7 principles for building better cities | Peter Calthorpe | TED

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the urgent need to address urban sprawl while tackling climate change, as building cities for an additional three billion people will significantly impact our environment and social well-being. He advocates for compact, mixed-use developments that foster community and reduce reliance on cars, showcasing how such urban planning can lead to substantial environmental and economic benefits. The speaker also critiques the hype around autonomous vehicles, warning they could exacerbate sprawl and congestion, advocating instead for walkable, bike-friendly cities that enhance community life.

Takeaways

• 🌱 The speaker emphasizes the urgency of addressing climate change alongside the rapid urbanization, highlighting the importance of sustainable city planning for the well-being of society and the environment.
• 🏙️ The way cities are designed reflects our humanity and has significant implications for social, economic, and environmental health, making it crucial to 'get it right' in city planning.
• 🌡️ Sprawl is identified as a key issue, not just in terms of low-density development but as a pattern that isolates and segregates people, regardless of density, which is detrimental to societal and environmental health.
• 🔄 The antidote to sprawl involves creating compact, walkable, mixed-use environments that foster interaction and integration, supporting both community and environmental sustainability.
• 📊 A model developed for California demonstrated the stark differences in outcomes between sprawling and compact city development, with the latter showing significant benefits in terms of land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and vehicle miles traveled.
• 🚗 The reliance on cars is a major contributor to carbon emissions, and cities that promote alternatives to car dependency can achieve substantial environmental and economic savings.
• 💰 The script points out that the cost of housing and transportation is a significant burden on middle-class families, and compact city development can help reduce these costs.
• 🏡 The transformation of Los Angeles towards a transit-oriented city, with significant investment in transit over highways, exemplifies a shift away from car-centric urban planning.
• 🌆 The concept of high-density sprawl in China is discussed, illustrating how even dense cities can suffer from isolation and lack of community interaction due to poor urban design.
• 🚶‍♂️ The speaker advocates for urban design principles that prioritize walking, biking, and transit, arguing that these are the most efficient and community-enhancing forms of transportation.
• 🤖 Concerns about autonomous vehicles (AVs) are raised, with the argument that they may exacerbate sprawl and congestion rather than alleviate it, and that they represent a move away from more sustainable transportation options.

Q & A

What is the main challenge of urban development mentioned in the script?

The main challenge is the need to build cities for an additional three billion people, effectively doubling the urban environment, while also addressing climate change and ensuring social well-being, economic vitality, and community connectedness.

How does the speaker suggest that urban development can contribute to solving climate change?

The speaker suggests that by shaping cities in a way that reduces dependence on cars, promotes mixed-use environments, and encourages walkability and transit use, urban development can help mitigate climate change.

What is the term used in the script to describe a type of urban development that isolates people?

The term used is 'sprawl,' which is characterized by low-density development that segregates people into economic and land-use enclaves, separating them from nature and hindering social interaction.

What are the 'co-benefits' of urban form mentioned in the script?

The 'co-benefits' refer to the multiple advantages that can be gained from urban development strategies that promote environmental sustainability, social well-being, economic vitality, and community connectedness, allowing various interest groups to align their goals.

How does the script describe the impact of urban sprawl on land consumption and greenhouse gas emissions?

The script describes that the sprawl version of California would almost double the urban physical footprint and result in tremendous savings in greenhouse gas emissions if compact development and reduced car dependence were adopted instead.

What is the significance of reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as mentioned in the script?

Reducing VMT has a significant impact on air quality, carbon emissions, and household expenses, as driving less is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective for families.

How does the script relate the 2008 financial crisis to urban development?

The script relates the 2008 financial crisis to urban development by pointing out that the crisis was partly due to the overproduction and sale of large-lot, single-family homes that were too expensive for the average middle-class family and did not fit their lifestyle.

What transformation has Los Angeles decided to undertake according to the script?

Los Angeles has decided to transform itself into a more transit-oriented environment, investing in billions of dollars of bonds for transit and none for new highways, aiming to become a city of walkers and transit users rather than a city of cars.

What are the seven principles adopted by the Chinese government for urban development as mentioned in the script?

The seven principles are: 1) Preserve the natural environment, history, and critical agriculture. 2) Mix uses, incomes, age groups, and land uses. 3) Promote walkability. 4) Encourage biking. 5) Connect the street network to allow many routes and kinds of streets. 6) Invest in transit. 7) Focus on a city hierarchy based on transit rather than freeways.

What is the speaker's concern regarding autonomous vehicles (AVs) and their impact on urban development?

The speaker is concerned that AVs may lead to an increase in vehicle miles traveled, potentially revitalizing sprawl and causing more congestion. He also fears that people in private AVs may travel greater distances, leading to less walkability and a less connected community.

How does the speaker view the potential of autonomous vehicles to solve traffic congestion?

The speaker believes that autonomous vehicles are not a silver bullet for traffic congestion and may actually generate more traffic. He suggests that the focus should be on improving walkability, biking, and transit systems for a thriving city.