Mankind is now a city of good and bad. More than half of humanity lives in cities, and the number is expected to grow to 80% by 2050. Cities occupy 2% of the land, use 72% of all energy, and are 73% responsible for total pollution. This means that mankind’s future is closely linked to the way we manage and develop future cities.
Urban Planning and Management Classical view is one of the online consumption of resources. This has greatly contributed to overuse of energy and pollution.
Fortunately, a new vision is emerging. Modern physicists and city planners are now arguing that the city should be seen as a body rather than a seat belt.
Creatures have a metabolism that converts energy and resources into essential nutrients. The same is true of cities. They take energy, raw materials, and water and turn it into heating, entertainment, housing, and everything we have to do in the city. Like a person’s metabolism, the city’s metabolism determines how well the resources are used and stored, which in turn affects the health of the city and the surrounding environment.
As a result, urban metabolism is an important focus when it comes to the use of energy, water, and raw materials. By better understanding how cities work, it may be possible to apply insights from the circular economy, which focuses on recycling and redesigning waste products as resources.
Like a person’s metabolism, the city’s metabolism determines how well the resources are used and stored, which in turn affects the health of the city and the surrounding environment.
IA.D. 2007 textbook “Urban Variability”, Christopher Kennedy and Associates interpret urbanization as “the sum of the technical, socio-economic processes that take place in cities, elimination of growth, energy production, and elimination.”
However, as Kennedy concludes in his review of data from six cities, there is currently not enough information to build awareness. how Urban metabolism works.
this is Urban metabolism The project aims to align with Urban Information Center Metabolism. Metabolism Of Cities It is an open source project to promote the study and application of circular economy principles.
“We hope to accelerate the implementation of the principles of urban metabolism in our community-led online and open source forum with urban metabolism,” explains Aristotle Atasadisdis, associate professor and circular economist. With this, we hope to significantly reduce the environmental impact of cities in a socially, fair and contextual manner.
The organization’s data center is an extension of this work as a framework for compiling the data points needed to facilitate comparisons and insights from cities around the world. There is a lot of information in open data stations in different cities (there are 48 cities with open data gateways Only in the United States And more than 130,000 data sets in the (EU) It is still temporary.
Although information is available as an open source for studying urban metabolism, it is often found in needles. It ensures that the data center is able to access the right information through a common data structure. Volunteers help find and edit information that ends up in an integrated global database.
The center currently contains data from 69 cities around the world. Some cities, such as Brussels, have about 100 data centers on topics ranging from social housing to pollution and car charging stations. Data sets can be viewed as graphs on the site, which is available for download by visitors.
In addition to the data center, it also focuses on producing educational materials to help urban metabolism project planners and other professionals apply insights into the circular economy. Atasadisdis explains that one of the goals of the project is to make the topic easily accessible to ordinary audiences: “Most of the initiatives in our field are either consultants (so they have little interest in developing free tools and developing a community) or scholars (whose work can be talkative and difficult to use). We will try to close this gap and create a digital partnership. ”
This digital joint venture includes six online courses that the project will use to teach the benefits, principles and practices of the circular economy.
Most of the initiatives in our field are either consultants (so they have little interest in making free tools and developing a community) or scholars (their work can be talkative and difficult to use). We will try to close this gap and create a digital partnership. ”- Aristide Do Not Touch
Anyone can access the courses and participate in the various activities listed above Site. They need programmers, but also designers, social media managers, photographers and people who can help fundraise. One of the great benefits is that everyone who wants to help cities become more sustainable and equitable is able to join a growing community.
Although many cities have begun to develop more circular approaches to waste management and more research is being done on the topic, the urban metabolism project continues to occupy a special place.
“If we are not alone, it is a website that focuses on urban metabolism,” says Athanasius. “This topic is very popular and very strong. Therefore, we are trying to maintain accessibility, cooperation, contribution, independence and most of all scientific rigidity.
Of course, courses and information are a great place to start, but without practical application, the concept will be useless. The real hope for the data center is that it, and the Urban Project as a whole, will serve as a “primary” type of resource for individuals interested in making meaningful action for urban communities. Once understood, these resources can then be applied, and will result in significant improvements to the material conditions of these cities.