Non-sustainable reduction values: a methodology towards a low carbon city

DISCOLI, C.; MARTINI, I.; BARBERO, D.

Low carbon cities. Selected papers from 45th ISOCARP Congress

ISOCARP

Lugar: Porto; Año: 2010;

ABSTRACT Sustainability within the urban areas framework in developing countries has not been achieved, yet. In this regard, the opposite concept, non-sustainability, should be incorporated in order to determine the degree of environmental disturbance produced by urban centers. This means to devise methodologies involving various strategies to analyze variables within a wide range in the drive to achieve low carbon cities. The present work deals with an appropriate methodology to qualify, quantify, and integrate those dimensions related with areas of energy consumption, greenhouse effects and air emissions as well as potential urban-regional natural absorption sites. The target area is La Plata district, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It must be pointed out that this city is one of the few ones that were planned since its foundation (1882), with a large number of parks and gardens. In this sense, energetic consumption from different urban sectors (residential, commercial, education, health, transport, etc) were evaluated considering their CO2 direct emissions. Mitigation promotion through CO2 sequestration mechanism was also considered. This work presents the results obtained for two scenes, the present and the potential ones. Detailed and global data would accurately describe the diagnoses, which would allow devising good strategies to improve each area damaged and put the city on a lower carbon path. Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to draw maps showing energy and pollution values in the urban network. The obtained results, allow us to determine and quantify those areas with homogenous and overlapping problems. Non-sustainability degree rather than the sustainability one will be inferred by collecting results from each sector. In brief, this methodology allows evaluating the non-sustainability degree of this region and to devise helpful strategies in overcoming the challenge of living in a lower carbon city.