Today, people constantly talk about protecting the environment; everyone is concerned about environmental problems to one degree or another. And TravelAsk is no exception: after all, we are a travel portal, the splendor of nature is our everything, our main inspirer and muse.
Therefore, we want to talk about the city, which is rightly called green. And this city has received such a title more than once.
Capital of Denmark
When such ratings are created, everything is taken into account: from the green spaces of the city to how the administration involves ordinary citizens in environmental policy. And it is here that we are ahead of the rest. Environmental protection is not only the task of the government, it is a way of life for any city resident.
For example, the city is very well planned: it has bicycle paths on its highways with a total length of more than 350 kilometers, and 50% of the population ride bicycles to work and study.
Moreover, the city is more suitable for pedestrians and cyclists than for motorists: there are special parking lots and even places for tire inflation.
According to statistics, there are 560 thousand bicycles per 520 thousand residents of central Copenhagen. Cars are very expensive here: duties reach 180% of the cost of the car.
By the way, some organizations can rent bicycles for free. However, a small deposit is required.
Ideal conditions for living in unity with nature
― one of the most livable cities in the world. There is even an environmental police here. In addition, the city has many eco-friendly hotels and restaurants, you can use a rickshaw instead of a taxi, and the rivers flowing within the capital have been recognized as the cleanest in comparison with the waters of other Danish cities.
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By 2025, it is planned that 500 companies that use environmentally friendly technologies in their work will be united in Copenhagen. In addition, Copenhagen plans to become the first carbon-neutral capital of the world, that is, reduce its carbon dioxide emissions to zero and switch entirely to energy supply from renewable sources.
Therefore, the mayor’s office is actively investing in the development of solar and wind energy, switching buses from gasoline to biofuel and electricity, and modernizing houses and apartments to reduce energy consumption. And you can see this for yourself: CityCirkel electric buses run around the city.
Copenhagen has many cafes that serve organic food. Even the hotdogs here can be found organically with vegetarian sausages.
Green city and garbage
There are many parks in Copenhagen: from anywhere in the city to the green zone is no more than 15 minutes on foot.
In the parks there are machines for dispensing garbage bags and signs: “Thank you for taking your garbage with you.”
When it comes to trash, record low numbers are going to landfill: just 2%. 40% of the waste is burned, and the resulting energy is used to heat houses, and the rest is recycled. In Denmark, all cities have containers for separate waste, as well as machines for collecting bottles and plastic.
A new Amager waste incineration plant is also being built in Copenhagen.
But this is not just a plant, it is also ski resort: they plan to build a snow slope on its roof in order to somehow justify an industrial building in close proximity to the city center.
It should start operating in 2017.
A rational approach to everything
The Danes are promoting rational use of products.
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Thus, in the fall of 2013, the first “Together Against Food Waste” campaign took place in Copenhagen. Thousands of people took part in it. They tasted meals made entirely from food that supermarkets and restaurants were preparing to send to landfill. And now, the Rub&Stub restaurant has already been opened in the city, working on the zero-waste principle - all dishes, including desserts, are made from discarded products. Of course, they are not collected from garbage dumps, but received centrally: surplus food is donated to the project by farmers and stores.
Moreover, the uniqueness of Rub&Stub is that the chefs have no idea what products will be on their table. Therefore, the restaurant menu is new every day. That is why, according to the Global Green Economy Index, it has already twice been awarded the title of the greenest city in the world.
The Brazilian city of Curitiba has been on the world's radar over the past few weeks thanks to the hosting of several matches as part of the FIFA World Cup. And only a few know that this metropolis is considered the “green capital of the world.” And today we will talk about 5 most eco-friendly cities on the planet.
Curitiba, Brazil
The history of “green” Curitiba dates back to the seventies of the twentieth century. At a time when the rest of the world was expanding highways, building new interchanges and parking lots, giving preference to personal automobile transport, the mayor of this city, Jaime Lerner, arrogantly declared: “Curitiba is not for cars!” Having an architectural education, he personally took part in the development of a new master plan for the metropolis, which laid down the principles for the development of the city for the next decades.
This plan was truly revolutionary. For example, it envisaged not a reduction, but an expansion of green areas in the city, including in the central part of Curitiba, waste recycling, energy efficiency, support for producers and sellers of fresh food and, most importantly, transport reform.
The result was not long in coming. Nowadays, Curitiba is considered one of the most comfortable and comfortable cities in the world. And well-designed public transport in this city is used daily by more than 70 percent of passengers, which is an absolute world record among cities with a population of over 1 million people.
The city is so obsessed with efficiency in even the smallest aspects of public life that city lawns are mowed not by gasoline lawn mowers, but by live sheep.
Curitiba's unique transformation experience has inspired similar programs in hundreds of cities around the world. Lerner and his followers set the highest standard, which is almost impossible to reach.
Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver, Canada, comes closest to Brazilian Curitiba. Over the past decade, this locality has been recognized four times as “ the best city Land,” which is the result of many years of painstaking work by city authorities and local businesses.
Located on west coast Vancouver, Canada, has unique natural parameters that allow the maximum development of wind and solar energy, as well as tidal energy. And on all the rivers and rivulets surrounding the city, hundreds of hydroelectric power stations of various sizes have been built. As a result, about 90 percent of the electricity Vancouver uses comes from renewable sources.
Vancouver authorities strongly support electric transport, including public transport. And the total length of bike paths in the city is approaching a thousand kilometers. The use of a personal car is condemned, but the use of a bicycle is strongly encouraged.
Vancouver is also known for its green spaces. The city has more than two hundred parks and squares, and the length of the landscaped embankment is 30 kilometers.
Reykjavik, Iceland
God himself ordered Reykjavik to be one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world! It is ironic that Iceland is a much greener island than Greenland, and Greenland is much more snowy and icy than Iceland.
Reykjavik, like many other places in Iceland, has many outlets of hot groundwater. This natural energy is used to generate electricity, heat water, heat homes, and even keep city sidewalks warm throughout the year.
But the residents of Reykjavik are not ready to limit themselves only to the benefits that nature generously provides them with. City governments and private entities invest millions of dollars annually in research into the efficient use of resources, as well as the introduction of new, smart technologies.
Many attribute these positive changes to the city's small size, which allows for rapid and efficient innovation. But city officials argue that this option only causes harm. After all, it is much more difficult for a tiny settlement to accumulate a large amount of money for an advanced infrastructure project. And there are a lot of them in Reykjavik! An example is the city bus system, but which only uses hydrogen-powered vehicles. Even in the wealthiest cities, this is rare.
Another exciting project taking place in Reykjavík is an attempt to create a 5 square kilometer carbon neutral zone within the city.
By the way, even the aurora in Reykjavik is green!
Portland, Oregon, USA
The United States of America has never been particularly environmentally friendly. After all, they did not even sign the Kyoto Protocol, which limits emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. But there are cities and regions in this country that put environmental safety on the list of priorities higher than the economy. One of them is Portland.
Portland has the nickname "City of Roses". After all, it was with these beautiful flowers that the townspeople’s love for everything green, pure and beautiful began. This passion has resulted in Portland being the cleanest, greenest major city in the entire United States.
Portland has a successful system light metro and high-speed buses. Every year the network of bicycle paths grows by tens of kilometers. City authorities have set strict standards for carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. They have significantly reduced the tax burden for companies involved in the construction of energy-efficient buildings and other environmentally responsible businesses.
Green space in Portland covers 350 square kilometers, which is much more than half of the total area cities. The density of parks, squares and even forests in the city is so high that on the streets of this locality you can often find hares, foxes and other wild but harmless animals.
London, Great Britain
London, of course, is not yet among the top five greenest and most environmentally friendly cities in the world, but it will certainly appear there in the coming years. After all, it is impossible not to pay attention to the dramatic changes that are taking place in the British capital. The city, which a century ago was considered a symbol of thoughtless and harmful industrialization, where smog made it impossible to breathe properly, has now become an example for other megacities in terms of environmental and infrastructural innovation.
The London authorities, led by the extraordinary Boris Johnson, have set a clear course to transform London into the green capital of Europe. They limit in every possible way the use of personal motor vehicles and internal combustion engines in general in the city. For example, entry into the center of gasoline and diesel cars costs a lot of money, but electric and hybrid cars can pass completely free of charge.
London is trying to catch up and overtake traditionally cycling cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen. This locality could in the future become the world's first metropolis with highways, overpasses and multi-level bicycle interchanges running through the entire city. Moreover, Norman Foster personally took on the implementation of this.
There is also a program in London aimed at developing alternative energy sources. Builders are required to equip all new houses with solar panels on their roofs, and owners of existing buildings who decide to undergo such modernization receive tax and utility benefits from the city.
Every city has its own path to becoming green. Some, like Reykjavik, are lucky with geographical location And natural resources. But still, city authorities play the main role in such a transformation. Somewhere there are single enthusiasts who decided to turn the world upside down, somewhere there are teams of like-minded people united by the desire to make the surrounding space better. At the same time, experience shows that changes should not be expected at the state level - it should always be an initiative from the local level.
Somewhere they decided to make their city “green” half a century ago, somewhere they only came to this idea now. But the tendency towards such a perception of the world is obvious. And the sooner the authorities and the residents of populated areas themselves take on this, the better for all of us.
October 24, 2013
The greenest city in Russia - Perm
Experts have been conducting numerous studies for a long time different cities world in terms of green space. It is green plants and plantings that help purify the atmosphere, absorb carbon dioxide, and release oxygen.
They have a positive effect on the environment and also improve natural conditions for people living in the area. That is why green spaces are given such increased attention, both from the authorities and from citizens.
The greenest city is a city that has greatest number green spaces. Based on the observations of specialists and geographers, it is currently possible to list several cities in Russia that lay claim to the title of the greenest city. These are Perm, Belgorod, Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk, Kazan, Angarsk, Tyumen, Nizhnekamsk, Nizhny Novgorod and Novorossiysk. Among these green cities, Perm is considered the greenest.
More about Perm
Perm is a beautiful regional city. Local authorities do not skimp and actively finance the development of city squares and parks. That is why Perm is considered to be the greenest city in Russia. It has repeatedly won the competition “The Most Comfortable City in Russia.” In addition to a huge amount of green space, Perm boasts a fairly developed infrastructure.
Perm is a large industrial center. And despite this, more than half of its territory is occupied by green spaces. Places of public recreation in Perm are being actively improved. The volume of financing exceeds 400 million rubles. The total area of green space in Perm is about 190 hectares. The system of public recreation places in Perm includes 31 squares, 5 parks and 5 gardens.
The local government believes that increasing green spaces in the city helps relieve citizens' stress and relax them. Local residents note that this is true: the green color pleases the eye, helps to relax, and fresh air allows you to cleanse your lungs and breathe deeply. Every resident of Perm definitely finds time to visit parks and squares. Many city guests make visiting parks their main goal of their visit to Perm.
Copenhagen
If we take into account the whole world, then there are green cities here. Among them are the following: Copenhagen (Denmark), London (UK), Sydney (Australia), Barcelona (Spain), Vancouver (Canada) and many others. However, Copenhagen is considered the undoubted favorite of specialists in this field.
Denmark is a very developed and promising country. In this country, wind energy is actively used to improve cities. Moreover, more than 90% of the generated energy is exported. In particular, Copenhagen is known for its developed environmental management system.
Its residents often use bicycles as personal transport. This is less expensive than cars and the subway, and is very good for health. Copenhagen is a green city. He actively fights climate change. Copenhagen is known throughout the world as a record holder for the number of green spaces. All parks, squares and gardens in Copenhagen are absolutely free for its residents and guests, which makes them even more attractive.
Among the most popular gardens and parks are Royal Garden, Frederiksberg Garden, Deer Park, Fälled, etc. Here vacationers can free themselves from everyday problems, find harmony with nature, lie right on the green grass, chat, go on rides, even dance.
The role of green
Psychologists believe that the color green generally has a very calming effect on people, helping them to relax and calm down. Therefore, green spaces also help improve mood. The authorities of Copenhagen are actively pursuing a policy of distributing green spaces, beautifying the city, improving its infrastructure, and improving public recreation areas.
That is why tourists from different cities and countries love to come here. More than 10% of the country's territory is occupied by green spaces. This is a pretty impressive figure. The vegetation of Copenhagen consists mostly of heather and ferns. All green spaces are protected. Tourists celebrate the natural beauty of Copenhagen. Traveling to this city can be compared to traveling into a fairy tale.
Perm and Copenhagen are two completely different cities. But they have one thing in common: a targeted focus on improving the environmental situation by planting a large number of green spaces.
The Brazilian city of Curitiba has been on the world's radar over the past few weeks thanks to the hosting of several matches as part of the FIFA World Cup. And only a few know that this metropolis is considered the “green capital of the world.” And today we will tell you about the 5 most environmentally friendly cities on the planet.
Curitiba, Brazil
The history of “green” Curitiba dates back to the seventies of the twentieth century. At a time when the rest of the world was expanding highways, building new interchanges and parking lots, giving preference to personal automobile transport, the mayor of this city, Jaime Lerner, arrogantly declared: “Curitiba is not for cars!” Having an architectural education, he personally took part in the development of a new master plan for the metropolis, which laid down the principles for the development of the city for the next decades.
Green city of Curitiba
This plan was truly revolutionary. For example, it envisaged not a reduction, but an expansion of green areas in the city, including in the central part of Curitiba, waste recycling, energy efficiency, support for producers and sellers of fresh food and, most importantly, transport reform.
Green city of Curitiba
The result was not long in coming. Nowadays, Curitiba is considered one of the most comfortable and comfortable cities in the world. And well-designed public transport in this city is used daily by more than 70 percent of passengers, which is an absolute world record among cities with a population of over 1 million people.
Developed network public transport is pride and business card Curitiba
The city is so obsessed with efficiency in even the smallest aspects of public life that city lawns are mowed not by gasoline lawn mowers, but by live sheep.
Green city of Curitiba
Curitiba's unique transformation experience has inspired similar programs in hundreds of cities around the world. Lerner and his followers set the highest standard, which is almost impossible to reach.
Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver, Canada, comes closest to Brazilian Curitiba. Over the past decade, this locality has been recognized as “the best city on Earth” four times, which is the result of many years of painstaking work by city authorities and local businesses.
Green City Vancouver
Located on the west coast of Canada, Vancouver has unique natural parameters that allow for the maximum development of wind, solar, and tidal energy. And on all the rivers and rivulets surrounding the city, hundreds of hydroelectric power stations of various sizes have been built. As a result, about 90 percent of the electricity used in Vancouver comes from renewable sources.
Green City Vancouver
Vancouver authorities strongly support electric transport, including public transport. And the total length of bike paths in the city is approaching a thousand kilometers. The use of a personal car is condemned, but the use of a bicycle is strongly encouraged.
Cyclists on the streets of Vancouver
Vancouver is also known for its green spaces. The city has more than two hundred parks and squares, and the length of the landscaped embankment is 30 kilometers.
Reykjavik, Iceland
God himself ordered Reykjavik to be one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world! It is ironic that Iceland is a much greener island than Greenland, and Greenland is much more snowy and icy than Iceland.
Panorama of Reykjavik
Reykjavik, like many other places in Iceland, has many outlets of hot groundwater. This natural energy is used to generate electricity, heat water, heat homes, and even keep city sidewalks warm throughout the year.
Sidewalks in Reykjavik are heated by thermal waters
But the residents of Reykjavik are not ready to limit themselves only to the benefits that nature generously provides them with. City governments and private entities invest millions of dollars annually in research into the efficient use of resources, as well as the introduction of new, smart technologies.
Thermal water pool in Reykjavik
Many attribute these positive changes to the city's small size, which allows for rapid and efficient innovation. But city officials argue that this option only causes harm. After all, it is much more difficult for a tiny settlement to accumulate a large amount of money for an advanced infrastructure project. And there are a lot of them in Reykjavik! An example is the city bus system, but which only uses hydrogen-powered vehicles. Even in the wealthiest cities, this is rare.
Another exciting project taking place in Reykjavík is an attempt to create a 5 square kilometer carbon neutral zone within the city.
By the way, even the aurora in Reykjavik is green!
Aurora in Reykjavik
Portland, Oregon, USA
The United States of America has never been particularly sensitive to the environment. After all, they did not even sign the Kyoto Protocol, which limits emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. But there are cities and regions in this country that put environmental safety on the list of priorities higher than the economy. One of them is Portland.
Panorama of green Portland
Portland has the nickname "City of Roses". After all, it was with these beautiful flowers that the townspeople’s love for everything green, pure and beautiful began. This passion has resulted in Portland being the cleanest, greenest major city in the entire United States.
Japanese Garden in Portland
Portland has a successful light rail and bus rapid transit system. Every year the network of bicycle paths grows by tens of kilometers. City authorities have set strict standards for carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. They have significantly reduced the tax burden for companies involved in the construction of energy-efficient buildings and other environmentally responsible businesses.
A real forest in the Portland city limits
Green space in Portland covers 350 square kilometers, which is much more than half of the city's total area. The density of parks, squares and even forests in the city is so high that on the streets of this locality you can often find hares, foxes and other wild but harmless animals.
Cyclists on the streets of Portland
London, Great Britain
London, of course, is not yet among the top five greenest and most environmentally friendly cities in the world, but it will certainly appear there in the coming years. After all, it is impossible not to pay attention to the dramatic changes that are taking place in the British capital. The city, which a century ago was considered a symbol of thoughtless and harmful industrialization, in which it was impossible to breathe properly due to smog, has now become an example for other megacities in terms of environmental and infrastructural innovation.
In central London
The London authorities, led by the extraordinary Boris Johnson, have taken a clear course to transform London into the green capital of Europe. They limit in every possible way the use of personal motor vehicles and internal combustion engines in general in the city. For example, entry into the center of gasoline and diesel cars costs a lot of money, but electric and hybrid cars can pass completely free of charge.
Green Park in central London
London is trying to catch up and overtake traditionally cycling cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen. This settlement may in the future become the world's first metropolis with highways, overpasses and multi-level bicycle interchanges running through the entire city. Moreover, Norman Foster personally took on the implementation of this ambitious project.
London has an urban network of public bicycles
There is also a program in London aimed at developing alternative energy sources. Builders are required to equip all new houses with solar panels on their roofs, and owners of existing buildings who decide to undergo such modernization receive tax and utility benefits from the city.
Bridge over the Thames covered with solar panels
Every city has its own path to becoming green. Some, like Reykjavik, are lucky in terms of geography and natural resources. But the city authorities still play the main role in this transformation. Somewhere - single enthusiasts who decided to turn the world upside down, somewhere - teams of like-minded people, united by the desire to make the surrounding space better. At the same time, experience shows that changes should not be expected at the state level - it should always be an initiative from the local level.
Somewhere they decided to make their city “green” half a century ago, somewhere they only came to this idea now. But the tendency towards such a perception of the world is obvious. And the sooner the authorities and the residents themselves settlements If they take it up, the better for all of us.
The use of renewable energy sources, public transport, the level of concentration of air pollutants, urban noise, the volume of wastewater - these and about 30 other indicators are assessed when determining the environmental friendliness of settlements. Today in the world there are 14 most common methods for studying the environmental component of cities. But, alas, there is still no single officially recognized list of the “greenest” settlements.
One of the most objective methods is considered Green Cities Index, initiated by the British research center Economist Intelligence Unit and Siemens Corporation. As part of it, large-scale research is being carried out around the world. Every year, since 2009, 120 cities around the world are assessed on parameters such as health, hygiene and environmental management, air quality, land quality, building maintenance, water supply, transport, CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and dozens of other criteria. The data obtained allows us to determine the leading cities in terms of environmental friendliness in their region.
Global Green Economy Index determined this year for the fifth time and represents the result of an expert study of 60 countries in 4 areas: leadership and climate change, business performance, investment markets, environment and natural capital. The study takes into account factors ranging from water quality to government participation in environmental forums.
In addition, there is EU Green Capital Program. Research agencies, such as Mercer Human, periodically compile their own rankings of eco-friendly cities.
