Reykjavik, Iceland has also become one of the most ecologically conscious cities in the world. This city of 120,000 inhabitants has developed in close contact with the natural world, with green rooftops, parks, gardens, pedestrian and cycle lanes, and nearly 410m2 of green space per resident. Renewable energy production – including geothermal energy and hydroelectric dams – now supplies 100% of Reykjavik’s electricity needs. This is particularly impressive as, until the 1970s, the country depended almost exclusively on fossil fuels. In South Africa, the city of Cape Town is favoring climate-related progress. Between 10% and 20% of its energy production now comes from the gas produced by the burning of urban waste. This rapidly expanding African city, with over four million inhabitants, has also consolidated its public transport network, enabling it to reduce traffic, carbon dioxide emissions and pollution. Cape Town is also 100% of Reykjavik's electricity needs are met by renewable energy (geothermal, hydroelectric dams). Call this turning point whatever you like: a transition, a parting of the ways, a change of direction or a revolution. Whatever you call it, it is coming at us head-on and needs to be negotiated quickly. This is not an adjustment of the needle, it’s a complete change of model for the fabric of our cities. » « > 1. UN-Habitat - World Cities Report 2022: Envisaging the Future of Cities, 2022. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + rice production and 12% of its capacity for corn production as a result of urbanization. Egypt could lose 40% of its rice and 60% of its corn1. The cities of the future will therefore need to be denser. We need to limit urban sprawl, which necessitates the construction of more and more buildings, infrastructure, and transport networks. However, housing that is affordable, healthy, and accessible will also still be needed. Model cities all over the world Across continents, traditional cities are taking steps to change and are progressively turning into sustainable cities. In a single decade, Vancouver, Canada – which boasts nearly 700,000 inhabitants – has become one of the greenest cities on the planet. To achieve this, the city appealed to the green conscience of companies. The training of professionals in low-carbon construction techniques has led to new buildings with smaller carbon footprints, as well as a 2% annual reduction in energy consumption. The policy of ’greening’ has resulted in the creation of thousands of parks all over the city, while composting areas and gardens perched high on skyscraper rooftops have sprung up. The city’s economic performance has benefited from this boom as jobs related to the green economy have increased by 20% in 10 years. Christine Leconte, architect, and Sylvain Grisot, urban planner, Réparons la ville ! (Let’s Repair Our Cities!), published by Apogée, 2022. 14 SAINT-GOBAIN
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