Most Sustainable Cities Around the World 

Green Cities

What makes a city a green city? Singapore’s recent efforts to turn around the metropolis’s buildings have seen 80% incorporating green elements within their design. Singapore has been dubbed ‘The Garden City’ and is a great example of sustainable urban living. In 2008, a mandate was introduced to make building construction more sustainable - meaning that buildings must meet a set of standards to help Singapore limit its greenhouse gas emissions. To be a certified ‘green building’, it must be self-sufficient and consume minimal energy. That means efficient use of water, renewable energy, recycled materials, resources, and showcase design innovation.

Urban Agriculture

Medellin in Colombia has gathered support from local government departments to develop community gardens and build more sustainable communities. Hundreds of families benefit from the gardens which allow them to grow food and even sell the surplus supply, providing a source of income for their communities. The project is proving so successful that similar schemes are being developed country-wide.

Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles (EVs) now account for 6.5 million, up by 109% since 2020. Countries like Norway are leading the way, with incentivised policies such as tax and road toll exemptions that have seen a huge uptake of EVs in the city of Oslo. Hefty vehicle import duties and car registration taxes make cars more expensive than in other countries, and by waiving duties for EVs, Norway subsidies purchases - making owning one more affordable. The net-zero pathway suggested by the International Energy Agency for 2030 is of 60% new car sales should be BEVs. It’s not all that surprising that resourceful  Norwegians have already beaten the requirement.

20 Minute Neighbourhoods

Melbourne is leading the charge with its neighbourhoods designed to enable residents to live locally. This means transforming the city so that locals can cycle, walk or take public transport to all of its amenities. Shops, leisure centres and businesses will be easily accessible - transforming the lives of everyone who lives there. The long-term policy aims to implement 20-minute neighbourhoods across Melbourne by 2050, with several projects already underway. Interestingly, Paris is following suit. Paris’s Mayor is busy working on ways to make its districts places where every resident can get to work or access shops on foot or by bike.

Top Sustainable Initiatives

If you’re looking for more information about sustainable cities in action, check out these inventive sustainable urban areas around the globe.

1. Vancouver, Canada - The Economic Intelligence Unit voted Vancouver third greenest city in the world due to its ambitious efforts, such as aiming to be entirely zero waste by 2040.
2. Milan, Italy - architects have created ‘vertical forests’ on two of its cities residential tower blocks, including 800 trees, 4,500 shrubs and 15,00 plants that would take up three and a half football pitches if planted on the ground!
3. Reykjavik, Iceland - is leading in hydroelectric and natural geothermal energy resources that provide heat for the city’s buildings.
4. Valencia in Spain comes in first for its efforts to priortise water conservation. Partnering with a water company, the city has a unique pipe monitoring system that allows local councils to efficiently anticipate fluctuations in water quality and demand.
5. Hamburg, Germany is on track to become a ‘green city’ of Europe by developing green spaces and forests which already make up 16.5% of the city. In turn, this is encouraging future green cities around the world.
6. Brisbane, Australia aims to ensure 40% of the mainland will become natural habitats by 2031 - home to native plants and wildlife that will protect these areas and keep them free of invasive species.

For anyone wondering what a sustainable city will look like in 2050, look no further than Dubai in the UAE. Architects have developed a housing project known as the ‘Sustainable City’ which recycles water and waste to produce more energy than it consumes. Dubai aims to secure 75% of its energy from clean or renewable sources by 2050.