Energy Efficiency through Urban Design and Urban Planning

Energy Efficient Methods to be adopted for Town and City Planning

Urban Design and Urban Planning plays a great role in achieving energy efficiency. Planning of towns and cities is an extremely important aspect in order to achieve energy efficiency.

In this article, we will discuss how efficient town planning can help in achieving energy efficiency. We will mainly focus on the architectural planning part of the town planning.

Rectangular Pattern with superimposed diagonals
Rectangular Pattern with superimposed diagonals

How does town planning help in resolving the problem of energy consumption?

A town planner has to take into consideration various amenities and facilities that are to be incorporated in a town. For resolving the problem of energy consumption, “Polycentric urban structure” has to be designed.

The centralization of all various important amenities and facilities has to be necessarily incorporated. This will help in reducing the distance of the people travelling from various points in town. The shape and form of the town and the road network should be so designed that the walking distance from any point in town is not more than 7minutes to 10minute walk.

If possible, pedestrianized streets have to be designed in order to create a safe pedestrian environment.

Encouraging travel by foot will help reduce the need for two wheeler and four wheeler vehicles. This will help in saving fuel. Saving fuel will cut travelling costs as well as it will help conserve the non-renewable sources of energy.

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Critical Thinking about the Future of Architecture

Lets start with a question and end with one. In the recent history of the World, which building has inspired a new thought, a new way of thinking in us? Too many to choose from or nothing at all! How come every building that comes to our mind is either too old to apply or worse done by a foreign architect – be it the Rashtrapati Bhavan or IIM Ahmedabad.

Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi, India
Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi, India

But the old school of architecture has given way to the new. When Corbusier came up with his perfect home in a concrete box, it was called modern architecture. After decades is it still “modern”? Yes there was a post modern and post post modern. As we classify history as renaissance baroque etc. what will our grandchildren call our buildings? Maybe something undignified as “alu-bond Architecture” or something vague as “Modern World Deco”…!

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