Sustainable Urban Living | AQA GCSE 9-1 Geography

How do cities become sustainable? What are the key aspects of sustainable urban living?

This is the sixty-first video for the AQA GCSE 9-1 Geography course, and the eleventh video of the Urban Issues & Challenges topic.

The Urban Issues & Challenges Playlist:
»    • Urban Issues & Challenges | AQA GCSE 9-1 G...  

Follow me on all platforms:
» https://linktr.ee/keducate

Do you have a video suggestion?
» https://forms.gle/gxc3xHQ1b1wUeANT9

Video Script:
Sustainable urban living meets the needs of the present without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This is important for managing the many challenges of today’s cities, as seen in the case studies covered in this topic.

The five key aspects of urban sustainability are water, energy, waste, green spaces and transport.

A sustainable water supply requires collecting, conserving and recycling water so as little water is used as possible. Rainwater can be collected for use in gardens or indoors, dual flush toilets can be installed and water meters can be used. These can be complemented by campaigns to use less water, e.g. reminders to make sure taps are always turned off.

A sustainable energy supply requires using more renewable sources and restricting the use of fossil fuels. Homes can be made more efficient through insulation, triple glazing, energy efficient products, smart meters and solar panels.

Waste management involves reducing, reusing and recycling waste. This includes both regularly recycled items and large items e.g. fridges and furniture.

Urban greening involves increasing the amount of green space within a city. This helps to keep air clean, provide a habitat for wildlife and a recreational area for people. Trees can be planted in parks and along streets, more open green spaces can be created and gardens can be developed on roofs of buildings, which also helps soak up excess heat in summer.

Effective transport management helps to reduce air pollution, fuel consumption, journey times, and risk of accidents.
A large and integrated transport network (which means different forms of transport can link to one another) is vital for encouraging public transport use. This can include buses, trains and metro services.
Congestion charging zones can discourage people from driving their own vehicles in central areas.
Extensive cycling infrastructure such as bike lanes and self-hire bikes helps to increase the number of people cycling.

It is important to know examples of cities that have sustainable urban living practices; these will be covered in the next video.

--
GCSE Geography
21/05/2025
Keducate