Introduction
The world is changing fast due to the challenges of climate change and global warming. More people are experiencing the negative impacts associated with increasing levels of temperatures and pollutants. These issues could explain why human beings need to pursue environmentally-friendly initiatives and activities. The proposed sustainable city would be located in Texas City. In the country, this urban center remains of the pioneers of green construction and sustainability efforts. Texas is characterized by one of the best climatic conditions capable of supporting human life. The existing conditions and policy initiatives continue to offer the best ideas for investing in this region.
The proposed concept of sustainability means that more people will be required to remain responsible if they to make Texas City successful and capable of supporting the needs of future generations. The intended urban center will allow all residents to rely on renewable solar energy, promote a zero-waste model and reduced pollution, support equality, address poverty, and promote recycling.
Sustainable Development Goals
Reduce Poverty
The concept of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is informed by the climatic challenges and issues affecting the global society today. The United Nations (UN) presented 17 SDGs with the aim of protecting the planet for posterity purposes. The first goal to guide the development of the proposed hypothetical city is that of reducing poverty. The main objective is to ensure that the poor and middle class members of this city survive by more than $1.25 a day (Meerow et al., 2019). The involved partners will go further to reduce the number of people living in poverty to fall below 14.2 percent (United Nations, 2016). These key achievements indicate that the need for additional resources would reduce, thereby being in a position to remain sustainable. Additional objectives under this goal include improving social protection systems and promoting equal rights. Key stakeholders will ensure that additional resources and basic services are available to the vulnerable and poor.
The second sustainable is to reduce hunger in the selected Texas City. This objective will guide the planners of the proposed city to identify how people can formulate their personal aims and record positive economic gains. In this urban center, it will be possible to encourage individuals to consider the power of equality to maximize the overall level of empowerment. Most of the companies located in this urban area would ensure that both men and women have access to equal opportunities. This approach would empower them to pursue their goals and eventually be in a position to lead high-quality lives (Guarini et al., 2022).
By empowering both men and women, the city will be in a position to record meaningful gains in the area of sustainability. This objective will play a positive role towards ensuring that more people have access to food, engage in agricultural production, and focus on small-scale economic activities. The effort will eventually ensure that Texas City has sustainable systems for maximizing food production and ensuring that hunger is no longer a challenge in this city.
The third key objective for the identified city is the reduction of inequalities. Under this sustainable goal, the involved professionals will consider the best approaches to promote social and economic inclusion for all citizens. People in the country will find it easier to access equal opportunities and eventually help minimize inequality. The strategy will result in reduced discriminatory practices and ensure that timely results are eventually recorded (Monteiro et al., 2020). This goal is sustainable and resonates with the global aim of improving the overall level of sustainability.
The fourth to guide the development and promotion of the intended urban neighborhood is that sustainable cities. This goal has been critical since it has made it possible for urban planners in different parts of the world to create better neighborhoods whereby more people can pursue and realize their goals. Some of the key issues these professionals need to take into consideration include reduced pollution, using renewable energy, promoting transport efficiency, and meeting the demands of all people. This goal will offer additional ideas for locating building, creating inclusive parks, taking the needs of disabled individuals into consideration, and engaging in green reporting (Marzouki et al., 2021).
This goal will guide all key stakeholders to consider how they can take planning to the next level while ensuring that the needs of the beneficiaries are met. The final outcome is that the city will continue to identify emerging sustainability opportunities and integrate them to transform people’s experiences. Expansion of public transport, support of vulnerable populations, and empowerment for all would become evidence-based approaches for delivering timely results.
The fifth goal revolves around the power of climatic actions to help fight environmental degradation. This goal encourages agencies and citizens to promote the use of clean and affordable energy. In this location, the available amount of daylight sun would support the use of solar energy for lighting and industrial operations. This source is renewable and has minimum negative impacts on the natural environment (Pijawka & Hagen, 2017).
More city dwellers would be connected to the designed grid relying on the proposed source of energy. This initiative will reduce costs for electricity while making it possible for different companies and individuals to pursue their goals (Swain & Yang-Wallentin, 2020). Buildings and institutions would be required to rely on solar energy and other renewable options that can meet their needs. These aspects indicate that national strategies, policies, and strategies will ensure that climate change actions are the guiding principles.
Urban Fabric
To achieve the intended objectives of an ideal Texas City, the proposed public spaces, workplaces, shopping areas, homes, and streets will be laid out in accordance with the demands of all stakeholders. This key objective could be achieved by redesigning the existing public spaces and ensuring that most of the buildings are sustainable. This SDGs outlined above are intended to guide the initiative whereby the issues of water harvesting, renewable energy, and drainage would be taken into consideration. By establishing a smarter and more sustainable Texas City, most of the people will be able to choose and live in the best places. They will rely on the available amenities, transportation needs, and the ease of accessing their workplaces, thereby being able to achieve their aims (see Image 1).
The planners will ensure that individuals have access to public spaces and parks for recreational purposes (Leavesley et al., 2022). By ensuring that all these features are properly laid out, chances are high that more people would use pathways to reduce transportation costs while engaging in physical exercises.
To develop the proposed city, the planning strategy would be influenced by the famous Brasilia city, one of the modern urban centers in the world today. The designers were able to include key transportation systems, green infrastructure, and buildings in such a way that they would take sustainability to the next level. This city’s innovative and architectural features compelled UNESCO to identify it as one of the heritage sites in Brazil (Holmes, 2019). The urban neighborhoods has unique feature that facilitate life and meet their needs. By integrating all key attributes associated with sustainable living, the planners of this city were able achieve their goals (Leavesley et al., 2022).
Modern scholars examine the aspects and green living attributes associated with Brasilia to pursue their goals of having more sustainable cities (see Image 2). The hypothesized city would, therefore, be planned in accordance with the features associated with Brasilia.
The integration of the identified strategies and SDGs will support the outlined vision for the targeted sustainable city. For instance, the consideration of the attributes associated with Brasilia could present useful insights regarding the best ways to plan streets, integrate parks, and support people’s transportation needs (Leavesley et al., 2022). The model will allow all key stakeholders to understand how they will support energy production, plant more trees in a convenient manner, construct reliable infrastructure, and promote disability inclusion. The outlined SDGs will encourage more people to address most of the possible challenges and identify emerging ideas for taking sustainability to the next level (Bravo, 2022).
The concepts of sustainable energy, efficient drainage systems, reduction of poverty, and promotion of equality will encourage more inhabitants to focus on the best ways to achieve the much-needed goals. These attributes will work synergistically to deliver positive results for the city within the shortest time possible.
The planners will implement practical strategies to reduce environmental and social equity issues. First, the identified SDGs will be critical towards ensuring that most of the people have access to the available resources and ideas to fight poverty irrespective of gender and age. The involved professionals will promote equity in the manner in which people access energy and water. The urban planners should sensitize more inhabitants about the importance of addressing emerging challenges and empowering one another in the areas of equality, job performance, and sustainability (Leavesley et al., 2022). Environmental equity issues could be reduced by ensuring that more people have access to farmlands or gardens while remaining responsible for their wastes and recycling efforts. The involvement of all key partners and community members will ensure that the proposed city eventually becomes a reality.
The outlined vision emerges as a unique philosophy that is founded on the outlined SDGs. The model is designed in such a way that all inhabitants and stakeholders appreciate the challenges of global warming and climate change. This understanding will guide them to stop relying on nonrenewable energy sources and avoid polluting the natural environment (Marzouki et al., 2021). The consideration of rain harvesting would ensure that the level of sustainability improves (Holmes, 2019). The created drainage systems and ideas of recycling and reusing will help minimize some of the health issues affecting many cities today. The created parks, proposed gardens, and infrastructure systems will meet more people’s needs while at the same time taking the idea of sustainability to the next level.
After implementing the proposals in accordance with the case of Brasilia, the urban planners, project managers, and architects will have to consider all the other SDGs and identify some of the guidelines that can deliver results. An aspect of continuous improvement would be essential whereby majority of the individuals would receive timely guidelines to pursue their goals. The beneficiaries will be encouraged to promote the notion of sustainability at a personal level if greater outcomes are to be recorded (Marzouki et al., 2021). The identification of other renewable energy sources, recycling technologies, and work-life balance for more people could support the city’s future objectives.
Conclusion
The envisioned Texas City is achievable since it is founded on a model that has worked effectively in different parts of the world. The presence of clear SDGs becomes the best foundation for implementing and pursuing the idea. The inclusion of key stakeholders and citizens who appreciate the current challenges of climate change could make the concept practical and viable. By selecting Texas City as the geographical location, it would be easier to benefit from the available natural resources, inclusion sunlight, to pursue the sustainable city dream. The outlined vision and subsequent attributes make it realistic and achievable.
The consideration of Brasilia as the best case study could present a good starting point for creating the best urban fabric. The commitment of all stakeholders, provision of resources, and a clear understanding of the outlined SDGs are critical requirements for delivering the intended city. These attributes show conclusively that the intended urban neighborhood is achievable and capable of transforming people’s lives.
References
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