Sustainable cities and human settlements

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 aims to "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable." This goal acknowledges the growing importance of urban areas, as it's projected that by 2050, nearly 70% of the world's population will live in cities. Consequently, cities bear significant implications for sustainability, economic growth, and societal wellbeing.

Inclusivity is a key feature of sustainable cities. This refers to equitable access to opportunities, public services, and amenities, regardless of a person's background or circumstances. It implies the availability of affordable and adequate housing, thus addressing issues of homelessness and substandard living conditions.

Safety in cities means ensuring urban environments that protect their inhabitants from both physical harm and psychological distress. This involves addressing crime rates, traffic accidents, and potential hazards from poor infrastructure, while also considering the impacts of noise, pollution, and overcrowdedness on mental health.

Resilience is another important aspect, particularly in the face of climate change. Resilient cities can withstand and quickly recover from shocks such as natural disasters or economic crises. This involves aspects such as resilient infrastructure, disaster risk reduction strategies, and adaptive capacities at the community level.

Sustainability, finally, requires cities to function in a way that doesn't compromise future generations' ability to meet their own needs. This includes sustainable urban planning to reduce environmental impact, promote energy efficiency, and conserve resources. It also considers the importance of green spaces for biodiversity and the wellbeing of urban residents.

SDG 11 is interconnected with many other SDGs. For example, sustainable urban transport systems contribute to SDG 13 (Climate Action) by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, ensuring access to green and public spaces supports SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

Achieving sustainable cities and human settlements requires cooperation and participation from various stakeholders, including government authorities, urban planners, businesses, and citizens. Through their collective efforts, cities can be transformed into hubs of sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity, contributing significantly towards the realization of the SDGs.

This article supports SDGs 9, 11 and 13 by employing an Urban-Water-Energy (UWE)-Nexus approach to understand water and energy demand and their interactions in both space and time for Rhode Island and quantifies the extent and exposure of the Urban Heat Island effects among its towns and urban populations using high-resolution details.
Elsevier,

Roberta Mendonça De Carvalho, Claudio Fabian Szlafsztein, Ecosystem Services and Air Pollution - Nature's Main Provider Interconnects Forest and Cities to Regulate Air Quality, Editor(s): Dominick A. DellaSala, Michael I. Goldstein, Imperiled: The Encyclopedia of Conservation, Elsevier, 2022, Pages 88-97, ISBN 9780128211397

This chapter advances the UN SDG goals 11 and 15 by discussing air pollution, ecosystem services, and the importance of vegetation as it assures pollution reduction services. Considering the essential role of cities in human life, it focuses on the benefits of urban vegetation as a leading ecosystem service provider, promoting awareness of the importance of natural elements for the urban environment.
This Series paper supports SDG 3 and 11 by presenting an expanded framework of pathways through which city planning affects health, incorporating 11 integrated urban system policies and 11 integrated urban and transport interventions addressing current and emerging issues.
The paper supports SDG3, 11 and 15 by discussing the air pollution and the study will assist urban planners, policymakers, and health sectors.
This Series paper supports SDG 3 and 11 by identifying the minimum thresholds for urban design and transport features associated with two physical activity criteria: at least 80% probability of engaging in any walking for transport and WHO's target of at least 15% relative reduction in insufficient physical activity through walking.
This Series paper supports SDG 3 and 11 by assessing policy frameworks for city planning for 25 cities across 19 countries to identify whether these policies support the creation of healthy and sustainable cities.
Elsevier,

Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Volume 126, June 2022

The paper studied the evaluation index system of urban garden afforestation, ecological environment benefit and urban garden afforestation, furthering SDG 11, 5 and 9.
This Series paper supports SDG 3 and 11 by calculating spatial indicators of urban design and transport features that support health and sustainability for 25 diverse cities in 19 countries.
Elsevier,

Felix A. Diawuo, Roland Teye Amanor, Chapter 2 - Need for pumped hydro energy storage systems, Editor(s): Amos T. Kabo-Bah, Felix A. Diawuo, Eric O. Antwi, Pumped Hydro Energy Storage for Hybrid Systems, Academic Press, 2023, Pages 23-41, ISBN 9780128188538

This chapter provides information on the benefits of pumped hydro energy storage as a means of providing consisent renewable energy power generation, offering power network management including load balancing and peak shaving, and grid stabilization with emphasis on frequency and voltage regulation. Additionally, the chapter highlights some of the different pumped hydro energy storage hybrid designs for both off-grid and grid-tied applications while the impact of climate change is discussed.

World Environment Day is the most renowned day for environmental action. Since 1974, it has been celebrated every year on June 5th, engaging governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

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