The world is urbanizing rapidly — This means that the challenges we face regarding climate change, land use, economic inequality, energy, natural resource management, environmental degradation, etc. will increasingly be confronted and tackled in an urban setting. At what level can we most efficiently plan and implement sustainable urban solutions? What is the scale at which these solutions become less a nod towards “green” design principles and more the foundation for a new way of urban living — the beginning of a paradigm shift?

This paper examines the concept of EcoDistricts: a neighborhood-scale approach to sustainability that can be replicated on a case-by-case basis and tailored to a community’s needs. It examines two existing EcoDistricts in Europe and North America, and concludes with an analysis of the NYC Dept. of City Planning’s sustainability plan for East New York, Brooklyn.

EcoDistricts – Urban Sustainability at the Neighborhood Level (PDF)

Image: Living City Block