HarnessingUrbanEcosystemsforEcologicallySmartCities

SmartCitiesConference24October2016

(JeffreyMilstein)

Urbanisation:theanswertoeconomicaspirations&development

• Ruralills– Oppression– Fewoptions– Poverty

• Urbansolutions– Freedom,brightlights– Economic&socialoptions– Wealth

Elaine

Challengesofurbanisation

• Congestion,Pollution,Naturaldisasters• LowQualityofLife,IllHealth• SocialDisintegration

povertyandhealth.blogspot.sg Elaineextrameganediplomaticourier.com

Stereotype:Rural-UrbanDichotomy

Citiesconsumebutdonotproducenaturalresources

Naturalcapital

Resourcedemand

Ruralarea Urbanarea(basedonFerrão&Fernández,2013)

Ruralarea

SuchasAir,Water,Sand…

Annualconsumptionofsand:15billiontons(mostusedcommodityafterairandwater)

Cementproduction

(UNEP)

©Jean-FrançoisRemy

Butecosystemsandcitiesaretightlyintegrated

(Garosugil,Seoul,airbnb.com)

(Joongang Daily)

(Cheonggyecheon ,Seoul,kidsfuninseoul.wordpress.com)

(Seagull,Seoul,pixabay)

Favouredpillarsofurbanisation

Builtenvironment

Society

Underground,DavidMacaulay Foursquarecheck-ins,Tokyo

Threepillarsofsustainable,liveablecities

Builtenvironment

Society

Naturalenvironment

(JeffreyMilstein)

Builtenvironmenthastendedtoprevailovernaturalenvironment

(newtonvillagesalliance.org)

Nested systems:ecosystemsencompass&controleverythingelse

(basedonPasset,1979)

BuiltenvironmentInfrastructure

NaturalenvironmentGlobal&localecosystems

Society

• Traditionaleconomics• Environmentaleconomics

NaturalEnvironment

Markets

SocietyEcosystemServices

NaturalResourcesDepletion&Pollution

Goods&Services

Ecosystemservices:muchmorethanrawmaterialsor“greening”

(MillenniumEcosystemAssessment,2005)

1Shade

Windbreak

Visualquality

Culturalsignificance

Cleanair

Waterretention

Noisereduction

Services

Benefits

Thermalcomfort

Retailvalue

Propertyvalue

Socialcohesion

Reducedcriminality

Acousticcomfort

Reducedstress

Mentalhealth

Lessdiseases

HigherProductivity

Walkability

Attractiveness

Infrastructuresavings

Lowertaxes

Placemaking

Trafficcalming

©SylvainRemy

Globaltrendsarebringingattentiontourbanecosystems

� Largeurbanareasincludelotsofnaturalspace

81%ofrurallandareainmajorU.S.

metropolitanareas(>1M)

(GreaterLo

ndon

Nationa

lPark)

� Urbannaturaldisaster

risks=>moreeco-

consciousplanning

(JasonGutierrez/IRIN)

� Trillion-dollar/yearInfrastructureGap

=>Domorewithless=>Leveragenaturalassets

(TheEconomist,2014)

StrategicUrbanNaturalCapital

Naturalcapital

• Notinventoried

• Undervalued

• “Natural”and“automatic”appreciationovertime

Economies

• Unidentified

• Unassessed

• Undervalued

• Verydiverse

R.O.I.

• Highpotential• 200%annualROIonurbantreesinPittsburgh

• Highleverage• Morepeople,morevalue

• Assets“multi-task”

Strategic

• Smallstepsyieldbenefits• Lowentrycost• Incrementalapproaches

• Low-tech• Employmenteffects

• Verylowtohighskills

• Decentralisable

• Strongperceptualeffects

• Qualityoflife• Attractiveness• Placemaking

©SylvainRemy,2016

SomeExamples

OrchardRoad,Singapore

EcologicallySmart?SunCityPalmDesertRiversideCounty,California

(dailyoverview.tumblr.com)

SustainableUrbanDrainageSystems• Technologies– Greenroofs– Biophilicarchitecture

– Urbantrees– Bio-retentionswales

– Riparianbuffers– Riparianzone– etc.

• Benefits– Reducedrainagecost

– Reducefloodingrisk

– Capturewater

A 1%increaseingreeninfrastructurewouldbringa6.4%reductionineconomiclossfromfloodinginKoreancities.

Singapore’sABCWaters

KallangRiverABCRestoration,2012

AtelierDreiseitl

SwimmableUrbanWaters

CanalSaint-Martin,ParisCanaldel’Ourcq

CopenhagenHarbourBaths

(canadianindenmark.wordpress.com)

HanRiveratGwangnaru,July1967(Gwangjin Bridgeinthebackground?)

HanRiveratTtuk Island,1964

HanRiveratTtuk Island,1966(Jamsil Bridgesinbackground?)

Seoulhasgreatswimmingpotential

Green+Smart:Paris’s200kstreettreesRFIDtagging+mapping+open-data

walkonomics.comoptimiseswalkingroutebeauty&comfortbasedonopen

andcrowd-sourcedcitydata

(dirt.asla.org)

ToMaximisingEcosystemValue-Environmentalsystemsareassets-Integrative,holisticapproach-Ecosystemdevelopment

FromMinimisingEnvironmentalCost-Ecosystemisexternal-Piecemealapproach-Environmentalimpactassessment

+$ +

Research:EDFandESSECareworkingtowardsurbanecosystemsvaluation

• DescribeandunderstandthebenefitsofurbanecosysteminitiativesinSingapore:– Modeltherelationsamongsubsystemsandwiththebuiltenvironment

– Integratethevalueofecosystemservicesintothesimulationoftheurbansystem

– Advisedevelopers,governmentsandthepubliconthevaluecreated

• Fromacostapproach– EnvironmentalImpactAssessment

• Toavaluecreationapproach– EcosystemServicesValuation

ThankYouSylvainRemy

remy@essec.edu

5NepalPark,Singapore139408

3AvenueBernardHirsch,95000Cergy-Pontoise,France

(Schuiten)