In the critical challenge that is climate change, city leaders are already taking the lead, with mayors across the world recognising that they hold the power to make real impact on emissions. But there’s one crucial angle most are so far overlooking, says Systemiq’s Julia Okatz. Improving how space is used in our cities could save 25% of urban greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 – a critical contribution towards the world’s climate goals.
Over two thirds of Europeans live in urban areas, and this number is growing, resulting in an increasing pressure being placed on cities across the continent. Europe’s cities are well-placed to rise to this challenge and become eco-friendly and enjoyable places to live in, but investors, developers and policymakers are overlooking a key aspect of urban sustainability: the importance of balanced, efficient use of space.
Every year, Europe constructs more buildings, roads and infrastructure using materials which are highly energy-intensive to produce – and they go under-used. This places a massive strain on our planet, but it also presents a golden opportunity to reduce global emissions through unlocking those urban spaces.
An estimated 45% of emissions from new buildings and road infrastructure could be saved each year by improving how space is used in new developments. However, when it comes to making Europe’s built environment greener, the focus is currently on insulating individual homes, rather than taking a holistic view and looking at how we can make developments and neighbourhoods as a whole more sustainable as well as productive.
As well as retrofitting, leaders should place greater emphasis on building affordable, multi-family homes in connected, mixed-use neighbourhoods. After all, the benefits of encouraging more people to move into walkable urban areas are well-documented.
Studies show that people living in suburban areas have higher carbon footprints than those living in cities, including 18% higher transport emissions. This is unsurprising given that 65% of Europe’s suburban residents live further than 1 kilometre away from general amenities. City dwellers on the other hand have access to a large range of amenities right on their doorstep, as well as better public transport links.
Policymakers are taking steps to try to make neighbourhoods across Europe more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly. These includes the introduction of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods; School Streets, which close roads outside schools to traffic at the start and end of the school day; and 15-minute cities, where residents will have amenities available within a short walking or cycling distance from their homes.
While the 15-minute city concept has fallen victim to conspiracy theories, it’s positive to see small and medium-sized cities in the UK like Oxford, Canterbury and Sheffield featuring in debates around urban sustainability. Far too often, the focus is on major cities like Copenhagen and Barcelona and – although both are setting a clear blueprint for sustainable urban areas – investors, governments and other key influencers overlook the potential of smaller cities.
Smaller cities are becoming more attractive, spurred by the increase in rent prices in large cities like Berlin, London and Madrid as well as the quality of life benefits of medium-sized cities.
In many cases, under-utilised spaces in stagnating or declining cities can be made more valuable for citizens, investors and the environment. Take Leipzig for example. In 2000, one in five homes in the German city were unoccupied. But an economic boom, kickstarted by major companies like Amazon, BMW and Porsche setting up operations in Leipzig, resulted in a flow of jobs – and people – into the city. It’s now one of the fastest-growing cities in Germany.
Investing in medium-sized cities like Leipzig can boost regional productivity, alleviate the housing crisis and improve how infrastructure is used, when complemented by low carbon transport and initiatives that encourage people to walk and cycle more.
This is mirrored to a certain extent in other smaller cities across the continent, including Freiburg, which is often hailed as one of the world’s most sustainable and liveable cities, and Grenoble, which was crowned European Green Champion 2022. However, whilst some cities are making tremendous progress on the climate front, this is far from the norm.
Whilst creating more accessible amenities will help make cities greener, an issue that’s often overlooked is the lack of multi-unit housing in urban neighbourhoods that are attractive and suitable for families, despite it being just as important – with people living in single-unit homes using more energy.
European investment in multi-family buildings has rocketed over the past decade, overtaking investment in offices in several countries. However, these buildings often have cramped living conditions and are sorely lacking in green spaces. To make cities sustainable, we need multi-family buildings that provide accessible and family-friendly amenities, access to (shared) garden spaces, green roofs and other environmentally-friendly benefits.
From adapting existing buildings, providing more green spaces and improving transport links, to creating vibrant and attractive city centres and cultural spaces – there are many ways that European cities can be made fit for the future. Developers, investors and policymakers now need to cooperate in innovation, planning and finance to unlock the dormant value of under-used urban space for people, climate and urban economies, before it’s too late.
This article previously appeared in BusinessGreen, and is reproduced here with kind permission.
