Modern cities that are incorporating sustainability as a guiding principle have realized that by mimicking important features of natural ecosystems, their city is at the forefront of today's urban planning

Question

At the center of this sustainability design is the efficient capture and use of energy and matter. Describe and explain three specific ways in which a city can incorporate aspects of this ecosystem principle that focuses on matter and energy use.

Answer 1

Efficient capture and use of energy and matter require that cities use and recycle the large input of energy and material resources in a more circular manner, rather than the linear approach that results in large outputs of waste. For example, requiring residents to put all wastes into one central collection area where recyclables can be separated from organic and other wastes. Recyclables could be sold to factories that use them for manufacturing of new products, and the combustible wastes could be burned, generating heat that could be used to generate electricity and hot water. The hot water can then be used for residential heating. Secondly, stormwater can be collected from green roofs, where it is purified for residential use. Finally, wastewater, including human waste is kept separate from stormwater and treated so that methane can be captured and used as a source of energy for the urban area. In this circular approach, very little waste results, as much of the original waste is recycled or captured in a usable form.