Sustainable City

The panel of judges for the PJ Sustainable Community Award have an interesting discussion over the concept of sustainable development during a visit to neighbourhood area last week. We spoke about the sustainable city that we envision in years to come. While many aspired to have a peaceful living, quality and comfortable lifestyle, safer environment, affordable home, a lot of greenery, unpolluted water supply, good and sufficient infrastruture and facilities and etc, many admitted also what we envisioned today are related to our past experience and present encountering. We have not taken into consideration what is happening now and in future will become a trend or norm. For example, the concept of R-Urban will change our living environment and lifestyle. The Y Generation will have different aspiration and skill of dealing with others. The youth will be more global and mobile. They will not stay put permanently in a city. They might have working from a remote area but accessible with internet connection. They might even settle their meal without lighting up their kitchen. That's mean the interior design of a house will also need to revisit. For example, having multiple space arrangement within a small area in which change of usage will be every fleasible and according to the need of the occupants. The so-call living area now can be turned into a dining space or music room or study area or meeting space with ease. The need for having a permanent facilities with less usage is reduced tremendously. In this respect, the definition for sustainable living will have to be fine tuned.

Travelling need for essential daily goods will also be reduced. Even travelling to the work place, leisure and study will be deminished. We might have facilities complexes atop of the residential podium that will cut down trip generation tremendously. We do not need the vehicles as a basic need but rather a luxury item.

So, with less opportunity for travelling and inter-human interation as well as returning to basic lifestyle, the creation of sustainable city and its formation will change to futuristic that many of us cannot describe with sure.

The model and facade of sustainable city will change according to time and desire of people. Although all uncertainties are there, one thing for sure will remain is whatever we do and pursue cannot surpass the limit and capacity of our mother nature and creation of GOD, I presume.