The big idea: Sustainable urban design plans cities so they meet people's needs today without using up resources or harming the environment for the future. It aims to shrink a city's ecological footprint — the area of land and water needed to supply its resources and absorb its waste.
A smart city goes further: it uses digital technology and real-time data (sensors, apps, networks) to run services like traffic, energy and waste more efficiently and sustainably.
Together these are the strategies Option G uses to manage a city's environmental and social stresses for the long term.
Key terms for this micro
- Sustainable urban design — planning a city to last: low resource use, low pollution, liveable for the future.
- Ecological footprint — the land + water area a city needs to supply its resources and absorb its waste.
- Eco-city — a city designed to be environmentally low-impact (renewables, green space, recycling, compact form).
- Smart city — a city that uses sensors, data and digital networks to run services more efficiently.
- 15-minute city — a layout where residents reach work, shops, schools and health care within a 15-minute walk or cycle.
- Superblock — grouping several street blocks and removing through-traffic to reclaim space for people.
Sustainable vs smart: Sustainable design is about the outcome — a low-footprint, liveable city (green space, renewables, compact form).
Smart design is about the tool — using data and technology (sensors, smart meters, traffic apps) to get there efficiently. A good city is usually both.
How this is tested: Paper 1 Option G opens with a data-response on an urban figure — a scatter graph of carbon footprint vs population, a 15-minute-city travel-time chart, or a superblock diagram. You Estimate or State a value, read a relationship (positive / negative), or work out a mean. Always quote the units and read the correct axis.
| City | Population (millions) | Carbon footprint (Mt CO2) |
|---|---|---|
| Kolkata | 14.9 | 30 |
| Lagos | 14.4 | 35 |
| Sao Paulo | 12.2 | 85 |
| Shanghai | 27.0 | 180 |
| New York | 8.4 | 235 |
| Singapore | 5.7 | 55 |
Read the relationship, not just one point: When asked about the link between two columns, scan the whole table: does carbon footprint rise as population rises? Here it broadly does (a positive relationship) — but note the outliers: New York has a small population yet a huge footprint, so the link is not perfect.
The 15-minute city read: Papers also show a 15-minute-city chart of typical travel times to essential destinations (work, school, shops, health care, parks, transport). You might work out the mean travel time across the categories, or estimate the percentage of residents still living more than 15 minutes away. Read each bar carefully and average across the categories shown.
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Examiners want the mechanism — how a design choice cuts the footprint or runs the city more sustainably. Name the strategy, then explain the chain to lower resource use, lower emissions or a smaller footprint.
| Strategy | How it lowers the ecological footprint |
|---|---|
| Compact, mixed-use form (15-minute city) | Homes near jobs and shops -> people walk or cycle -> fewer car journeys -> lower transport emissions |
| Superblocks / car-free zones | Through-traffic removed -> less driving and pollution -> space reused for green areas and people |
| Renewable energy + green buildings | Solar, wind and efficient buildings replace fossil-fuel power -> far less CO2 per unit of energy |
| Recycling + circular economy | Reusing materials and recycling waste -> less landfill and fewer raw resources extracted |
| Green space + urban trees | Parks and street trees absorb CO2, cool the city and manage storm water -> lower footprint and heat |
| Smart technology (sensors + data) | Real-time data optimises traffic, energy and waste collection -> less congestion, fuel and waste |
Barcelona superblocks + Curitiba transit: Barcelona groups nine blocks into a superblock and removes through-traffic, reclaiming road space for plazas, trees and cycling — cutting local pollution and car use.
Curitiba (Brazil) built its city around a fast Bus Rapid Transit system decades ago, so a high share of residents use public transport instead of cars — a low-cost, low-footprint model.
Singapore + Songdo (smart cities): Singapore uses sensors and data to manage traffic (electronic road pricing), water recycling and energy, and sets strict green-building rules.
Songdo (South Korea) was built as a smart city with pneumatic waste collection (no bin lorries) and city-wide sensors — though critics note the high cost and that not all of it was needed.
Always give the mechanism: Don't just name a strategy — explain how it cuts the footprint. 15-minute city -> homes near services -> people walk/cycle -> fewer car trips -> lower transport emissions.
How this is tested — the [10] Examine/Evaluate essay: Paper 1 Option G ends with a 10-mark Examine or Evaluate essay, marked on markbands. Recurring versions ask how effective eco-city design, smart-city technology, or footprint-reduction strategies are for managing cities sustainably.
Top band needs: accurate terms, named cities/schemes with detail, a balanced weighing of benefits against limits (cost, equity, privacy, existing infrastructure, political will), and a justified conclusion.
Markband marks: (1) Argue both sides — gains AND limits (one-sided answers cap mid-band). (2) Anchor each side to a named city or scheme (Barcelona, Curitiba, Singapore, Masdar, Songdo). (3) End on an explicit judgement that answers 'how effective'.