Efficient urban planning in new energy era: The approach of urban renewal by premise of large-scale GHG reduction through a case study in Rotterdam

Efficient urban planning in new energy era: The approach of urban renewal by premise of large-scale GHG reduction through a case study in Rotterdam

Lu, S.C.M.

Van der Hoeven, F.D. (mentor)
Sepulveda, D. (mentor)
Duijvestein, C.A.J. (mentor)

Architecture

Urbanism

2008-06-26

Introduction There is almost unanimous agreement among scientists that climate change is a fact. Burning fossil fuels as the conventional energy sources are the problem of global warming. Nowadays energy and climate are like two coin sides??problems, are confronting knotty conditions especially lying on economic dependency on fossil fuels and imminent catastrophic climate from the reason of global warming. It appears that current reactions are too slow for the environmental enhancement. One of the bottle-necks which have existed in the initial planning levels is how to take care of mass sectors of urban environment and their affiliation to the systematic energy chain. This includes some rising questions: - What kinds of spatial strategies can minimize their contribution to Green House Gas (GHG) emissions? - What is the main task for the sustainable energy plan in urban planning level and what is not? This project was produced after eight-months research concerning spatial strategies and energy consumption. Through a master plan practice and relative research support, we hope to answer the questions above. The purpose of this project is to build up the relationship between spatial planning and energy consumption in order to clarify the crucial decisions in urban renewal concerning greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It contributes strategies and approaches for the urban (renewal) planning in the direction of GHG reduction. Reduce GHG emissions through integrated plan Planning process can contribute to GHG emissions; through different strategies the correlated impact can be optimized. Urban renewal plan concerning energy saving is needed. First of all, it analyses social, spatial structure and energy performance in local level; secondly, it takes the lead to develop urban-energy integrated plan according to local demands. Many relative factors will be taken into account during planning process. More integration on earlier planning phase will result in less incoherent program and greater impact of energy saving. Large scale GHG reduction would not be fulfilled without optimal process of initial program, action plan, measures and their implementations. The role of urban planning regarding GHG reduction Urban planning in new energy era ought to aware that energy adaptation be counted as separated items of spatial transformation. Proper urban plan or urban renewal plan can provide favorable environments to optimize energy saving measures. And in instrument package, integrated programs concerning spatial planning and energy saving should be included. Single-case adoption may be easily achieved. However, improving energy use pattern in broad scale for sustainable energy use in urban level needs integrated strategies. Spatial development strategy and proper planning can bring the city energy sustainability. Implementing strategies: Less sectors, more integration, strong impact Confronting complex urban renewal process, we have to select some strategies. Instead of developing many new schemes in different directions, strongly integrated and decisive strategy can avoid inefficient disorder induced by decentralization. In management level, complex energy chain should be sorted out in such ways that corresponding strategies are simple, efficient, applicable and influential in large scale. The strategies included in this project mainly focus on housing and transport sectors which occupied almost 50% energy consumption in the Netherlands and they are the essentials in every urban plan.

sustainable urban renewal
sustainable energy
pendrecht
Rotterdam
urban-energy integrated plan
global warming

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:a71854de-9f87-40eb-94f9-6956e4cf3f2d

TU Delft, Architecture, Urbanism

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2008 S.C.M. Lu