minority of trips are made in private cars. Vienna has consistently ranked first in international quality of life indices (Mercer, 2022).

Freiburg, Germany: The German solar city

Known as the "solar city," this urban center of 230,000 inhabitants has developed neighborhoods like Vauban and Rieselfeld, which integrate passive and low-energy consumption housing with electricity production based on solar, wind, and biomass energy. Since 1990, Freiburg has reduced its CO₂ emissions by more than 40% (City of Freiburg, 2020).

Heliotrope in Freiburg (photo by Javier Trespalacios)

A point of interest is the Heliotrope, designed by Rolf Disch in 1994: the world's first residence with a positive energy balance, capable of generating more energy than it consumes through a rotation system that follows the sun and integrated renewable energy technologies (Solar Settlement Freiburg, 2019).

Zurich, Switzerland: 2000-Watt energy society

Switzerland's largest city with 420,000 inhabitants, combines its dynamic financial center with pioneering environmental policies. Its energy strategy, known as the "2000-Watt Society", seeks to reduce per capita energy consumption to a third of what is usual in developed countries through building renovation programs (Energy City Association Switzerland, 2020).

Freitag Tower in Zurich West (photo by Javier Trespalacios)

Zürich West reflects the city's urban regeneration by converting former industrial zones into creative and sustainable spaces. There stands the Freitag Tower, built with reused containers, which contrasts with the nearby Prime Tower, an emblem of the financial and corporate expansion of the district (Zürich Tourismus, n.d.).

Challenges for implementing the concept

While the benefits are evident, implementing sustainable urban models presents challenges:

Financial barriers: The initial investment in sustainable infrastructures can be high, although the amortization periods are usually less than ten years (European Commission, 2020).
Administrative complexity: Coordination between different departments and levels of government requires new governance frameworks that often clash with traditional administrative structures.
Gentrification risks: There is a real danger of "green gentrification" [15] in regenerated neighborhoods under sustainability criteria. In several European cities, these districts have experienced price increases up to 25% above the urban average, making access difficult for vulnerable groups (Gould & Lewis, 2016).
Limited transferability: It is essential to adapt successful experiences to specific local contexts, taking into account climatic, cultural, and socioeconomic differences.

Effective Strategies for Creating Sustainable Cities

The accumulated experience in the pursuit of urban sustainability reveals several strategies that have proven effective in addressing the identified challenges:

Education and citizen participation: Educational programs that link individual behavior with urban sustainability tend to generate higher levels of citizen participation. Amsterdam has integrated environmental education at all educational levels (City of Amsterdam, 2020). Likewise, incorporating participatory mechanisms from the initial planning phases strengthens social acceptance and enriches projects with local knowledge.
Alliances and economic incentives: Cooperation between governments, businesses, and civil society allows mobilizing complementary resources. A notable example is Norway, where the Enova SF program provides grants and tax advantages for energy renovation of buildings, driving the transition toward a low-carbon economy (OECD, 2020).
Monitoring and transparency systems: Having accessible monitoring mechanisms allows measuring progress and adapting policies in real time. Zurich annually publishes 42 urban sustainability indicators, facilitating accountability and informed participation (City of Zurich, 2020).

Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable cities materialize SDG 1: "make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable" (United Nations, 2015); through initiatives such as the Citi Bike program in New York, which has reduced car trips and promoted active mobility (NYC Department of Transportation, 2020).

SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Conclusions

Sustainable cities offer a comprehensive and necessary response to today's complex urban challenges. The cases of Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Vienna, Freiburg, and Zurich show that the transition toward more sustainable urban models requires a systemic approach, combining strategic planning, participatory governance, technological innovation, and profound cultural change.

This transformation represents a concrete opportunity to combat the climate crisis, preserve biodiversity, and reduce social inequalities through specific urban interventions, as demonstrated by the examples analyzed.

And perhaps most relevant: citizen satisfaction. The European Quality of Life Survey shows that residents of cities with sustainable policies report greater life satisfaction. In Copenhagen, 97% of residents declared themselves satisfied with living in the city, while in Vienna and Stockholm the figures reach 96% and 95%, significantly exceeding the European average of 85% (Eurofound, 2020). These data correlate positively with indicators of public space quality, sustainable mobility, and citizen participation.

"Cities are humanity's greatest invention and also our best hope for the future"... Edward Glaeser

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Annexes

Example of sustainable cities by continent

These principles of urban sustainability materialize in different parts of the world that illustrate how these concepts adapt to specific geographical, cultural, and socioeconomic realities:

America: Curitiba (Brazil) stands out for its rapid transit bus system that, in operation since the 1970s, has served as a model for more than 150 cities around the world (ITDP, 2019).
Europe: Stockholm (Sweden) implemented the "Congestion Tax" in 2007, reducing traffic and improving air quality in the center (European Commission, 2020).
Asia: Seoul (South Korea), revitalized the Cheonggyecheon River in 2005, transforming an elevated road into a green corridor with climate, social, and economic benefits (Seoul Metropolitan Government, 2020).
Africa: Cape Town (South Africa), the water management after the 2018-2019 drought managed to reduce consumption by 40% through saving measures and aquifer recharge. The city developed a level alert system that transformed citizen awareness about water (City of Cape Town, 2020).
Oceania: Wellington (New Zealand), its urban resilience plan (2017–2050) incorporates anti-seismic and climate measures to protect infrastructure and communities (Wellington City Council, 2020).

Notes

[1] The urban ecological footprint measures the amount of land and water required to provide resources and process waste generated by an urban population.

[2] The Rio Earth Summit (1992) was a global meeting where 179 countries agreed on principles and plans to integrate sustainable development and environmental conservation.

[3] Agenda 21 is the action program approved in 1992 to promote sustainable practices in local and national governments and communities, covering everything from resource management to poverty eradication.

[4] The Aalborg Charter (1994) is a voluntary commitment by European cities to apply sustainable urban policies, focused on emission reduction, citizen participation, and integrated planning.

[5] The 2030 Agenda (2015) establishes 17 Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate poverty, protect the planet, and ensure well-being, with concrete goals to be met before 2030.

[6] The Paris Agreement (2015) is the climate pact that seeks to limit the increase in global temperature below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, promoting national contributions to emission reduction.

[7] The New Urban Agenda of 2016, a result of the Habitat III Conference, sets guidelines for inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urbanism, prioritizing equity, green infrastructure, and public space.

[8] Territorial carrying capacity defines the maximum number of inhabitants that an area can sustain without degrading its resources or ecosystems, balancing ecological supply and human demand.

[9] The circular economy is a productive model that seeks to extend the useful life of materials and products, promoting recycling, repair, and redesign to close resource cycles.

[10] Strategies that regulate temperatures in the city include green areas, cool roofs, and urban ventilation corridors, reducing the heat island effect and improving thermal comfort.

[11] Bioclimatic criteria are architectural design guidelines that take advantage of the local climate (winds, radiation, humidity) to optimize energy efficiency and interior comfort without high consumption.

[12] Sustainable materials are those extracted, processed, and disposed of with low environmental impact, prioritizing renewable, non-toxic sources and potential for recycling or composting.

[13] Institutional transparency implies the clear and accessible publication of rules, decisions, and budgets of public bodies, promoting accountability and citizen participation.

[14] An energy recovery plant transforms non-recyclable waste into energy through controlled thermal processes, although these emit CO₂ and require filtering systems to minimize their environmental impact, reducing landfill volumes.

[15] Green gentrification occurs when environmental improvements—such as parks or bike lanes—raise real estate value and displace original residents due to inability to assume new costs.

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