Green Cities of Europe Global Lessons on Green Urbanism

In the absence of federal leadership, states and localities are stepping forward to address critical problems like climate change, urban sprawl, and polluted water and air. Making a city fundamentally sustainable is a daunting task, but fortunately, there

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Timothy Beatley

Green Cities of Europe Global Lessons on Green Urbanism Edited by

Timothy Beatley

washington | covelo | london

© 2012 Island Press All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, Suite 300, 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009 ISLAND PRESS is a trademark of the Center for Resource Economics. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Beatley, Timothy, 1957Green cities of Europe : global lessons on green urbanism / edited by Timothy Beatley. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-59726-974-2 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 1-59726-974-3 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-59726-975-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 1-59726-975-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Urban ecology (Sociology)—Europe— Case studies. 2. Urbanization—Environmental aspects—Europe—Case studies. 3. Sustainable urban development—Europe—Case studies. 4. Environmental policy— Europe—Case studies. I. Title. HT243.E85B43 2012 307.76094—dc23 2011041660 Text design by Paul Hotvedt Typesetting by Blue Heron Typesetters, Inc. Printed on recycled, acid-free paper Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Keywords: Aalborg Charter; Agenda 21; bicycle infrastructure; bike share; biodiversity; biophilic cities; climate change; community garden; congestion pricing; Copenhagen; eco-city; environmental policy; Freiburg, Germany; green building; green governance; green roofs; green urbanism; greenhouse gas emissions; greenway planning; floodplain management; Helsinki; London; Paris; pedestrian infrastructure; renewable energy; Rieselfeld, Germany; stormwater management; sustainable mobility; transit; urban metabolism; Vauban, Germany; Vélib’; Venice; Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.

Contents

Chapter 1

Introduction: Why Study European Cities? Timothy Beatley

1

Chapter 2

Paris, France: A 21st-Century Eco-City Lucie Laurian

29

Chapter 3

Freiburg, Germany: Germany’s Eco-Capital Dale Medearis and Wulf Daseking

65

Chapter 4

Copenhagen, Denmark: Green City amid the Finger Metropolis Michaela Brüel

83

Chapter 5

Helsinki, Finland: Greenness and Urban Form Maria Jaakkola

Chapter 6

Venice, Italy: Balancing Antiquity and Sustainability Marta Moretti

129

Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain: From Urban Greenbelt to Regional Green Infrastructure Luis Andrés Orive and Rebeca Dios Lema

155

London, England: A Global and Sustainable Capital City Camilla Ween

181

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

109

viii

Contents

Chapter 9

Conclusion: Green Cities of Europe as Compelling Models Timothy Beatley

215

Contributors Index

225 227

1 Introduction: Why Study European Cities? Timothy Beatley

We are living on an increasingly urban planet. In 2008 we passed the halfway mark—50% of the world’s population now live in cities, and that percentage is projected to increase to 70% by 2050. There is no turning back the urban trend. Yet ironically we have as a species yet to suc