The EcoCity
Similar to my last post on sustainable cities, an ecocity is one that strives for sustainability and a healthy environment for its citizens and is modeled after the structure and function of natural ecosystems. Cities that strive for this label provide transportation networks for all travelers (transit, bike, pedestrian, and cars), integrate greenspace into the city with parks, trees and pervious pavement, rehab existing buildings, and encourage public participation. According to EcoCity Builders an ecologically healthy city is one that “provides healthy abundance to its inhabitants without consuming more (renewable) resources than it produces, without producing more waste than it can assimilate, and without being toxic to itself or neighboring ecosystems. Its inhabitants’ ecological impact reflect planetary supportive lifestyles; its social order reflects fundamental principles of fairness, justice and reasonable equity.”
“An ecocity is an ecologically healthy city. No such city presently exists. We do, however, see hints of ecocities emerging in today’s solar, wind, and recycling technologies, in green buildings and green businesses, in urban environmental projects, urban gardening and organic farming, and in individuals using foot, bicycle and public modes of transportation in preference to the automobile.”
Start of the Eco City Movement
While Richard Register of Berkeley, CA is credited with coining the ecocity term, the concept dates back to the turn of the 20th century. The Garden City movement envisioned by Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom used the environment in the design of cities. Green boulevards, ample parks, and good design were all major components of this concept. The modernist movements in the mid-20th century however moved away from using nature to help cities function more efficiently.
In the 1970s however, the nonprofit Urban Ecology was formed by visionary architects (including Richard Register) who worked in planning, ecology, and public participation with the goal to make cities environmentally healthier. It was in Register’s book “Ecocity Berkeley: Building Cities for a Healthy Future” where the term ecocity was coined. Ecocity Builders was founded in 1992 as a non-profit to advocate for the goals of the ecocity movement.
EcoCity Examples
One early city striving for ecocity statues was Erlangen, Germany. The city started making changes in 1972 and saw success because of their public awareness campaign and public participation in the process. Another city that has taken advantage of their compact urban form is Copenhagen, Denmark. They turned leftover wedges of space into greenspace with parks, athletic fields, golf courses, forests, and community gardens to guard against sprawl. Despite their 15% population growth between 2005 and 2014 their carbon emissions fell by 31%. Ecocities are also being founded from scratch in developing countries such as China which has laid foundations for ecocities housing 500,000 people.
A 2021 top 10 list of the most sustainable cities by Better World Solutions lists Reykjavik, Iceland on top. They have a natural advantage they exploit which generates almost all their power from one renewable source. The volcanos they are so well known for have been put to use as the worlds largest geothermal heating system providing nearly 95% of their heat. On top of this, Reykjavik has developed a reliable public transportation system and focuses on preserving green space. Bristol, South West England ranks high for their 16% energy reduction between 2005 and 2010 and their environmental performance and recycling practices.
Two surprising top ten cities, ranking even above Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo are Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California. It is less surprising that Portland ranked 4th on this list given their massive investment in public transportation, bicycle infrastructure, and land use regulations prioritizing infill rather than sprawl. Given the 250 miles of bike paths, it is not surprising that 25% of the residents bike to work. In addition to transportation, Portland is a leader in renewable energy and was the one of the first cities to ban plastic bags.
San Francisco on the other hand is known for its streetcar system, a surprise given that most American cities lost their streetcars with the rise in automobiles. The city is committed to charting a path to net zero by 2040 and is updating their Climate Action Plan to get them there. The plan even goes a step further with a goal to reach the targets of the Paris Agreement even after the U.S. withdrew from the agreement.
Measuring an EcoCity
Like a sustainable city, there was not a clear way to measure the impact and success of an ecocity. The goal to develop standards to define an ecocity was spearheaded by the EcoCity Builders who aimed to resolve the competition between a variety of models such as Living Building Challenge, Ecological Performance Standards for Cities, and the Natural Step. The result was a range of standards beginning with the “unhealthy city” and moving through the the “ecocity” or gold standard. There are four pillars and 18 standards that define the standards. The four pillars include urban design, bio-geo-physical, socio-cultural, and ecological factors. Urban Design for example is comprised of safe and convenient access to destinations, environmental transportation options, green new and rehabbed buildings, and safe and affordable housing. Nearly all 18 standards are topics most cities strive to achieve anyways. Some under the ecological pillar are just gaining traction however as we recognize the benefits of promoting ecological integrity in our communities.
Path Forward
Whenever progressive ideas or concepts that stretch a community are brought up I almost always hear the phrase “well we aren’t [insert progressive city] and don’t need that here.” When the topic is becoming a better bicycle community to support the option for safe recreation, emissions free commuting, and declining congestion and seas of concrete parking lots people always say "we aren’t Copenhagen.” But a quick search shows we really are Copenhagen, just the 1960s version. We can choose to prioritize all modes of transportation and work towards our own communities achieving a higher level of ecocity status. We may not all achieve EcoCity 2 or 3, but we certainly need to crawl out of being an Unhealthy City or even a Greener City 1. More cities striving for EcoCity status means more communities designed for a healthier planet and healthier residents.
Copenhagen in 1960 on the left and in 2016 on the right after cars were banned from this street
