Green Cities of the Future What will our cities look like in the future? Ideas for Sustainable Development

Are green cities imaginary - or are they in our future?

Greensburg, KS May 7, 2007 A tornado hit the small town of Greensburg, KS and in a few seconds, the town was erased!

Photo used with permission by PhotosbyBobbe. Only the street pattern and a few landmarks survived.

Photo used with permission by PhotosbyBobbe The survivors lived in temporary housing. They decided to rebuild - but in a new, sustainable way.

Photo used with permission by PhotosbyBobbe They began to research and introduce new sustainable ideas. Greensburg, KS, was becoming a “Green City.”

What are some green ideas for Green Cities? Conserve resources. Don’t waste energy, water, or money Reduce trash. Reuse and recycle. Grow or make the things you need. Use alternative energy sources Respect the natural world.

Photo courtesy of courtesy of DOE/NREL I Photographer: Katrin Scholz-Barth The Chicago City Hall green roof helps cool the building, reduce energy costs, minimize water run-off, and improve air quality.DOE/NREL

tech-green-roof-technology- in-architecture/ ACROS Fukuoka, in Fukuoka City, Japan. 35,000 plants, 76 species – and the city’s best view from an office window.

The Sustainable Green Roof for Living Laboratory in Boston

Vertical Farming in Skyscrapers Benefits of growing plants in cities: Local transportation costs Disease free food More productive year round growth – many growing seasons per year Weather independent quality – indoor crops not damaged by weather events malaysiaformalaysian.blogspot.com/2010/11/vertical high-rise-farming.html