Visual Culture
Contextual:
Image result for 2d photography
Khokhlov Alexander, Behance, 2013, https://www.behance.net/gallery/12233947/2D-or-not-2D
3D Models
DPH Club, 2013, http://www.dphclub.com/page/33
Image result for designed environments
Callebaut Vincent, Architectural Design, 2017, https://www.architecturaldigest.com /story / brussels-could-set-standard-for-sustainability
The 3D image represents a designed environment. Its objective is to promote sustainable architecture and urban planning by developing an eco-friendly environment in the abandoned district in the Belgian capital (Hojnicki,1).
Economic Circumstances
Economic sustainability in urban centers refers to a system of production that satisfies the present demand without compromising future needs. The green cities can assist to reduce economic costs associated with air pollution and preserve the environment for future generations. The European Union encourages healthy and attractive urban centers, towns, and cities for future generations. To realize this ambition, people need attractive areas to work, relax, and live in. Generally, cities make up only 2% of the earth’s surface, yet they are home to over half of the global population (Rizvi, 1-2). Therefore, urban centers are major economic drivers due to the presence of industries and business opportunities due to the high population. Many people move to urban centers in search for job opportunities which exhausts the available resources (Hristova et al., 56-57). Also, urban centers are the major sources of pollution such as emission of poisonous gases, noise pollution, and overcrowding which need to be monitored to ensure that there is sustainability and bring benefits to areas outside the urban centers.
The environment is an absorber of economic outputs and provider of economic inputs. Therefore, the harvest rate must be kept within regeneration rate and waste products must be maintained at the minimum level to ensure that they do not exceed the capacity of the environment to absorb them without impairment. Therefore, environmental sustainability should be considered in the urban planning practice.
Social Circumstances
Social sustainability is one of the future goals of future urban developments. It implies to a system of social organization that establishes a balance between social conditions and environmental pollution. Smart cities are designed to address the issues caused by negative environmental externalities (Monfaredzadeh & Krueger, 112-118). Social sustainability is a prerequisite of alleviating poverty and economic growth. A smart city has sustainable growth in transport, ICT, human, and social capital. According to Monfaredzadeh & Krueger (12-118), “A smart city is also referred to as an intelligent city, techno city, or an information city. ” An eco-friendly environment in urban centers creates an environment for human interaction, cultural development, and communication which improves the quality of life. Therefore, future cities can integrate technology with eco-friendly environments to empower the urban dwellers socially.
Political Circumstances
The municipal and state governments have a role to play in policy making and providing the required physical and technological infrastructure to support eco-friendly environments in urban centers. The green urban areas can provide habitat for different species and provide city dwellers with air purification and recreation. Political systems are tasked with managing conflicts such as environmental injustices, environmental regulations, and balancing environmental conservation between urban and non-urban areas (Campbell, 75-91). The metropolitan governments should focus on integrating environmentalism and social justice by encouraging urban sustainability at the city planning phase. Policy-makers should develop environmentally sound policies to ensure that there is a balanced environmental conservation for both urban and rural dwellers.
The policy-makers have a duty to integrate the planning of eco-friendly cities in their policies to ensure the dream is achieved before more resources are depleted from the surface of the earth. The urban planners are striving to achieve three goals of social, economic, and environmental conservation. Therefore, there is need to consider resource conflict, property conflict, and development conflict. The designed environment image reflects the future urban centers and cities planning to promote environmental sustainability.
Works Cited
Callebaut, Vincent. "Brussels Could Set the Standard for Sustainability." Architectural Digest (2017): 1. Website. <https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/brussels-could-set-standard-for-sustainability>.
Campbell, Scott D. "Sustainable Development and Social Justice: Conflicting Urgencies and the Search for Common Ground in Urban and Regional Planning." Michigan Journal of Sustainability (2013): 75-91. <https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/mjs/12333712.0001.007?view=text;rgn=main>.
DPH Club. DPH Club:3D Models. 2017. Website. 23 October 2017. <http://www.dphclub.com/page/33>.
Hojnicki, Carrie. "Brussels Could Set the Standard for Sustainability." AD (2017): 1. <https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/brussels-could-set-standard-for-sustainability>.
Hristova, Svetlana et al. Culture and Sustainability in European Cities: Imagining Europolis. New York: Routledge, 2015.
Khokhlov, Alexander. Behance. 2013. Website. 23 October 2017.
Tannaz Monfaredzadeh & Krueger, R . "Investigating Social Factors of Sustainability in a Smart City." Elsevier (2015): 1112 – 1118. Print. <https://ac.els-cdn.com/S1877705815021074 /1-s2.0-S1877705815021074-main.pdf?_tid=9b46c0c2-b83f-11e7-8b09-00000aab 0f6b &acdnat=1508797078_44c82d6eccae91a057b05cb6f12a2f62>.
Rizvi, Haider. "Greedy cities consume Earth's resources." Mail Guardian (2017): 1-2. <https://mg.co.za/article/2007-04-25-greedy-cities-consume-earths-resources>.