Sustainable urban growth requires sustainable transportation

How important is sustainable urban growth? Whatever priority it has in level of importance, sustainable urban growth is impossible without a sustainable mode of transportation. The urgency is finding sustainable transportation. 

Finding sustainable transportation

Who’s going to find a method of sustainable transportation? Where can sustainable transportation be found? Government sees itself as the answer, yet, their only function is to enforce compliance. Both government and bureaucracy are risk adverse and the enmity of innovation.

Although government planning agencies regulate urban growth, the conundrum of its bureaucracy is its utter incompetence for innovation.

As an example: California’s legislation mandated a ban on plastic grocery bags. These bags were used for grocery store customers to carry groceries. Most groceries are wrapped in plastic but, a plastic bag to carry them in is considered an act of environmental sustainability. Additionally, and again in the name of environmental sustainability, these same legislators demanded and enacted yet another ban against plastic. This ban was against plastic straws being used for plastic cups.

As a member of the scientific community searching for actual solutions in sustainability, seeing these actions of preposterous foolishness are merely more evidence as an abject lack of common sense. Are these same environmentally vocal legislators going to provide the necessary innovation to devise a methodology of sustainable transportation? Asking such a rhetorical question is a waste of time. And mentioning it is a source of frustration. Suffice it to point out that government and bureaucracy are risk adverse.

Many people perceive the word sustainable as a political term. Others interpret it as a condition which needs addressed. Others don’t pay attention to the global changes taking place. Oddly enough, the group of people without opinion of global changes; are very likely the most accurate. Sustainable urban growth can not change without implementing an alternative mode of transportation to replace the automobile.

Sustainable urban growth

Here is an outline of sustainable urban growth, from the book: Rising From Unsustainable.

Prerequisites for Sustainable Development

The design component for every residential unit:

• Is in sync with nature, Feng shui type design
• Provides an edible garden porch, dirt is an integral substance to life
• Individual yard privacy. A ziggurat design can accommodate this. 
• Sound disturbance in one’s living space is an unsustainable nuisance. You can call it sound pollution. In building multi-story residential, the walls and ceiling need z-bar metal studs for sound proofing. The metal z-bar accommodates a double layer of sheetrock in the ceiling with z-bar between the two layers of sheetrock. This creates a sound cushion barrier, eliminating thumping noise from above tenants and creates a closed space of sound for residents. Sound travels by vibration. Sheetrock is normally attached by screws (or nails) into studs. Sound is amplified in the vibration of sheetrock wall and translated by the screws into the studs which carry this vibration. The same action takes place in ceiling joists carrying sheetrock, attached by nails or screws. The application of z-bar and air space between the two layers of sheetrock provides an adequate allowance for sound separation and privacy. A necessary component for livability of vertical residential dwellings. 

Lifestyle 

• Based on individuality

In a sustainable living environment, life style is prerogative choice to the individual. This is synonymous to a person’s favorite color; there can be no argument made to favorite. Additionally, lifestyle is relative to smoking cigarettes, the people who smoke; enjoy it. In a sustainable environment, philosophy extends deeper into planning design accommodation for a free society. 

In the USA, religious freedom was originally based on Christian principles. For the sake of preserving these principles, legislators were not required to adhere to this theological criterion. Without understanding, ignorance through arrogance is only inability in leadership. Those without righteousness have zero comprehension of the term and reject its concept with contempt.

Environmental design; when parameters are assigned by tyranny of socialist or communist government, the living environment is selected by authoritarian dictate, and not by freedom of individual choice. Individual choice is a privilege allocated by sacrifice and maintained by dedication. Lifestyle design has two alternatives, confinement or choice. 

Sustainable Transit Oriented Development Design

• Real estate development is the responsibility of the developer. When invention with innovation becomes the goal of developers, Transit Oriented Development (TODs) can become solutions to sustainable urban growth. With effective design, a TOD can incorporate the finest quality of life elements available. TODs can offer an advantageous living environment to address social issues with a variety of community activity centers. With the intent of creating a social sense of involvement and belonging, a TOD becomes a neighborhood. Privacy is vital and independence relates to individuality. Building developments have the opportunity to be neighborhoods. Intentional designs of TODs can address quality of life improvements, and with advanced transportation options, these TODs can improve living standards. 

• Sustainable development designs provide
• Harmony in nature
• Green grounds
• Walkways
• Community gardens
• Energy storage
• Solar arrays on all roof tops
• Alternative energy generation
• Water storage
• Water recycling
• Negative ion HVAC structure
• Subterranean building structures
• Platinum building structures
• Other friendly building practices

• Highlights of three components to building sustainable transit oriented urban growth
• Advanced transit technology
• Light weight     
• Low cost
• Computer operated
• On-demand service
• Direct to destination
• Off line stations               
• Linear elevator operational design
• Method of Funding
• Transit Oriented Development
• Convenient
• Reduces commuting
• Recession proof real estate
• Stimulates economy
• Raises overall property value
• Reduces need for road expansions         
• Last Mile Solution
• Short distance automobile alternative
• Easy transit access
• Door to door destination
• Small Electric vehicles
• Environmentally friendly operations

Details of These Three Components for Sustainable Urban Growth

• Advanced Transit System Technology  
• The first component for sustainability is a business strategy which includes the most advanced new technology transit system available. There are many advanced transit system technologies available. One of the available technologies is a 20 passenger ultra-light steel wheel on rail transportation system. This technology is known as an Automated Direct Transport System (ADTS). It provides a modern, convenient and efficient light-rail type transportation system for downtown and surrounding urban areas. Other systems include smaller vehicle sized, passive maglev system technology that also offer computerized direct to destination passenger service.

• These computer-controlled technologies require no driver, the light-weight designs are quiet, and the on-demand and direct-to-destination capabilities utilizes low-passenger-count vehicles on small, lightweight elevated structures, providing grade separate safety. This type of operation is analogous to a horizontal elevator. 

• Additionally, with smaller vehicle sizes, system wide support infrastructure is one-tenth the expense. By lowering the traditional expense of transit system infrastructure, it enables private investment to build the entire transit system. 

• Method of funding
• Privately financed

• User convenience and non-light-rail mobility
• The resolves the last mile dilemma

Taking steps to sustainable urban growth

Where can we go now to obtain sustainable urban growth? For most people, there is a sense of wanting; the knowing that there is something to do. The task is too big for one person to affect alone. So, here is a solution: work and act together. Where one person isn’t enough, many people sharing the task becomes attainable. You’re reading this, what ideas do you have for building a sustainable growth? Send a comment, join in the conversation, or post on the chat page.