Type: Solution
This solution caters to local governments that have the mandate to manage stormwater in a city. It addresses the management of rainfall and runoff from public open spaces and transport infrastructure. The management of runoff from residential, commercial and institutional buildings are covered in a separate Solution as a different approach is required for areas under private ownership.
Local governments invest huge amounts of resources in providing urban transport infrastructure as a measure to combat the effects of rapid motorization and to ensure citizens’ access to work, markets and services. Nearly 75% of cities have direct control over their transit system, and 80% have control over roads [1].
Construction and land development within a built-up area or existing community, including building on vacant or underutilized spots and reuse of old or blighted sites and buildings. Type of urban intensification (see Urban Planning Vocab – NOTE: being developed)
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is urban development that relies on public transport, while maintaining a closely knitted urban fabric through high-density, mixed land use and human-scale design, within walking distance from transit stations. Key features of TOD include: high-quality public spaces which are sensitive to community needs; variety of housing types and prices, frequent reliable, fast and comfortable transit; and measures discouraging the use of private cars, including walkable and cycling-friendly environment, parking management, traffic calming measures promoted through street design and others. TOD can create socially vibrant communities, contribute to economic development and enhance environmental quality. TOD is a key strategy for integrating land use and transportation planning and enabling sustainable urban mobility.
Urban freight and logistics looks at the movement of goods made by light or heavy vehicles, as well as non-motorized transportation modes such as cargo bikes and rickshaws. It can be linked to different market sectors such as retail, waste, construction, road services, hotel, restaurant and catering industry, as well as express courier and post. Globally, transport accounts for 23% of total GHG emissions, of which 40% is contributed by freight transport. Heavy freight vehicles are also one of the world’s major sources of Particulate Matter (PM) emissions, impacting urban life both directly and indirectly.
Sustainable public procurement (SPP) is the act of purchasing products and services with the lowest environmental and highest positive social impacts, throughout the life-cycle of products and services. [1][3] This includes considering a wide range of characteristics of the products and services procured, such as: the use of non-toxic substances, renewable materials, energy and water consumption during use, as well as disposal, reuse and recycling options at the end of life.
This Solution provides guidance on the integration of renewable energy (RE) sources into district energy. It can be of interest to both established and growing cities. For new district energy systems (DES), cities should explore opportunities to integrate local RE sources from the early planning stages. For pre-existing systems, the integration of renewables can be coordinated with system expansion and/or the retrofitting plans for the network as well as energy production. Decentralized production using multiple RE sources and technologies can offer several benefits as well.
The RethinkAction Platform supports local and regional stakeholders in addressing climate change through land-use-based Adaptation and Mitigation Solutions (LAMS). It enables users to assess climate risks, explore science-based climate strategies, and simulate future scenarios at local, European, and global scales. The platform offers different tools categorised under 3 main analysis paths: 1) LAMS Catalogue, 2) Local Analysis Tool, 3) EU/Global Analysis Tool.
This Solution is tailored to Local Governments who have ownership and/or regulatory authority over the municipal water supply system. In this Solution, the Local Government takes a comprehensive approach to increase its energy-efficiency throughout the different phases of the system`s project and useful life, from policy setting, planning, project design, and project evaluation to operation, maintenance and monitoring.
Water is a vital, limited and variable resource which is under increasing demand. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) (glossary) is a process which seeks to secure access to clean water, to satisfy current and future needs, in an economically efficient, equitable, and environmentally sustainable way. It includes: good governance principles and taking advantage of scientific knowledge to support policy and decision-making; coordination of the different LG departments and engagement of a wide range of stakeholders; integration of different water uses within the watershed, upstream and downstream (including with wastewater management); the integration of future needs into current planning processes; and as a next generation of integration the water – energy nexus. This Solution focuses on the processes which the Local Governments (LGs) can implement to contribute to IWRM, within their territory and beyond.
District energy systems (DES) deliver heating or cooling to customers through a pipe network filled with hot or cold water, circulated by pumps. As the character of the built environment greatly determines project feasibility, consideration of DES in energy and urban planning processes can significantly contribute to achieving the heat load density necessary to ensure network cost effectiveness. Urban planning can also mitigate load uncertainty for DES by enabling phased development that balances generation and demand.
Over 80% of Local Governments (LGs) worldwide are responsible for residential solid waste collection within their territory [1]. However, solid waste management is a great challenge from an organizational, technical, and financial perspective, and municipalities are often overburdened by the task. This solution focuses on the processes which the LGs can undertake to promote sustainable waste management in their communities through a long-term approach.