Tag: SmartCities

World Town Planning Day 2025: Planning for a Sustainable, Inclusive, and Resilient Future

Every year on November 8, urban planners, architects, policymakers, educators, and communities around the world come together to celebrate World Town Planning Day — a global event that highlights the critical role of urban and regional planning in shaping sustainable, inclusive, and resilient human settlements.

🏙️ Origin and Significance

World Town Planning Day was established in 1949 by Professor Carlos María della Paolera of the University of Buenos Aires. Since then, it has been observed in more than 30 countries worldwide, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful urban and regional planning in improving the quality of life for people everywhere.

The day serves as a reminder that good planning is not just about building cities, but about creating livable, equitable, and environmentally responsible communities. It provides an opportunity to:

  • Recognize the contributions of planners and urban designers.
  • Promote public understanding of the importance of spatial planning.
  • Encourage collaboration between governments, academia, and citizens in managing urban growth and development.

🌆 Theme for World Town Planning Day 2025: “Resilient Cities for a Changing Climate”

In the context of rapid urbanization, climate change, and socio-economic challenges, this year’s theme — “Resilient Cities for a Changing Climate” — highlights how urban planning must evolve to confront new realities.

Resilience in city planning goes beyond physical infrastructure. It encompasses:

  • Climate Adaptation: Designing green and blue infrastructures, integrating renewable energy systems, and ensuring water-sensitive urban design.
  • Social Resilience: Fostering inclusive neighborhoods where every citizen — regardless of income, gender, or background — has access to housing, healthcare, education, and mobility.
  • Economic Resilience: Encouraging compact, mixed-use, and transit-oriented developments that support local economies and reduce carbon footprints.

🏗️ The Role of Urban Planning in Sustainable Development

Urban planning plays a pivotal role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — particularly SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. By integrating sustainability principles into land use, infrastructure, and transportation systems, planners help ensure:

  • Efficient land utilization through smart growth and transit-oriented development (TOD).
  • Better accessibility and mobility through non-motorized and public transport networks.
  • Protection of natural resources and green spaces.
  • Balanced urban-rural linkages for equitable regional development.

As noted in “Transportation Engineering and Planning” by C.S. Papacostas and “Urban Transport: Planning and Management” by A.K. Jain, the quality of urban life is deeply influenced by how we design and manage transport systems and built environments. Planning decisions made today will determine the liveability and sustainability of our cities for decades to come.

🌿 Embracing Smart and Sustainable Planning Practices

In the digital age, urban planning is being transformed by technology. Concepts such as Smart Cities, Digital Twins, and Geospatial Analytics allow planners to simulate future scenarios, optimize land use, and ensure resource efficiency.

Key planning innovations driving the future include:

  • GIS and Remote Sensing for spatial decision-making.
  • AI and Big Data Analytics for predictive modeling of urban growth.
  • Community-driven Planning through participatory GIS and public engagement platforms.
  • Green Building and Energy Efficiency strategies that reduce urban carbon footprints.

Such innovations not only improve urban functionality but also align with the global movement toward Net Zero Cities and the Green Transition.

🧭 The Planner’s Vision: Building for People, Planet, and Prosperity

Planners are the bridge between vision and implementation, ensuring that urban growth aligns with societal needs and ecological realities. Whether it’s conserving heritage areas, designing pedestrian-friendly streets, or managing rapid metropolitan expansion, planners shape the framework of sustainable living.

World Town Planning Day reminds us that cities are living organisms, constantly evolving with people’s aspirations, technologies, and environmental challenges. The role of planning is to guide this evolution responsibly — balancing development with sustainability.

🤝 Call to Action

As we celebrate World Town Planning Day 2025, let us reaffirm our commitment to:

  • Advocate for climate-resilient and inclusive cities.
  • Empower young planners, researchers, and policymakers to innovate sustainable urban solutions.
  • Collaborate across disciplines — from architecture to transportation, from governance to social science — to reimagine the cities of tomorrow.

Urban planning is not merely a technical discipline; it is an ethical responsibility toward our communities and the generations to come.
Let us plan not just for today, but for the future we want — a world where every settlement is sustainable, equitable, and resilient.

🌐

Emerging Techniques of Solid Waste Management

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Kavita Dehalwar

🌱 Emerging Techniques of Solid Waste Management for a Sustainable and Safe Living Environment 🌍

In our pursuit of a sustainable future, managing solid waste efficiently is more crucial than ever. With rapid urbanization and population growth, the strain on our waste management systems is increasing, making innovation in this field essential for a healthier and safer living environment.

Here are some emerging techniques shaping the future of waste management, along with real-world examples:

1️⃣ Waste-to-Energy Conversion:
Technologies like pyrolysis, gasification, and anaerobic digestion convert waste into renewable energy. For example, Sweden’s Waste-to-Energy plants use incineration to convert household waste into heat and electricity, powering over a million homes while significantly reducing landfill dependency.

2️⃣ Smart Waste Bins:
Smart bins equipped with sensors and IoT technology are revolutionizing waste collection. In cities like San Francisco, smart bins signal waste collectors when they are full, optimizing collection routes, reducing fuel consumption, and lowering CO2 emissions. This approach not only saves costs but also enhances the efficiency of urban waste management.

3️⃣ Circular Economy Practices:
Embracing circular economy principles is about rethinking our approach to production and consumption. Companies like IKEA are taking the lead with initiatives like furniture buy-back and resale programs, extending product life cycles and minimizing waste. This shift not only diverts waste from landfills but also supports sustainable consumption habits.

4️⃣ Advanced Recycling Technologies:
Innovations like chemical recycling allow the breakdown of complex plastics into their original monomers, making them reusable in the production of new plastics. A prime example is the company Brightmark, which utilizes chemical recycling to turn plastic waste into valuable products like fuels, waxes, and new plastics, providing a solution for materials previously considered non-recyclable.

5️⃣ Community-Based Waste Management:
Community-driven initiatives are making a big impact on waste management at the grassroots level. For instance, in Bangalore, India, the Daily Dump organization promotes home composting kits, encouraging households to turn organic waste into valuable compost. This not only reduces the burden on local waste management systems but also fosters a culture of sustainability within communities.

6️⃣ AI and Machine Learning:
AI-powered systems are enhancing the efficiency of waste sorting at recycling facilities. ZenRobotics, a Finnish company, uses AI-driven robots to identify and sort different types of waste materials with high precision, improving the quality of recyclable outputs and reducing contamination rates.

By embracing these innovative techniques and learning from successful examples around the globe, we can build a more sustainable and resilient environment for future generations. Let’s all do our part in promoting these practices in our communities, businesses, and daily lives.

♻️ Together, we can make a difference! 🌿

♻️ Together, we can make a difference! 🌿

References

Iqbal, A., Liu, X., & Chen, G. H. (2020). Municipal solid waste: Review of best practices in application of life cycle assessment and sustainable management techniques. Science of The Total Environment, 729, 138622.

Kumar, G., Vyas, S., Sharma, S.N., Dehalwar, K. (2024). Challenges of Environmental Health in Waste Management for Peri-urban Areas. In: Nasr, M., Negm, A. (eds) Solid Waste Management. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60684-7_9

Sharma, S. N., Dehalwar, K., & Singh, J. (2024). Emerging Techniques of Solid Waste Management for Sustainable and Safe Living Environment. In Solid Waste Management: Advances and Trends to Tackle the SDGs (pp. 29-51). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

Shrivastava, P., Mishra, S., & Katiyar, S. K. (2015, December). A review of solid waste management techniques using GIS and other technologies. In 2015 International conference on computational intelligence and communication networks (CICN) (pp. 1456-1459). IEEE.

Sharma, S.N., Dehalwar, K., Singh, J. (2024). Emerging Techniques of Solid Waste Management for Sustainable and Safe Living Environment. In: Nasr, M., Negm, A. (eds) Solid Waste Management. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60684-7_3

Vaccari, M., Torretta, V., & Collivignarelli, C. (2012). Effect of improving environmental sustainability in developing countries by upgrading solid waste management techniques: A case study. Sustainability, 4(11), 2852-2861.