What makes a city sustainable, and how can urban living be made more sustainable?
The concept of sustainable urban development and liveability; the characteristics of a sustainable city; strategies for sustainable transport, waste, energy, water and green space; and the ecological and carbon footprint of cities.
A focused answer to the AQA A-Level Geography 3.2.3 content on sustainable urban development, covering the concept of sustainability and liveability, the characteristics of a sustainable city, strategies for transport, waste, energy, water and green space, and the ecological and carbon footprint of cities.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
AQA section 3.2.3 closes the urban topic with sustainable urban development: the concept of sustainability and liveability, the characteristics of a sustainable city, the strategies for sustainable transport, waste, energy, water and green space, and the ecological and carbon footprint of cities. It is the evaluative culmination of the topic.
Sustainable development and liveability
Sustainability is not only environmental: a sustainable city must also be socially inclusive and equitable and economically viable. The three dimensions must be balanced, and trade-offs (such as "green" regeneration causing gentrification) are part of the evaluation.
Characteristics of a sustainable city
A sustainable city typically features:
- Low resource and energy use: renewable energy, energy-efficient buildings and district heating.
- Sustainable transport: integrated public transport, cycling and walking, and reduced car dependence.
- Effective waste management: applying the waste hierarchy (reduce, re-use, recycle, recover) and high recycling rates.
- Water conservation and recycling: efficient use, rainwater harvesting and SUDS.
- Green space: parks, green roofs and urban trees for amenity, biodiversity, cooling (reducing the UHI) and flood storage.
- Inclusive, liveable communities: affordable housing, local services and mixed-use, compact design that cuts travel.
Strategies for sustainability
Cities pursue sustainability through combined strategies across transport, waste, energy, water and green space: investing in public transport and cycling (Curitiba's bus rapid transit), renewable energy and efficient buildings (Freiburg), SUDS and water recycling, and compact, mixed-use, walkable design that reduces the need to travel. The most effective cities integrate these rather than relying on a single measure.
The ecological and carbon footprint
Try this
Q1. Define sustainable development. [2 marks]
- Cue. Meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, balancing environmental, social and economic goals.
Q2. Explain how green space contributes to urban sustainability. [3 marks]
- Cue. Green space provides amenity and biodiversity, cools the city (reducing the heat island) and stores floodwater, improving liveability and the environment.
Q3. Define the ecological footprint of a city. [2 marks]
- Cue. The area of productive land and water needed to supply the city's resources and absorb its waste.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 2019 (style)6 marksExplain the characteristics of a sustainable city.Show worked answer →
A 6 mark "explain" question (AO1). A sustainable city meets the needs of its present residents without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, balancing environmental, social and economic goals.
Characteristics: low resource and energy use (renewables, efficient buildings), sustainable transport (public transport, cycling, walking, reduced car dependence), effective waste management (the waste hierarchy, recycling), water conservation and recycling, abundant green space for amenity, biodiversity and cooling, and inclusive, liveable communities with affordable housing and local services.
Markers reward several characteristics across the environmental, social and economic dimensions, ideally linked to reducing the city's ecological/carbon footprint. Top answers stress that sustainability is about balancing all three dimensions, not just the environment.
AQA 2021 (style)9 marksAssess the extent to which large cities can become genuinely sustainable.Show worked answer →
A 9 mark "assess" question (AO1 plus AO2): reach a judgement. Strategies can make cities more sustainable: renewable energy, efficient buildings, sustainable transport, SUDS, recycling, green space and compact, mixed-use design reduce the ecological and carbon footprint and improve liveability (Freiburg, Curitiba, Masdar as exemplars).
But genuine sustainability is hard: cities are huge net consumers importing resources and exporting waste, so their footprint extends far beyond their boundaries; retrofitting existing cities is costly; growth and consumption pull against efficiency gains; and trade-offs arise (gentrification of "green" districts).
The judgement: cities can become substantially more sustainable through combined strategies, but complete sustainability is elusive given their scale and consumption; progress depends on integrated planning, investment and behaviour change. Reward a calibrated conclusion citing the footprint concept and named examples.
Related dot points
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA A-level Geography (7037) specification — AQA (2016)