Jamaica in 2050 – Part 2: Rethinking cities for the future
This is the second in a series of eight articles looking at the ways that the world will change between now and 2050 and analysing the implications for Jamaica’s future.
THE FIRST article in this series looked at some of the devastating impacts that climate change could have on the world. The reason why that terrible future might yet be averted is that our economic and technological systems clearly have the capacity to respond in time to prevent disaster. The first article also suggested that some of the necessary reforms would not only help to solve the existential threat of climate change, but they could also create many new opportunities and that the countries that master the relevant technologies and strategies will be the ones that prosper in the years ahead.
One of the most important ways that a country can drive the restructuring of its economy in the right direction is to redevelop its cities as that – with good planning – can generate many opportunities to move the entire country to a more sustainable development trajectory. Cities can support smart systems for housing, transport, food, water, waste, sanitation, work, and living, and can also be redesigned to give resilience to pandemics and environmental disasters. Cities around the world are now experimenting with dense mixed-use developments, telecommuting, low-carbon mobility options, permeable spaces to reduce social tensions, the integration of water and storm-water management, the use of wetlands and parks to improve air quality, the development of urban agriculture to utilise grey water and harvested rainwater, and the mitigation of natural hazard risks with appropriate zoning and building codes.
MANAGING WATER
Take water as an example. At present, drinking water, waste water, and storm water are managed separately. This approach is very wasteful, as clean, potable water is pumped uphill to many consumers in Jamaica and then used to flush lavatories and water gardens, and the waste water then contaminates the water table with sewage. The management of storm water is equally problematic. Kingston, like many other cities, has covered large areas with paved and impermeable surfaces so that rain is no longer absorbed but channelled into storm drains, pipes, and soakaway pits. Main roads are often flooded when there is heavy rain because this drainage is inadequate.
Some cities are now implementing a new strategy of integrating the management of water across domestic and industrial use, urban agriculture, environment, biodiversity and air-quality management. Chicago, one of the cities taking a new approach to water management, has been building ‘green alleys’ since 2006. These are streets with permeable paving that allow rain to soak into layers of sand and porous rock that filter and decontaminate the water before it reaches the ground water table. This not only helps to prevent flooding, it recharges the aquifers from which the city can then draw water. Other cities are now using parks and restored wetlands, vegetated rooftops, roadside plantings, and gardens to absorb excess rainwater and eliminate flooding while also reducing runoff. The parks and gardens used to control storm water also reduce particulate matter in the air, which, in turn, reduces the incidence of asthma, bronchitis, and heart failure. Demand for fresh water in some cities is now in part met with rainwater harvesting, grey water (from basins and showers) is used to flush toilets, and sewage is filtered through reed beds so that the cleaned water can then filter down into the water table. With a combination of strategies like this, cities can reduce the amount and cost of the water that they consume, prevent pollution and flooding, and breathe cleaner air.
REDUCE GASOLENE CONSUMPTION
With regard to transport, most cities today have developed around the car. Many people live in one area, commute to work somewhere else, and go shopping in a third. This increases demand for vehicles and gasolene, generates congestion and air pollution, and consumes millions of hours lost while sitting in traffic.
Melbourne, Portland, Paris, Ottawa, Bogota, Seoul, Barcelona, and other cities are now implementing city plans to allow everyone to get everything they need within twenty minutes walking distance, including work, shopping, business services, education, community facilities, and recreational resources. The goal is to reduce the time lost in traffic congestion, reduce the consumption of gasolene, and give people cleaner air and a better quality of life.
There is now an unprecedented opportunity to rapidly reduce the need to use cars in cities. Many organisations were forced to move to a more distributed model of working during the pandemic but have realised major gains in terms of cost, time, worker engagement, and customer satisfaction. Companies such as British Airways, Siemens, Capital One, and State Farm have, therefore, said that they are not going back to an office system but will operate mixed-mode or wholly online from now on.
As a result, many cities are now rethinking building regulations and the management of transport demand. As firms move online, office buildings and car parks are going to be repurposed, which will open up more development opportunities and public spaces in cities, and new-build homes are being redesigned to include work spaces and places where children can study, which will reduce the number of car journeys.
The cities that have reduced the use of cars have seen increased use of public transport, but crowded public transport systems can increase the risk of transmission of a droplet-borne virus. So it is important to upgrade the ICT infrastructure at the same time as that will support the transition to a digital society and economy, where most transactions do not require a physical presence.
In most cases, it is government services that have been the slowest to adapt to this new challenge. Many government services still involve standing in line in offices and streets, which is increasingly at odds with the demands of a rapidly evolving digital society. So the transition to fully online systems of government is one of the key factors that will determine a country’s ability to move to a more sustainable development path.