GrEEEn Solutions for Livable Cities

GrEEEn Solutions for Livable Cities proposes an integrated approach to addressing the challenges of sustainable development, combining the 3Es of economy, environment and equity. This approach also contributes to understanding and showing the city as a complex space in which all disciplines interact.

This publication identifies shifts required for urban transformation through successful examples, which include green infrastructure, modifications to designs, urban planning, and public consultation processes. Furthermore, it proposes a guide for integrated urban development and environmental planning, focusing on the use of low-carbon technologies, policy reform and responsive governance, among other things.

The book is divided into three parts. These start with background on the importance of integrating the 3ES to help face the livability challenges in Asian cities. The first part includes an overview of the emergence of green growth methodologies in urban development in recent years. It introduces the GrEEEn Cities Operational Framework (GCOF), which provides an integrated perspective in redefining the meaning of livability.  

The second part of the book emphasizes the bases for grEEEn solutions by understanding visioning and action planning for integrated urban development. The steps of the GrEEEn Cities Action Plan include defining the vision; the urban profile; short-, medium- and long-term actions; budgetary resources; and management information systems for data collection. GrEEEn City Action Plans (GCAPs) have been considered in seven cities in Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, with different technical scopes and levels of institutional engagement.

In Chapter 4, the 3Es (economy, environment and equity) are split to better understand each concept through concrete projects. Chapter 5 describes urban management partnerships, and Chapter 6 discusses key enablers for the planning and implementation of a project. These enablers include policies, regulations, financial incentives, governance institutions, civil society and the private sector.

The last part of this publication highlights the major lessons learned through the experiences in diverse cities of improving the quality of life for all citizens.

Available from:

http://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/181442/greeen-solutions-livable-cities.pdf

Book note prepared by Lina María Rosales