3.4.13.4 Trees/Forests
Trees are beautiful, but they also provide environmental benefits. They are the
planet’s air conditioners, but without producing the unwanted waste products. In
cities, they fulfil the same function; cities, without trees, are poorer places.
A single tree can transpire as much as 380 l of water a day, cooling the air in the
vicinity. They also have the ability to absorb and filter dust.
Fruit trees, while providing shade and a green ambience, can also contribute to the
urban food supply.
3.4.13.5 Pollution Free Environment
Air and noise pollution can be decreased by the reduced use of vehicular transport.
The car free scheme is important to prevent traffic congestion. Public transport must
be promoted, while walking and cycling are encouraged.
Providing a pool of free bicycles at public places, would probably go a long way
towards this. Anybody could have access to any of these bicycles anywhere in the
town. If there is a sufficient number, there would not even be a need to own one.
Large pavements must be provided for pedestrians and cycle tracks (the roads, as
indicated) must be provided.
Land pollution can be prevented by the provision of bins and also strict measures
could be taken against those throwing waste around and not using the bins.
Two examples could be stated to illustrate this point.
Firstly, in France for instance, many towns (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux,
Nantes. . .) have developed a rental scheme for bicycles (see also earlier photographs) for use within the town. There are bicycle stands near every metro station
and generally there is no gap of more than 500 m between two such spots. Therefore,
a park-and-ride solution (or metro and-bike solution) can be easily developed.
Subsidies from the respective municipalities have decreased the fare of these bicycles: free for the first 30 min, 1 euro for 1 additional hour, etc.. . . Actually, the
system (Vélib) was quite successful, that it encouraged the installation of a similar
system (Autolib) for electric cars.
Secondly, the Netherlands is considered by many to be the “country of bikes”:
16 million people and 21 million bicycles. Actually, everyone possesses his own
bike, from the 5-year old child to the grandmother (though for elderly and
handicapped people, there are motorised wheelchairs running on cycle paths). This
flat country is ideal for developing an ideal network for cycle paths, with every road
having an extension of 1 m reserved for cycle paths, except the motorways.
However, one does not especially need to buy his own: at each railway (or bus)
station, hiring municipality bikes for the day is possible. Indeed, the Netherlands
have developed a philosophy of mobility centred on the bicycle: people ride their
own from their home to the (bus or train) station in the morning, keep it there for the
day and take the train to their workplace nearby station, then they borrow a bike
3.4 Smart and Sustainable Cities
95
Trees are beautiful, but they also provide environmental benefits. They are the
planet’s air conditioners, but without producing the unwanted waste products. In
cities, they fulfil the same function; cities, without trees, are poorer places.
A single tree can transpire as much as 380 l of water a day, cooling the air in the
vicinity. They also have the ability to absorb and filter dust.
Fruit trees, while providing shade and a green ambience, can also contribute to the
urban food supply.
3.4.13.5 Pollution Free Environment
Air and noise pollution can be decreased by the reduced use of vehicular transport.
The car free scheme is important to prevent traffic congestion. Public transport must
be promoted, while walking and cycling are encouraged.
Providing a pool of free bicycles at public places, would probably go a long way
towards this. Anybody could have access to any of these bicycles anywhere in the
town. If there is a sufficient number, there would not even be a need to own one.
Large pavements must be provided for pedestrians and cycle tracks (the roads, as
indicated) must be provided.
Land pollution can be prevented by the provision of bins and also strict measures
could be taken against those throwing waste around and not using the bins.
Two examples could be stated to illustrate this point.
Firstly, in France for instance, many towns (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux,
Nantes. . .) have developed a rental scheme for bicycles (see also earlier photographs) for use within the town. There are bicycle stands near every metro station
and generally there is no gap of more than 500 m between two such spots. Therefore,
a park-and-ride solution (or metro and-bike solution) can be easily developed.
Subsidies from the respective municipalities have decreased the fare of these bicycles: free for the first 30 min, 1 euro for 1 additional hour, etc.. . . Actually, the
system (Vélib) was quite successful, that it encouraged the installation of a similar
system (Autolib) for electric cars.
Secondly, the Netherlands is considered by many to be the “country of bikes”:
16 million people and 21 million bicycles. Actually, everyone possesses his own
bike, from the 5-year old child to the grandmother (though for elderly and
handicapped people, there are motorised wheelchairs running on cycle paths). This
flat country is ideal for developing an ideal network for cycle paths, with every road
having an extension of 1 m reserved for cycle paths, except the motorways.
However, one does not especially need to buy his own: at each railway (or bus)
station, hiring municipality bikes for the day is possible. Indeed, the Netherlands
have developed a philosophy of mobility centred on the bicycle: people ride their
own from their home to the (bus or train) station in the morning, keep it there for the
day and take the train to their workplace nearby station, then they borrow a bike
3.4 Smart and Sustainable Cities
95