This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.
Author: Janez Potocnik, Co-Chair, International Resource Panel, Julia Okatz, Director of Natural Resources, SYSTEMIQ
- European cities need urgent action to remain productive and enjoyable spaces, while also becoming more climate and resource resilient.
- While most of the region’s built environment is already there, there is an opportunity to transform urban areas to meet social and climate goals.
- Through the efficient and balanced use of space, European cities can revive their vibrancy, connectivity and diversity, while also improving their resilience.
Most people have two assumptions about European cities. First, they naturally represent a vibrant way of life, world famous for their culture and relative safety. Second, it is literally set in stone, which most buildings in Europe have been built on.
So, compared to the rapid urbanization potential of Africa or South Asia, it is believed that improving the basic material and energy use of European cities is a matter of exploring the contents.
There is some truth to both assumptions, but less than one might think. Indeed, European cities need urgent action. With this, they can become more productive and enjoyable places, and change their impact on climate and resource stability.
European cities are in danger of losing their living identity
Trends in urban areas present a threat to Europe’s “urban DNA” in terms of vitality and access to services. For one, low-density areas are expanding and becoming more land-inefficient, often in the form of poorly connected suburbs or rural settlements.
It requires up to 10 times more roads than well-designed neighborhoods and locks European urban areas into an expensive and fragile reliance on cars – considering Europe’s scarcity of the materials needed for batteries.
In contrast, many large city centers have become denser, often at the expense of green space or community connectivity. In many countries, housing inequality is more staggering than ever. Second, big cities, especially in northern Europe, often face housing crises, while other areas are underemployed.
Europe is out of balance, between and within cities, and urgently needs regional cooperation to avoid the threats to well-being that come with the increasingly unequal and unbalanced use of precious space in city.
And this is in two senses of “regional”: between large cities and towns in the same area, as well as between regions of Europe with rapid population growth and those with shrinking cities.
Yes, most of Europe’s built environment is already in place. But the shape of this infrastructure is constantly changing – and while it presents challenges, it also represents a huge opportunity for Europe’s social and climate goals.
Cities in the south have seen a sharp decline in population, while many centers in the north are struggling to respond to rapid population growth. People from outside Europe often go to the cities, too. All these patterns are predicted to accelerate with climate change and a perceived concentration of economic and cultural opportunities.
The needs within cities are changing. Wanting more green spaces isn’t just about playing outside and walking the dog, it’s also about mitigating heatwaves. Close access to services is not only about convenience, but also about local productivity.
Far from being a technocratic idea, ‘balanced use of space’ is about meeting human needs such as more community space, space for local businesses and culture to thrive, equal access to services and active and shared transport links.
Efficient use of space enables 15-minute cities
The development of urban forms is one of the most powerful levers in Europe to reduce the climate crisis. Europe is committed to meeting unprecedented goals including a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and its leadership-by-example is more urgent than ever after another conference in a climate with weak agreements.
The construction of buildings and related infrastructure in Europe emits about 91 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, mostly due to difficult to decarbonize materials. That is equivalent to the total emissions of the Czech Republic, or almost twice the emissions of Austria.
Europe can easily save half of the emissions through an efficient and balanced use of space: Blocks of buildings and their infrastructure should seal as little land as possible, while forming neighborhoods with spaces for mixed service and enthusiasm that reduce travel needs.
The spaces within the buildings must be used efficiently, avoiding unused rooms, for example, while offering spacious accommodation and access to multi-functional and community spaces.
But the benefits don’t stop at building emissions. Efficient and balanced spatial designs enable shorter journeys and the use of active transport, reducing 23% of emissions in Europe due to urban mobility.
The reduced reliance on parking and roads also frees up land for green spaces that alleviate extreme summer temperatures between 2.5ºC and 6ºC, reducing the effects of the heat island in the dark and sealed faces typical of unbalanced cities. It literally saves lives.
Urban moves toward smarter use of space are often low-tech
Ten physical transitions are essential to the efficient and balanced use of space. These transitions are safe, proven and generally low-tech, meaning they can be used today.
Cities across Europe start from different levels and face different trends, but all can improve, big or small, grow or shrink.
Inspiration can be found in urban models such as Freiburg, Zurich, Barcelona, Aachen, Grenoble, Utrecht, Hamburg, Győr, Rotterdam, Cambridge and many others.
Cities are at the heart of Europe’s prosperity
European integration funds and the finance of the European Investment Bank have shown successful support of urban changes at scale. Initiatives like the New European Bauhaus show that vision and ambition can be reinvigorated, and programs like the NetZeroCities initiative and the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative support new pilots.
Coalitions such as the Covenant of Mayors, ICLEI or Eurocities have established a visionary leadership. However, all these initiatives do not take into account the great potential of transitions to better use of space – as well as the European Commission’s energy efficiency and circular economy strategies.
It is time to strengthen the toolbox of policy makers, urban initiatives and real estate developers with this powerful lever.
DISCOVERING
What is the World Economic Forum doing to promote sustainable urban development?
Cities are responsible for 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and are home to more than half of the world’s population—a number that will grow to two-thirds by the year 2050. By going green, cities can contribute and more than half of the emission reductions needed to keep global warming to below 2°c, which is in line with the Paris Agreement.
To achieve net-zero urban emissions by the year 2050, the World Economic Forum is collaborating with other stakeholders to push various initiatives to promote sustainable urban development. Here are just a few:
To learn more about our initiatives to promote zero-carbon cities and to see how you can be a part of our efforts to accelerate urban renewal, contact us here.
Europe’s cities are at the heart of its development, and the use of space is at the core of climate development and stability. It’s time to revive Europe’s urban DNA with vibrancy, connectivity and diversity in cities big and small – a central agenda for investors, planners and fiscal policy.
Although not a complete solution in itself, these and other solutions are outlined in a new white paper in SYSTEMIQ’s Efficient and balanced use of space – Shaping vibrant neighborhoods and promoting development on the climate of Europe report.
It aims to offer “valuable insights to creators and investors, [challenging] they think of innovative and efficient planning and design of the built environment to enable sustainable cities to develop in the future”, as put by Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank.
