Reducing urbanisation is that really what we want? --- There are many scientific publications in peer reviewed journals stating how urbanization actually reduces energy consumption, which means that the impact of urbanization on emissions is positive. This should stimulate policy makers to work more closely with urban architects in future plans and concepts. At the same time, urbanization pushes towards new innovative solutions that help improve environmental quality, even more than in rural areas. Alex Steffen explained this concept very well in several books, essays, documentaries, speeches. However, we see that one of the goals of SDG15 is the reduction of urbanization, SDG 15.5. My impression is that the rationale behind this decision is based on outdated considerations when urbanization was seen only as a loss of land, with a negative impact on ecosystems and biodiversity. Too often we neglect the opportunities offered by urbanization to tackle environmental challenges more seriously and efficiently, together with the effort to ensure a better and safer life to a large part of the population.

Source author: Vojko Bratina vbratina@katamail.com