Module Details

Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Sanjukkta Bhaduri

Professor, Urban Planning, School of Planning and Architecture, New
Delhi
Paper Coordinator Prof. Dr. Sanjukkta Bhaduri
Content Writer Prof. Dr. Sanjukkta Bhaduri
Content Reviewer Prof. Kavas Kapadia
Former Dean, Urban Planning, School of Planning and Architecture,
New Delhi
Subject Name Planning Approaches
Module Title Eco Cities
Objectives • Introduction to various approaches
• Eco Cities
 Unit structure

1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Objectives...................................................................................................................................... 3
2 Learning outcome ................................................................................................................................. 3
3 Eco Cities ............................................................................................................................................... 3
3.1 Definition ...................................................................................................................................... 3
3.2 Characteristics ............................................................................................................................... 3
3.3 Principles ....................................................................................................................................... 4
4 References ............................................................................................................................................ 4
1 Introduction
1.1 Objectives
The world is continuously changing at a pace faster than before. Rapid technological development, ever
increasing population and the emergence of a global economy has given new dimensions to globalization.
In this very race of globalization we cannot forget that cities are not just the places where people live and
do business, rather they are areas of emotional attachment having distinct identity, cultural values, traditions
etc attached to them. Today the biggest challenge lies in safeguarding the individuality of the cities and
developing them with the limited available resources. Through this module we would like to bring forth a
few approaches through which we can channelize the development of cities and make them worth living
for its citizens.

2 Learning outcome
After studying this module, you should be able to –
 Understand the various concepts of city development, their characteristics through various case
studies.

3 Eco Cities
3.1 Definition
 An ideal habitat where nature & technology merge, human creativity & productivity reaches a
maximum level, residents’ health & environmental quality are well protected & energy,
materials, and information are efficiently used. (Yanitsky 1981) .
 (Register 1987) regards an eco city as an ecologically healthy city in which the objective of
ensuring the health and vigor of man and nature reasonably guides human activities.
 Chinese scholars have generally considered eco city as a stable, harmonious and sustainable
complex ecosystem that makes possible “all – win” development among social, economic and
environmental factors, full fusion of technology and nature, maximal motivation of human
creativity, increasingly improved urban civilization and a clean and comfortable urban
environment. (Meirong Su 2013).
 Another definition states that, a city that provides an acceptable standard of living for its human
occupants without depleting the ecosystems and biochemical cycles on which it depends.
(Rodney 2002).

Eco city concept has its roots in the ecological planning approach detailed by Ian Mc Harg, a
landscape architect in 1969, in his book ‘Design with Nature’

Richard Register, introduced the term Eco City in 1987 in his book, Eco City Berkeley: Building
Cities for A Healthy Future.

3.2 Characteristics
The characteristics of eco cities are:

1. Health And Harmony

In order to provide enough and consistent ecosystem services in an eco city the human support
system is healthy and sustainable.
 2. High efficiency and vigor
The high consumption, high emission, high pollution and low productivity developmental
modes are altered into more environmentally friendly modes in an eco city.
3. Low Carbon Orientation
Looking at the climate change the cities are facing this is the need of the hour. Emphasis should
be laid on high productivity with minimized use of natural resources.
4. Sustaining Prosperity
Current development should not put at risk the development of the next generation.
5. High Ecological Civilization
In an eco city, the concept of ecological civilization is displayed in and permeates all fields,
including industrial production, human day to day activities, education, community
construction and societal fashion. (Meirong Su 2013).
6. Holism
Eco cities lay emphasis on the holistic development integrating social, economic and
environmental factors.
7. Regionality
Each city is different with respect to its geographical characteristics and thus each city has a
different urban development scenario.
3.3 Principles
a) Healthy Urban ecosystem : Ensuring enough ecosystem services for human health and
maintenance of services
b) Urban Ecological Security : Ensuring basic human demands for living and social order
c) Efficiency and Vigor : Ensuring efficiency in consumption of energy and materials and
promoting vigorous economic productivity
d) Environmental Capacity and sustainability : Ensuring that city development considers
environmental capacity and the needs of the future generations.

4 References
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Anthopoulos, L. G. "understanding Smart Cities: A Tool for Smart Government or an Industrial Trick?"
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