Healthy Homes in Chinese Urban Environments
Urban China
Chinese cities were traditionally built to enhance social and environmental experiences through community areas, such as tea gardens, parks and community buildings to enable residents to meet in public areas enjoy discussions, dancing, singing, exercise and more. Today’s residential buildings are rising quickly yet in many cases with a loss of healthy living. Not only are cities becoming difficult places to live in, life is becoming hard, air quality is low, environmental impact is growing. There is an immediate need to re-think healthy homes in Chinese urban environments.
Cities produce 80% of global CO2 emissions and the number is growing as urban centers continue to develop. 50% of Chinese population lives in urban environment and this number is quickly rising. The next 30 years are crucial and will determine if cities will become the growing force for environmental destruction.
Pursuing sustainability in urban environments requires a balance between “liveable cities” and lower carbon footprint.
Many cities in China, including Shanghai are already developed cities, whose footprint and infrastructure are already in place. The challenge for each of these cities is different. However, especially here in China where cities are growing, there are huge opportunities to rebuild and redesign existing infrastructures to both reduce emissions and help develop more comfortable housing and liveable communities that support, stimulate and engage people in their daily lives.
A city such as Shanghai is in the later stage of urban infrastructure life cycle and requires both programs designed to reduce emissions of existing infrastructure plus legislation, plans and goals for future developments and investment.
Cities produce 80% of global CO2 emissions and the number is growing as urban centers continue to develop. 50% of Chinese population lives in urban environment and this number is quickly rising. The next 30 years are crucial and will determine if cities will become the growing force for environmental destruction.
Pursuing sustainability in urban environments requires a balance between “liveable cities” and lower carbon footprint.
Many cities in China, including Shanghai are already developed cities, whose footprint and infrastructure are already in place. The challenge for each of these cities is different. However, especially here in China where cities are growing, there are huge opportunities to rebuild and redesign existing infrastructures to both reduce emissions and help develop more comfortable housing and liveable communities that support, stimulate and engage people in their daily lives.
A city such as Shanghai is in the later stage of urban infrastructure life cycle and requires both programs designed to reduce emissions of existing infrastructure plus legislation, plans and goals for future developments and investment.
