1.
United Nations University
Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability
Principles of Sustainable Urban Design
Dr. Philip Vaughter
Research Consultant, UNU-IAS

2.
What do you see here?

3.
Now, what do you see here?

4.
Mixed Use Zoning
• Urban development that blends multiple uses
such as residential, commercial, cultural,
institutional, entertainment, and/or recreational
into one space
• Goods and services accessible by walking,
biking, or mass transit – decreases traffic
• More often associated with diverse and
inclusive neighborhoods
• Allows for socialization in a public ‘third space’
Single Use Zoning
• Urban development that codifies single use,
such as residential (often single family homes)
of a given space
• Goods and services accessible primarily by
private vehicle – increases traffic
• More often associated with segregated and
exclusionary neighborhoods
• Allows limited socialization with family - ‘first
space’ or co-workers - ‘second space’
1. Zoning: How space is used in an urban setting matters

5.
Functions of the third space
• Neutral ground
• Leveler
• Conversation as main activity
• Accessible and accommodating
• Regulars
• Low profile
• Home away from home
• Digital ones are just not as effective
(sorry!)
1. Zoning: The importance of the third space

6.
Why did zoning start?
• For most of human history, settlements used
mixed-zoning in settlements
• During industrialization, residential zones
began to be separated to keep households
away from harmful substances that factories
would emit into air, water, and soil
• However, in the zoning in the United States
began to separate residential areas from any
type non-residential zoning, including
commercial, agricultural, entertainment, or
transit
Zoning as a weapon
• However, the reason zoning became codified
in local US law was not for health concerns,
but for racial, ethnic, and class segregation – in
order to this, public health was weaponized
• When health concerns were not seen as valid,
concerns for ’safety’ of children became
weaponized (again, there was no evidence to
support this)
• Now, the arguments focus on quality of
adjacent services, but this all stems from
segregation – modern zoning from the US is
the fruit of a poisonous tree
• Modern zoning law in the US also
discriminates against single people, gay and
lesbian couples, and young people
1. Zoning: History of zoning

7.
What factors in urban development make this possible?
• Japan has relatively liberal zoning laws and density controls
compared to many other nations
• Public services (such as schools) are not funded nor
administered at the local level – therefore residents of a given
neighborhood are not incentivized to use exclusionary zoning to
maintain quality of service
• Residential property is not seen as an investment in Japan –
therefore residents of a given city are not incentivized to restrict
supply
• Urban administration in Japan has avoided codifying local land-
use planning into local land-use law – this makes it hard for
home-owners to manipulate zoning regulation for their own
interests
1. Zoning: Mixed Use Zoning + High Density = Low Carbon City
Japanese cities combine
mixed use zoning with high
density development and
well connected multi-modal
mass transit which tends to
make the GHG emissions of
city dwellers in Japan quite
low compared to other
nations.

8.
Considerations for Building Retrofits
• Critical to create clear timeline for retrofitting existing buildings
and communicate this timeline broadly across all sectors
• Create local job training programmes for advanced retrofitting
practices
• When possible, time retrofits to coincide with other building
upgrades
• Try to electrify all energy components of building operation – this
electrification should tie-in to long term renewable energy goals
• Retrofitting building infrastructure should be paired with updating
appliances, machines, and lighting when possible
• Set motor efficiency standards into industrial building code,
preventing low-efficiency models from being used and adopt
motor upgrade requirement for industrial energy users with
existing motors
• Invasive upgrades (such as modifying building envelope, adding
or replacing insulation, or rewiring) may displace occupants or
disrupt operations; working in phases can help mitigate these
impacts
2. Buildings: Building Retrofits
• Most of the time, the
building with the lowest
carbon footprint is the one
that has already been built
– transitioning existing
buildings to low or zero
emissions can also make
these buildings healthier
and more comfortable

9.
Considerations for Heating
• Repurpose waste heat within a facility to heat a nearby facility, to
generate electricity, or for another use
• Make process heat-distribution systems more efficient;
distribution-system retrofits often lead to immediate, quick-
payback, low-cost energy savings
• Plan for eco-industrial parks, which make more efficient use of
many resources (including process heat)
• Retrofit city-owned heating infrastructure (e.g., steam-generation
and -distribution systems) and move toward 100% clean energy
sources before policy implementation
• City zoning laws and other ordinances can prevent industrial
buildings from sharing heating, cooling, or waste heat with
nearby residential and commercial buildings – check these and
make sure any health and safety concerns are addressed in
revising these
2. Buildings: Heating Retrofits
Develop industrial programs
that reduce emissions from
process heat loads. This can
be accomplished many
ways, including conversion
to low-carbon fuels, making
process heat generation
more efficient, repairing
heat-distribution
infrastructure, and making
productive use of waste
heat.

10.
Considerations for Reporting and Benchmarking
• To use benchmarking effectively, cities need to collect, analyze,
publicly report, and act upon data for building energy use
• Reporting and benchmarking can be a challenge in areas with
poor or inconsistent electrical utility metering practices
• City governments should lead by example and disclose energy
use for city-owned buildings
• Once data has been collected on energy use in buildings, it is
best to develop policies directly addressing high-energy
consumers first
• Lack of enforcement mechanisms or incentives can make
reporting and benchmarking ineffective
2. Buildings: Reporting and Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the
practice of comparing
performance metrics to
industry bests. Requiring
benchmarking for buildings
means buildings must report
energy usage annually. At
the minimum, policy should
require commercial and
large residential buildings to
disclose energy use.

11.
Considerations for Building Codes
• Build political support among city legislatures as well as key
figures in the building and construction industry – remember that
this is not only engaging with an industry, but a legal process
• Establish financing mechanisms that can reduce up-front cost for
more efficient building construction
• Create local job training programmes for advanced construction
practices
• Establish priority permitting (e.g., accelerated approval, fee
reduction) and/or other incentives for energy efficient buildings to
encourage adoption ahead of any mandates
• Adopt progressive codes for existing buildings – reduce burden
on small building and residential owners through incremental
phasing – focusing on larger buildings first and providing financial
mechanisms to help small business and home owners deal with
up-front costs
2. Buildings: Building Codes
• Building code updates can
result in greater efficiency
for both new and existing
buildings and help
position buildings to be
ready for net-zero or net-
zero ready operation

12.
Considerations for Public Transit
• Public transit should serve all residents of an urban area, with a
focus on underserved populations that would benefit from
connectivity and affordable transit options
• Public transit should include integration between transit options,
meaning riders can switch from one form of public transit to
another easily at connection hubs and that transit hubs are well
connected to biking and pedestrian infrastructure
• Public transit should be incorporated into all urban planning
decisions
• If using BRT, designate specific traffic lanes for reducing travel
time
• Even the best designed public transit plans can fail without
effective marketing of the benefits to city residents
3. Transportation and Mobility: Public Transit
Public transit routes such as
bus rapid transit (BRT), light
rail, or metros should be
rapidly deployed to populous
areas, areas with high traffic
congestion, areas with
limited access to public
transit, and areas with high
usage of single occupancy
vehicles (SOVs)

13.
Considerations for Biking and Walking
• Make streets pedestrian only and widen sidewalks to make
walking an attractive option – make sure all footpaths are in good
condition and well lit (use LED lighting!)
• Create segregated bike lanes that are wide enough to allow for
passing – these are more effective and encouraging cycling and
improving safety than cycle lanes painted on a street with vehicle
traffic
• Traffic light signaling should prioritize people travelling by foot or
by bike
• Intersections should be redesigned to maximize safety for people
rather than traffic speed
• Secure bike parking infrastructure that is visible and accessible
but does not block foot traffic – link to hubs for mass transit
• Create bike hire infrastructure, including bikes, docking stations,
and vehicles to transport bikes
3. Transportation and Mobility: Biking and Walking
Introduce mobility
alternatives such as bike
infrastructure and pedestrian
walkways in order to reduce
vehicle traffic.

14.
Considerations for vehicles in urabn areas
• Vehicle fleets for the public sector (for health and safety) as well
as for larger companies in private sector (delivery and taxis)
should be electrified
• This initiative should be paired with creating and/or expanding EV
charging infrastructure throughout metropolitan areas
• Experiment with bans on internal combustion engine (ICE)
vehicles in areas of the cities, especially city centers – if bans are
not feasible, use fee or policy schemes to greatly limit ICEs in
urban areas, especially on poor air quality days
• Design freight vehicle delivery routes to be as efficient as
possible, and time deliveries to limit disruption to pedestrian and
bike traffic
3. Transportation and Mobility: Vehicles
While some vehicles need to
operate in urban areas for
health, safety, and freight
transport, use of single
occupancy vehicles (SOVs)
such as cars and trucks
should be limited as much
as possible

15.
Considerations for Organic Waste Diversion
• Waste and recycling programs that don’t focus on organics will
have a minimal climate impact, even as they provide other
benefits
• Infrastructure needed for collecting and processing waste
• Capture biogases from composting to use on-site for heating and
electricity generation (biogas, combined heat and power [CHP])
• Implement recycling requirements for construction and demolition
(C&D) to keep lumber and other organics out of landfills
• Diverting organic waste requires behavior changes, so a strong
educational campaign can make a big difference to program
success
4. Waste: Organic Waste Diversion
Divert organic waste—
including food waste,
landscaping debris, and
paper and cardboard
packaging—from landfills.
Diversion from the landfill
waste stream and
subsequent proper
composting can greatly
reduce GHG impacts while
producing a valuable
landscaping and agriculture
resources.

16.
Considerations for Urban Forestry
• Tree planting remains one of the most cost-effective methods of
controlling CO2.
• Not all trees offer the same carbon sink benefits, so it is best to use
native trees selected for carbon absorption and to protect local
ecoystems and native species
• Trees improve air quality. In fact, particulate levels on tree-lined streets
can be up to 60 % lower than those without trees.
• Trees buffer storm water and prevent erosion
• Many urban trees have a high mortality rate. Be sure to support tree
survival with ongoing maintenance. This practice can combine well with
using compost from the “Organic Waste Diversion” recommendation
• Use public-private partnerships to accomplish plantings and
maintenance
• Trees have a positive impact on health. A 10% increase in urban
green space can postpone the onset of health problems by up to
5 years. Conditions affected include asthma, skin cancer, and
stress-related conditions.
• Mature trees and green spaces help to reduce crime levels in
urban areas.
5. Urban Biodiversity: Forestry
Well-designed urban forests
can create powerful carbon
sinks to remove carbon from
the atmosphere and offset
emissions. They can also
reduce the urban heat-island
effect, and therefore reduce
energy use for cooling
loads.

17.
vaughter@unu.edu