Peter Bächtold The Space-Economic Transformation of the City Towards Sustainability The Space-Economic Transformation of the City Peter Bächtold The Space-Economic Transformation of the City Towards Sustainability Peter Bächtold Bachtold Company Limited Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam ISBN 978-94-007-5251-1 ISBN 978-94-007-5252-8 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5252-8 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg New York London Library of Congress Control Number: 2013939578 © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 This work is subject to copyright All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed Exempted from this legal reservation are brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis or material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the Copyright Law of the Publisher’s location, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer Permissions for use may be obtained through RightsLink at the Copyright Clearance Center Violations are liable to prosecution under the respective Copyright Law The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Preface Conflicting Positions on Climate Change Climate change challenges the way of living of all industrialized countries The situation and way of acting of these countries, however, are extremely different Their position is conflicting The macro-situation on CO2 emission is generally accepted as a first indication of their responsibility on climate change Referring to United Nations Statistics (updated 2010), there are poor performances of countries such as Australia and the United States (an annual emission per person of almost 20 tons in 2007), average score for Japan (10 tons) and best results in Europe (Sweden, Switzerland (5 tons)) This contrasting situation among industrialized countries is even growing; Australia, the United States and Japan have substantially increased their emissions over the last 20 years, while countries like Germany, Sweden and Switzerland have decreased Emerging countries in Asia have currently still a relatively good performance like China (4.9 tons) and Vietnam (1.3 tons), but their CO2 emissions increased dramatically over the last 20 years, by 166 % for China and 420 % for Vietnam What are the fundamental reasons for the relatively good performances of certain European countries? These countries have developed effective urban strategies Four eco-areas in German and Swedish cities are presented in the core part of this publication Among them, Stockholm and Malmö could reduce their carbon emissions to tons, greatly as a result of their integrated urban policy with a strong policy for renewable energies These results highlight the importance to develop such an integrated urban policy in all cities above a certain size The synthetic presentation of the four eco-areas shows the way this has been achieved The main objective of this study is to facilitate the transmission of these experiences to other cities Their ins and outs are integrated into the conceptual and operational framework of the space-economic transformation of the city towards sustainability Why and how? The Major Challenge The transformation of the city towards sustainability is the challenge to tackle climate change at the root The critical importance of the city in the process of transformation of society in its natural environment is widely recognized The statistics on energy and pollution prove it Most dangers are well known Awareness is growing Actions are following, but not fast enough, not with the required efficiency The transformation of the city towards sustainability affects and involves most of the socio- economic aspects of production and reproduction, including a great part of energy and industry, traffic and transport This process is complex Political will is crucial Popular participation and contribution are essential The critical role is for professionals Professionals must unite their efforts and provide realistic proposals so that policymakers can decide effective actions and citizens are supported to achieve their common goals v vi But so far the contributions of professionals are characterized by the fragmentation of their expertise The accumulation of current operational experience is lacking The reference to a common framework is needed The Transformation of the City Towards Sustainability The transformation of the city towards sustainability must base on a space-economic approach Why and how? Urban planning and design is fundamentally about economizing space in its built form in order to create the sustainable city: • A city of proximity with short distances (m1) • A city of compactness with optimal urban densities (m2) • A city of adaptability, due to its functional, social and cultural mix open to changing needs (m3) Economy of space in its built form means, first, saving materials for construction and saving labour and energy Productivity tends to increase, costs to decrease and pollution to reduce Second, it makes life in the city easier in spending less time and energy to follow usual activities So, it seems obvious that the city must be transformed first in space-economic terms, to make it more sustainable But today’s thinking and acting is far from recognizing it and understanding all its aspects The reasons are rooted in our history Space Economy Space and time are two concepts of everyday language They are commonly used without giving rise to specific questions But once these two concepts are facing a third notion, just as familiar as the first two, namely, economy, an astonishing phenomenon occurs The connection between economy and time is so obvious that it is sufficient to name the first to include the second: time is money! This is very different in the relation between economy and space These two notions are not accustomed to be associated This is paradoxical, since to economize space seems a priori equally important to economize time Why is this not so? History provides answers to this question It can be shown that the spatial and territorial dimensions always played a determining role in our history until the Renaissance With the development of manufacturing and the progressive advent of the capitalist society, it has been gradually marginalized In the process of the technological and economical development, space economy plays a minor role Improving performance in terms of space, matter, energy and pollution is considered as simple production factors The main target of production is to optimize profit Ultimately this happens to the detriment of climate change To economize space opens always the opportunity to economize time and money, which is not true in reverse This observation is fundamental Today, space economy and time economy must be addressed simultaneously They must be combined together They must be harmonized What does this mean? Policymakers have to take decisions and actions with the overall aim to transform the city towards sustainability in all its aspects The impact is omnipresent It largely determines production It conditions our day-to-day life The simplicity of this statement contrasts with the complexity of its implementation The General Objective The alternative method to transform the city towards sustainability, presented in this study, is the result of a professional approach that has been conducted for many years In fact, the space-economic approach goes back to our English experience in the Housing Department of the Greater London Council (GLC) in the 1970s Preface Preface vii Similar efforts have been made in recent years by those professionals who wish to share their experiences and contribute to common efforts to face the challenges of urban sustainability Inspired by the work done collectively, through a continuous learning process, many of these experiences have been accumulated in recent years, mainly in Europe Four significant examples are presented in Part II, completed in Part I by a conceptual and operational framework and in Part III by a recent case study in Asia The present study is divided into three parts: • Part I – Outline of the Criteria and Concepts of Space Economy • Part II – Presentation of Four Significant Eco-Areas in Europe • Part III – Towards a Space-Economic City: Case Study in Asia In Part I are developed the three space-economic criteria and the three concepts that lead to the seven space-economic indicators of the sustainable city By reference to these seven indicators, the urban strategies of the local authorities of the four eco-areas presented in Part II can be compared and supplemented, although the mix of their policies differs In Part III, the urban strategy is developed for the project in Nha Be and shows how planning policy of Ho Chi Minh City can be developed in reference to the application of these seven indicators In short, as guideline based on broad and successful professional experience, this approach eases political will to operate effectively, and popular participation and contribution become possible It is hoped that the present study is accepted as useful While the ideas may seem to be part of a relatively closed theory, nothing is considered fixed Nothing deserves not to be questioned, even if the various criteria and concepts with their applications are based on widely spread practices within several institutions in different European countries These findings are adaptable to recent experiences in urban sustainability and thus gain in relevance The Aim Is to Link Theory to Practice The conceptual and operational framework based on a space-economic approach leads step by step to its implementation The three founding actions of the sustainable city, first, are implemented in the bottom-up approach by reference to the three space-economic concepts: – Reduce the distance (m1) by reference to the economic concept of the minimum frontage – Increase the density (m2) by reference to the geographical concept of the urban land pattern – Optimize the mix (m3) by reference to the historical concept of the open form These three founding actions, thereafter, are integrated in the top-down strategy of permanent transformation in order to identify, step by step, the three socially necessary activity spaces of the city of adaptability: • Traces of mobility (m1) for traffic and travel activities, promoting walking and cycling • Building clusters of flexibility (m3) for localized activities, adaptable to changing needs • Areas of accessibility (m2) as transition, exchange and interaction between the two In short, the core idea of this mixed bottom-up and top-down methodology is threefold Time and space linearity of economic processes are combined in the territory to create chorological, two-dimensional networks that irrigate and revitalize the city in the three-dimensional space reality of its history Political and social actions refer to this threefold declination of economy (m1), geography (m2) and history (m3) Europe and Asia This space-economic approach is present at all scales of the city Initiated and developed through a combined professional experience in different European countries, this approach can be adapted to all kinds of urbanization in different countries all over the world In the present study, the transfer of experience is operated from the four significant eco-areas in Europe, in Germany and Sweden, to a case study in Asia, in Vietnam viii Preface This transfer has to be understood in broad terms Europe, in the recent history of its cities, had two phases of rapid urbanization: first, from the mid- to the late nineteenth century and, second, after the Second World War until the end of the 1970s During these two periods, entire areas were urbanized, first, mainly in inner cities and, second, mostly on their outskirts In recent years, urbanization has slowed down Based on the idea to remake the city on the city, urban renewal is taking place at a smaller scale Asia, currently, is experiencing a rapid process of urbanization in a much larger scale ever known in Europe Nevertheless, the experience in Europe during the 30 “glorious” years (1945–1975), and on sustainable development over the last 20 years, as evidenced by the four case studies, can be of great interest for Asia Significant errors committed in Europe several years ago can be avoided in Asia today Ability to comply with local conditions and adapt current practice allows the transfer of experience The main challenge of this study is to demonstrate that the experiences accumulated by the four eco-areas in Germany and Sweden may be useful in the case study in Vietnam, showing a possible way to transform Ho Chi Minh City into a sustainable city To conclude, it should be recalled that the ultimate aim of the sustainable city as a city of adaptability is to avoid spatial and social segregation in implementing functional, social and cultural mix Whether this major objective can be achieved, history alone will reveal it Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Peter Bächtold Acknowledgements Four of the best-known eco-areas in Europe are presented in Part II: – Vauban in Freiburg im Breisgau – Kronsberg in Hannover – Western Harbour in Malmö – Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm The presentation on these eco-areas was submitted to the City Planning Office in each one of the four cities Complements and updating of all data, first, and comments and suggestions on the presentation, second, were made by the following persons I thank them for their effective support without which the quality obtained in Part II could not have been reached • Stadt Hannover Michael Heesch Head of the Department Planning and Urban Development In charge: Rumming Karin Project leader of Hannover Kronsberg • City of Malmö Christer Larsson Head of the City Planning Office In charge: Gưran Rosberg Head of Information • City of Stockholm Susanna Lind Head of the City Planning Office In charge: Christina Leifman, Head of Strategic Planning Section • Stadt Freiburg im Breisgau Amt für Projektentwicklung und Stadterneuerung Vauban: Carsten Sperling, Dipl.-Ing Env Sciences University Oldenburg I thank Ursula Paravicini (former professor of architecture and planning theory) for her useful critics The space-economic criteria and concepts presented in Part I have a long history of professional experience shared with many colleagues in private and public institutions, mainly in France, England, Switzerland and Germany Special recognition goes to Pierre Noyer, Swiss architect in London; Bruno Flierl, German architect, urban critic and journalist; Richard Wagner, German engineer and architect; Pierre Giudicelli, French economist and architect; Lawrence Parnell, English project manager; Charles Kleiber, Swiss architect and former Secretary of State for Education and Research; Dieter Läpple, German urban and regional economist; Niklaus Kohler, Swiss architect and life cycle analyst of buildings; Franz Oswald, Swiss architect and town planner; Jean-Franỗois de Boiscuillộ, Franco-Swiss architect and landscaper; and Laurent Bécard, French town planner ix 9.2 Alternative Urban Strategy 9.2.3 Public Space and Building Clusters A Common Vision for Urban Planners and Architects What is the common vision for designers of the building clusters with their specific requirements within the general framework for the development of a space-economic urban structure? Based on the traces of mobility, the building clusters of flexibility and the areas of accessibility, the interpretations are left open to develop the adequate urban structure: – The traces of mobility can lead to many street systems that are diversified by green and blue networks – The building clusters can be individualised by the combination of different types of buildings that accommodate compatible functions – The areas of accessibility are open to all sorts of public spaces that link traces of mobility and building clusters of flexibility Within the context of such a referenced openness for individual interpretations, how a common vision for urban planners and architects can emerge? The challenge is to generate an urban structure that is open to all strata of the population and all types of people This basically means that the project has to be adaptable to changing social needs and become economically viable, as well as politically acceptable Nha Be: The Open City (Fig 9.13) In reference to the initial Nha Be project, the building clusters have to be enriched in introducing new types of vertical stacks The vertical stacks with staircase access have to be combined with stacks with deck access Additionally multistorey town houses for two or three families have to be introduced Such an apartment mix is possible with adequate areas of accessibility and traces of mobility These areas of accessibility and traces of mobility offer many opportunities to diversify the populations in accordance to their specific needs, mainly in terms of privacy and space standards The project adapted to the new requirements illustrates a solution that captures these opportunities By this new mix of vertical stacks, the two parts of the project may more or less differ The west side can propose apartments of higher standards than the east side The adaptability to changing social needs is left open By their proximity with different types of populations, the four typical configurations of the places of exchange, communication and interaction may become more or less crowded public spaces The two first of the four typical configurations are integrated on the east side, the open-air library or quiet public spaces and the area for games, music, theatre and dance (Fig 9.15) 165 Nha Be as open and green city has the potential to become a city of urban density and integrate activities of intense street life (Figs 9.16, 9.17, 9.18, 9.19, 9.20 and 9.21) Nha Be: The Green City (Fig 9.14) The urban concept of Nha Be with its traces of mobility, areas of accessibility and building clusters of flexibility is the space-economic answer to flooding in: • Preserving an optimum area with rivers, wetlands and dense vegetation that can maintain the urban water balance • Minimising impervious surfaces and maintaining a maximum of infiltration areas • Optimising traces of mobility that must be protected primarily against urban flooding The greening of Nha Be is based on some basic principles for a tropical climate Urban level: (a) Overshadowing by neighbour buildings, in respecting the minimum distances for privacy and daylight (b) Overshadowing of buildings by trees (c) Shading of open spaces Residential level: (a) Natural ventilation: • Cross-ventilation of apartments • Cross-ventilation under roofs • Vertical air (and light) shafts across buildings: – Traditional air shafts for low-rise buildings – Canadian air shafts for medium-rise buildings, pumping cooler air in the earth through 30-m-long pipes buried in the ground at a certain depth depending on local conditions (b) Greening: • Greening of roofs • Greening of faỗades Construction (a) Good insulation of facades; considering the absence of qualified skill on an average building site in Vietnam, the technique of double-wall masonry appears to be a realistic solution, provided that brick or block work for continuous outer wall is mechanically enough resistant (b) High thermal quality of doors/windows 9.2.4 New Housing Types The design of the type plans follows the usual logic of the application of the concept of the minimum frontage, as presented in Part I In order to respond to the new requirements of social mix, type plans for multistorey staircaseaccess buildings (see building clusters of flexibility) are supplemented by a set of type plans for low-cost housing (Figs 9.22, 9.23, 9.24 and 9.25) 166 Fig 9.13 Built environment Fig 9.14 Urban life Space-Economic Transformation of Ho Chi Minh City Fig 9.15 Neighbourhood Figs 9.16 and 9.17 Public space as working place 168 Space-Economic Transformation of Ho Chi Minh City VERTICAL STACKS WITH DECK ACCESS 3.6M FRONTAGE habitable area 55m2 65m2 5100 6500 RELAXING&SLEEPING AREA 4.5M FRONTAGE habitable area EATING AREA 5200 2000 19700 2400 2000 18700 COOKING AREA WET AREA 5700 RELAXING&SLEEPING AREA LAUNDRY ENTRANCE 3600 4500 3500 3600 DECK ACCESS 4500 DECK ACCESS 3500 2500 STUDY AREA PARKING PATIO 5200 MASTER BED BED 5200 PATIO 5200 LIVING 5200 Figs 9.22 and 9.23 Buildings three or four levels without elevator; eight levels with elevator BED 5200 5200 5200 5200 Figs 9.24 and 9.25 Ground-level second (+third + forth) level(s) Figs 9.18, 9.19, 9.20, and 9.21 Public space as open market place (All photos by Luu Thi Kim Phuong, architect) Fig 9.26 Dwelling unit of 55 m2 with a multipurpose room to the rear where AC may be located 9.2 Alternative Urban Strategy 169 Figs 9.27 and 9.28 Privately appropriated public deck access on 1st floor (above) and ground floor (below) (All photos by Luu Thi Kim Phuong, architect) 9.2.5 Low-Energy Dwelling Units for Low-Cost Housing Even for low-cost housing, air conditioning is becoming the highest single source of electricity consumption in private households According to the Statistical Yearbook, about two thirds of all interviewed consumers (62 %) reported that they owned A/C devices, in contrast to a possession rate of just 21 % of HCMC’s population in 2008 (Waibel 2010) A/C devices are most commonly used among house and shop-house owners Prevalence of A/C equipment is expected to increase.* Electrical water heaters are the second most important source of electricity consumption Quite remarkably, only a small part of households (16 %) have installed solar water heaters so far Solar water heaters are not very expensive, 1–4 % of overall building costs They offer a great energy-saving potential The survey shows that after installation of a solar water heater, investment pays off within a period of between 3.5 and years A great majority of interviewees having installed these devices are overwhelmingly satisfied with their efficiency Considering that similar facts can be observed among the population of the recently built low-cost estate like the one presented Figs 9.29 and 9.30 Continuity between public space and private space at all levels of the building by deck access on ground floor and upper floors (All photos by Luu Thi Kim Phuong, architect) Fig 9.31 Patio houses open to public space 170 Type plans are the result of a long and large experience in the management and maintenance of existing residential estates by local authorities or other important management and maintenance bodies This experience goes beyond a single private practice even though it is important The success of such a project as Nha Be depends on the direct and active implication of the local authority of HCMC with its professional departments It must be harmonised with projects of similar importance in all other areas of the region The present study may serve as contribution to progress in Figs 2.11, 2.12 and 2.13 and Figs 9.26, 9.27, 9.28, 9.29 and 9.30, the proposed deck-access type plans (Figs 9.22 and 9.23) are based on double-aspect dwellings with cross-ventilation, and each dwelling unit has a vertical shaft for natural ventilation A/C device may be located in one of the small confined rooms to minimise electricity consumption Patio houses are adaptable to different types of occupancy by one, two or three households (Figs 9.24, 9.25, and 9.31) The ground floor may be opened to the public space and the patio integrated into the parking space and thus serves as shop area The patio is adapted to hot climate Natural ventilation is continued under the pitched roof Additionally, intensive greening of the neighbourhood is particularly effective with low-rise and high-density low-cost housing Faỗade Design (See Figs 9.7 and 9.31) The design of the facade is a continuation of the spaceeconomic approach at urban and architectural scales and Space-Economic Transformation of Ho Chi Minh City aims low-energy housing The “energy areas” of the facades are reduced to an optimum following the concept of the “minimum frontage” In case of the choice of a double wall, the simplicity of the design of the facade is conducive to develop appropriate detailing with required quality and avoid “thermal bridges” Additionally, some basic principles can be indicated for the design of a sustainable facade: – Continuity of outside wall from bottom to top – Optimum dimensions of windows and reduced number of types – Position of windows on inner side of facade to be overshadowed by thickness of double wall – Greening roofs and greening faỗades Standard details complete the set of type plans, mainly to increase the airtightness of the envelope of the building and thus improve the effectiveness of the natural ventilation Such standard details are as simple as possible to be applicable onsite by the available and affordable manpower of required qualification The necessary experience is lacking today The faỗade design is the final stage of this case study developed within and in the critical extension of a project proposed to a developer in Ho Chi Minh It opens the opportunity to a step forward in the sense of the ideas developed throughout this book? References Abercrombie F, Forshaw JH (1943) County of London plan Macmillan & Co., London Buchanan C (1963) Traffic in town – the Buchanan report HMSO, London Waibel M (ed) (2010) Climate change and sustainable urban development in Vietnam Proceedings of the Conference, Hanoi Towards a New Urban Planning Strategy 10.1 The Space-Economic Transformation of Nhà Bè The proposed approach ending with the design of the faỗade as physical expression of the future shape of the project leads to a central question Will it become possible to produce something like a common idea for all professionals and citizens implicated in a project of the size of Nhà Bè? The answer to this question has to be based on experience 10.1.1 An Initial Awareness Local authorities must integrate the whole planning and design process in their thinking and acting At urban level, it cannot be limited to a simple plan of streets and some other infrastructure services In addition, developers who are involved in various architectural projects in the same area must reach a minimum common understanding In the case of the project of Nhà Bè, the reactions of developers who bought land close to the site are positive They seem to be interested in the original project Reducing the amount of streets compared to the street system in the District Government Plan around the site is understood in its economic implications Somehow, it reveals an understanding that the economy of space is also a potential saving of time and money This first level of understanding corresponds to some awareness that the space-economic approach leads, step by step, through a chain of decisions, to the transformation of the city towards sustainability It opens the way for joint involvement on the part of professionals A process of effective citizen participation is possible The neighbourhood of low-cost housing in District 6, presented in Chap 9, is a significant example; people form a community and develop many activities and actions together 10 10.1.2 Some Rules of Method The reference to a space-economic approach refers to certain rules of method, as outlined in Part I Assuming that the space-economic criteria and concepts are easy to understand along the bottom-up approach, the complexity appears with the top-down strategy that refers to the real city life Applying first the more static bottom-up approach, the criteria and concepts must then be integrated in their potential evolution along the urban strategy The three socially necessary activity spaces must be kept in mind in their dynamic potential of permanent transformation of the city towards sustainability Recall of main points: • The process of permanent transformation is based on the priority links between the space-economic concepts and these activity spaces The priority link of the building clusters with the economic concept of the minimum frontage is highlighted at the outset This is also the case for the priority link of the traces of mobility with the geographic concept of the urban land pattern The priority link of the areas of accessibility with the historic concept of the open form, however, appears in the role of synthesis at the end of the approach • Public space is at the heart of the transformation process of the city towards sustainability This becomes evident when public space integrates areas of accessibility in the form of places of exchange, communication and interaction These places in their changing functions and configurations offer opportunities to integrate social and cultural mix Success requires close cooperation of local authorities with private developers, namely, to decide the share of responsibility for these areas • The whole process leads to the understanding of the sustainable city as a city of adaptability This adaptability is P Bächtold, The Space-Economic Transformation of the City: Towards Sustainability, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5252-8_10, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 171 172 10 only possible in the search for simplicity of space-economic evidence that integrates the three dimensions of: – The economic linearity of production and reproduction processes (m1) – The chorological, two-dimensional networks (m2) – The history of the city in the evolution of its urban life (m3) Following these points, the urban concept of Nhà Bè is illustrated in its capacity of adaptability It is based on: – The diversified traces of mobility with their grey, green and blue networks – The different building clusters with their large typology of vertical stacks – The places of exchange, communication and interaction in their changing functions and configurations But this adaptability must be experienced gradually to cope with all the complex situations that arise in an entirely new urban district with its rapidly growing population: • Opportunities that are conducive to diversity of the populations must be carefully tested • Specific needs, mainly in terms of privacy and standards of space and equipment, must be respected • Private interests must be treated in their potential contradictions; this is particularly important in low-cost housing where space is limited, common access shared and used for private activities 10.2 Towards an Alternative Urban Planning Strategy for Ho Chi Minh City The urban top-down strategy illustrates the potential adaptability of the project in Nhà Bè in response to the continuing evolution of urban life With the extremely rapid growth of Ho Chi Minh City, several projects of the size of Nhà Bè are needed: – Can similar urban strategies be applied? – Can these local strategies adapted to the metropolitan level lead to an alternative urban planning strategy with the objective to transform Ho Chi Minh City to a city of sustainability? The challenge of sustainability in space-economic terms is to ensure the continuity of the planning procedure The government and the local authorities initiate and supervise the whole planning procedure As evidenced by the experiences of the four eco-areas presented in Part II, the effectiveness depends on the political strength of their land and location policy linked to the transport and traffic policy An active housing policy to support low-cost housing is urgent and completes the other sectoral policies The procedure aims to achieve important social mix at all spatial scales and thus avoid segregation The practical impact of public action, however, is largely influenced by market conditions and actions initiated by Towards a New Urban Planning Strategy private developers who need to be closely linked to the policymaking process In general, the success of the planning procedure depends on the level of cooperation between all professionals involved and the active implication on behalf of the citizens Thus, priority in urban planning strategy of Ho Chi Minh City changes: – From the current strategy focused on traffic and transport – To a balanced urban planning strategy that includes all sectoral policies and results in the operational management of key projects for the transformation of the city towards sustainability At local level, this strategy is based on the three socially necessary activity spaces of the city of adaptability: • Traces of mobility (m1) for traffic and travel activities, promoting walking and cycling • Building clusters of flexibility (m3) for localized activities, adaptable to changing needs • Areas of accessibility (m2) as transition, exchange and interaction between the two At the scale of the alternative urban planning strategy of Ho Chi Minh City, this means: – The public transport system is integrated in a system of mainly radial urban boulevards, combining adequately grey, green and blue networks all over the metropolitan area – These networks promote alternative means of mobility and lead to many places of exchange, communication and interaction – Connecting the building clusters of flexibility in their specificities Thus, a dozen urban centres such as Nhà Bè with its potential for 100,000 persons can be located at relatively short distances from the city centre Connected by urban boulevards along the main branches of Saigon River, these urban centres belong to a network of blue and green corridors running through the whole agglomeration of HCMC, in both directions north-south and east-west By the simultaneous grey, green and blue innervations, realistic solutions can be identified in integrating all other infrastructural services and networks As specified in Part I, two major groups can be distinguished: the street system and the networks for energy, water and waste • The street system is based on the clear distinction between: – Transit roads that are remote from the city’s conurbations, as this is the case in many cities that aim sustainability – Urban boulevards with public transport and main streets for motorized vehicles that connect the city centre to the different neighbourhoods – Access streets serving the land parcels 10.2 Towards an Alternative Urban Planning Strategy for Ho Chi Minh City • The networks for water, waste, sanitation and energy exploit the technological and economic changes that have occurred in recent years and create new opportunities with: – Diversified sources of energy – Integrated management of water, sanitation and waste treatment – Developed networked services adaptable to changing needs 173 The loop of the whole approach is closed by identifying the link between the space-economic transformation of Nhà Bè and the outline of an alternative urban planning strategy of HCMC It helps determine appropriate solutions to fight effectively against the major threats due to climate change and above all the floods that are a permanent and growing threat to the city and its region Prospect The space-economic transformation of the city towards sustainability aims: • The city of proximity • The city of compactness • The city of adaptability Challenge The ultimate space-economic challenge is to transform the city towards a city of adaptability with its ability to respond to changing urban life The major theoretical and practical elements that underlie this observation are highlighted in Parts I and II The case study in Ho Chi Minh City in Part III is presenting a possible response to that question of the space-economic transformation of the city towards a city of adaptability Main Obstacle The main obstacle on the path towards a city of adaptability is social and spatial segregation Political and economic initiatives are on the frontline to overcome this obstacle But collective actions by professionals involved are crucial Without better integration of their activities in the transformation process of the city, political and economic initiatives are likely to split into isolated and therefore ineffective actions What Is Next? It is hoped that the findings of the present study are accepted as useful for the future A continuous exchange of experiences is needed The accumulation of knowledge and skills has to support the process of permanent transformation of the city in demonstrating its capacity of adaptability The presentation of four eco-areas in Part II illustrate how such an accumulation process is possible With reference to the seven space-economic indicators of the city of sustainability, projects can be assessed Performed by local authorities, such assessments can highlight specific effectiveness of each experience Questions Once more, it is important to underline that nothing in this approach deserves not to be questioned This is particularly true what concerns the founding idea of the whole transformation process In fact, to economise space opens the possibility to economise matter and energy and thus diminish pollution But this formal possibility has to be transformed in real necessity This is a complex process In fact, the transition “from space to energy” that underlies the process of transformation of the city towards sustainability is subject to many general and special conditions What is true globally may be proved wrong locally Having in mind relativity of each experience, its wider interest must be proven in other conditions Bound to different political, social and economic contexts, the transition from space to energy opens to many options that are amplified in their complexity when moving from a general context to specific situations This complexity characterises the amazing reality of the city in its urbanity To explore the operational criteria and concepts that underlie its development is an ongoing challenge that professionals have to face But this requires joint efforts These efforts may be stimulated by the fact that the space-economic transformation of the city towards P Bächtold, The Space-Economic Transformation of the City: Towards Sustainability, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5252-8, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 175 176 sustainability, which helps to save space, matter and energy at the same time, always opens up opportunities to save time and money As major human and social action to transform the natural environment for the benefit of every citizen and community, Prospect the space-economic transformation of the city towards sustainability is the common foundation of all values of individual use In essence, the space economy is set to use value the equivalent sense of time economy to exchange value Index A Action Programme on Climate Change, 129 Adequate land policy, 135 Agglomeration of Lausanne, 5, Architectural Assignments 1995, 99, 100 B Bottom-up approach accelerating demographic urbanisation, 41 economic and geographical concepts economic and social feasibility, 29 economic transformation, 32 Eco-quartier de la gare de Pantin, 28 outskirts of Paris, 29 pink buildings, 28 urban renewal, 27 urban structures, 26, 27 economic concept, minimum frontage, 42 European city antique-medieval city, 35–36 Mediterranean space, 34 methodological break, 34–35 old world-new world, 39–40 Renaissance-Baroque city, 36–39 geographical concept, urban land pattern, 42–44 Greco-Roman archaeological zone, 40 historical concept islet-building block, 33–34 open and rigid urban structures, 32 open form, 43, 45 traditional-modern city, 32 minimum frontage (see Minimum frontage) oldest and new view, Bern city, 40 SCAAN, 42 space-economic concepts, 45 Switzerland and France, 41 urban development, 45 urban space, 41 working people, 42 Bygg Vesta building, Malmö, 125 C Cadastral plan, city of Bern, 5, Clichy-Batignolles indicates, Climate change, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) current urban development, 146–147 floods, 146 space-economic strategy, 148 urban planning system, 147–148 D Developmental policy, 135 E Eco-areas actors, governance and finance Hammarby, Stockholm (see Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm) Kronsberg, Hannover (see Kronsberg, Hannover) Vauban, Freiburg (see Vauban, Freiburg) Western Harbour, Malmö (see Western Harbour, Malmö) Europe location, 65 integrated urban policy, 135–136 Kockums Mechanical Works, 66 land-allocation ratios, 139 operational management, 136 space-economic indicators, 139 sustainable city, 137–139 urban project, Asia, 139 Ecological Kronsberg Standard, 116 Eco-quartier de la gare de Pantin project, 28 F Faỗade design, 170 Food waste dispose, 128 Foreign direct investments (FDI), 145 Freiburg Energy Company (FEW), 109 G Gerland district, Lyon, France, 4, 6, H Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm actors, governance and finance financial autonomy, 73–74 planning and implementation process, 73 political parties, 72 project partners, 73 Stockholm City Council, 71–72 urban issues, 74 energy Action Programme on Climate Change, 129 ambitious objectives, 129–130 energy-efficient buildings, 130–132 green building, 129 green city, 129, 130 sustainable urban development Architectural Assignments 1995, 99, 100 P Bächtold, The Space-Economic Transformation of the City: Towards Sustainability, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5252-8, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 177 178 Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm (cont.) environmental programme, 106 Extension Plan 1989, 98, 99 Hammarbyhamnen industrial areas,97 Lake Mälaren and Saltsjö arm, 97 Master Plan 1991, 98–100 Master Plan 1996, 99–100 Master Plan 2002, 100–102 urban concept, 101–103 urban life, 105–106 urban planning and architecture, 104–105 urban qualities, 103–104 waste food waste, 133–134 sorted and recycled, 133 vacuum waste, 133 water sewage management, 133 storm water, 132–133 water management, 132 Henriksdal wastewater treatment, 134 Hill’s watershed cross sections, 50 Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Nha Be project Government plan, 152 Official Urban Planning Strategy 2025, 149–150 urban projects, 150–152 space-economic transformation accessibility areas, 159–163 building clusters, flexibility, 159, 160 density and mix, 155 linear sequence, 155 minimum frontage, 155 proximity, compactness and adaptability, 155–156 space-economic criteria, 155, 156 space-economic metaphor, 155 traces of mobility, 158–159 traditional grid approach, 156–158 urban planning strategy climate change, 146–148 FDI, 145 garbage and wastewater, 145 Nha Be (see Nha Be project) population and density, 145 traffic and public transport, 145 I Integrated urban policy, 135–136 K Kajutan apartment building, Henriksdal, 130, 131 Kockums Mechanical Works, 66 Kronsberg, Hannover actors, governance and finance financial support, 69 Hannover Programme, 69 integrated planning process, 69–70 Kronsberg Advisory Council, 69 planning process, 69 Ecological Kronsberg Standard, 116 energy airtightness, 119 district heating provision, 117–118 electricity-saving programme, 116–117 energy efficiency optimisation, 118 Index low-energy houses, 118–119 Lummerlund passive-house development, 119, 120 solar city, 119–121 energy efficiency optimisation, 118 sustainable urban development Berlin Wall, 83 ecological standards, 89 Hannover City Council, 83 hillside park corridors, 89 industrial and commercial city, 83 Kronsberg general development plan, 86 objectives, 83 open-space system and traffic concept, 84, 85 panoramic view, city centre, 83, 84 planning area, 83, 84 residential development land, 84 social mix, 88–89 space-saving construction, 85 sustainable urban planning and construction, 84 urban development design competition, 84, 85 urban life, 85–88 water concept, 90 waste City’s Waste Management Service’s, 121 domestic and commercial waste, 122 ecological soil management programme, 121 enclosed waste-collection point, 122 glass container/bottle banks, 122 soil excavated onsite, 121, 122 water integrated natural storm water, 120 rainwater reservoirs, 121 rainwater system, 121 semi-natural storm water system, 120 Kungsparken, 124 L Land and location policy, 135 Lightweight concrete house, 124, 125 Lillgrund wind park solar, 123 Local Initiatives Program (LIP), 71 Lummerlund passive-house development, 119, 120 M Malmö’s green plan, 126 Metropolitan area of Lausanne, Minimum frontage economic concept basic spaces, 18 building cluster, 19 built environment, 16 Europe and Asia, 21–22 geometrical logic, 16 history, 16–17 houses, 19 multistorey apartments, 19–21 shells, 18 topicality, 21 vertical stacks, 18 rural land pattern, 23 urban land pattern Invalides and Ecole Militaire, 24 new settlement, Cairo, 25–26 operational efficiency, 24 plan Roussel of 1730, 25 Index N Nha Be project public space and building clusters green city, 165, 166 housing types, 165, 168 low-cost housing, 169–170 open city, 165–168 urban planners and architects, 165 social and spatial segregation, 164 space-economic transformation, 171–172 urban and residential sustainability, 164 urban planning strategy Government plan, 152 Official Urban Planning Strategy 2025, 149–150 urban projects, 150–152 O Official Urban Planning Strategy 2025, 149–150 Olynthus, 16, 17, 35 P Parisian urban structure, 27 Q Quality program of Design, 131 R Refuse suction system, 128, 133 S Saigon Pearl, Binh Thanh district, 150 Social policy, 136 Stockholm Water Company, 132 StoTherm Classic, 111, 112 Sustainable city density, 5, distance, 4–6 functional, social and cultural mix, 5–8 space-economic criteria, 3–4 space-economic indicators, 12 two energy surface Geneva, numerical model, 9, 10 macroeconomic approach, 10–11 microeconomic approach, 11–12 reduce energy consumption, buildings, space-economic effect, 10 urban structure, 10 urban land allocation, 8–9 Sustainable urban development Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm Architectural Assignments 1995, 99, 100 Extension Plan 1989, 98, 99 Green City, 106–107 Hammarbyhamnen industrial areas, 97 Lake Mälaren and Saltsjö arm, 97 Master Plan 1991, 98–100 Master Plan 1996, 99–100 Master Plan 2002, 100–102 urban concept, 101–103 urban life, 103–105 urban planning and architecture, 104–105 urban qualities, 103–104 179 Kronsberg, Hannover Berlin Wall, 83 ecological standards, 89 general development plan, 86 Hannover City Council, 83 hillside park corridors, 89 industrial and commercial city, 83 objectives, 83 open-space system and traffic concept, 84, 85 panoramic view, city centre, 83, 84 planning area, 83, 84 residential development land, 84 social mix, 88–89 space-saving construction, 85 sustainable urban planning and construction, 84 urban development design competition, 84, 85 urban life, 85–88 water concept, 90 Vauban, Freiburg environmental activities, 75 European City of the Year 2010, 75 French military camp Vauban, 75, 76 Green city, 81–83 industrial, commercial and tourism centre, 75 master plan, 77, 78 scenic environment, 75, 76 social mix, 80–81 Stadtbahn, 77 territory and land policy, 76 urban design, 76 urban life, 79–80 urban structure, 77, 79 Vauban-Allee, 77 Western Harbour, Malmö Bo01, 92–94 city of bicycles, 95–96 environmental programme, 91 European Exhibition, 92 Flagghusen–Bo02, 92 Fullriggaren–Bo03, 93 Kockums’ industrial site, 90 mayor of Malmư Ilmar Reepalu, 90 Ưresund’s Bridge, 91 Santiago Calatrava, 90 sustainable city, 96–97 urban concept, 91–93 urban life, 95 urban planning, 91, 92 urrban ecology, 94 Sweden’s Local Initiatives Program (LIP), 71 Syndicat communautaire d’aménagement de l’agglomération nouvelle (SCAAN), 42 T Thematic Atlas of Lausanne, 5, Thermal bridge losses, 112 Thu Thiem Master Plan, 150, 151 Timbre-framed houses, 124 Top-down strategy accessibility areas, 55–56 building clusters, flexibility bourgeois lifestyle, 54 medieval house, 54 optimal building clusters, 54–55 public space, 53 social, cultural and functional flexibility, 52 180 Top-down strategy (cont.) street in Paris, 54 sustainable city of adaptability, 55 urban structures, 53, 54 permanent transformation process transformation of Paris, 56–59 urban policy, 59–60 sustainable city, 47, 48 traces of mobility combined networks and service systems, 49 flexible and diversified, 49 London, urban growth, 47, 48 minimum frontage, 47 optimal urban networks and ecosystems, 51 rain and water systems, 49–50 urban ecosystems, 50 urban networks, 48 transformation process, 47 U Urban planning strategy HCMC, 172–173 climate change, 146–148 FDI, 145 garbage and wastewater, 145 Nha Be (see Nha Be project) population and density, 145 traffic and public transport, 145 space-economic transformation, Nha Be, 171–172 V Vauban, Freiburg actors, governance and finance financial resources, 68–69 Forum Vauban, 68 planning and design process, 68 sustainable development, 66–68 energy design, build and manage energy-effective buildings, 110–111 energy-saving techniques, 109 FEW, 109 high-quality windows, 111, 112 low-energy houses, 109–110 passive and positive houses, 112–114 space-economic approach, 114 sun ship, penthouses, 114–115 thermal bridge-free construction and airtightness, 111–112 sustainable urban development environmental activities, 75 European City of the Year 2010, 75 French military camp Vauban, 75, 76 green city, 81–83 Index industrial, commercial and tourism centre, 75 master plan, 77, 78 scenic environment, 75, 76 social mix, 80–81 Stadtbahn, 77 territory and land policy, 76 urban design, 76 urban life, 79–80 urban structure, 77, 79 Vauban-Allee, 77 waste, 116 water exploit rainwater, 115–116 rainwater and storm water, 115 VoltAir System®, 131 W Western Harbour, Malmö actors, governance and finance City Council, 71 funding and financing, 71 partners strongly committed, 70–71 Sustainable City Development (SCD), 71 energy Bygg Vesta building, 125 energy-efficient buildings, 123–124 Green roof, 125–126 LB-houses are timbre-framed houses, 124 public green areas, 126 renewable energy, 123 Yxhult AB house, 124, 125 sustainable urban development Bo01, 92–94 city of bicycles, 95–96 environmental programme, 91 European Exhibition, 92 Flagghusen–Bo02, 92 Fullriggaren–Bo03, 93 Kockums’ industrial site, 90 mayor of Malmư Ilmar Reepalu, 90 Ưresund’s Bridge, 91 Santiago Calatrava, 90 sustainable city, 96–97 urban concept, 91–93 urban life, 95 urban planning, 91, 92 urban ecology, 94 water biogas energy source, 128–129 soil decontamination, 129 storm water, 126–127 waste recovery, 127–128 wastewater treatment, 126 Wind turbines, 117 ... Lyon, France (Grether 2004) The Impact of Urban Form on the Sustainability of the City Two Ratios of Urban Land Allocation The allocation of land is the founding act of the city Its economic reality... preferable for the sustainable city The measure of the frontage of the land plots is essential for the space- economic efficiency of the urban structure The minimum frontage is the first operational... level in the thematic Atlas of Lausanne (Figs 1.6 and 1.7) 6 The Impact of Urban Form on the Sustainability of the City Figs 1.3 and 1.4 These two maps visualise the space- economic impact on the