How can I live green in the city? With over seven billion people and growing, cities are an established fact of life, and not necessarily a bad thing. It is how cities are built that determines whether they promote or detract from quality of life. In fact, many early cultures viewed cities as organic, living entities, that could grow in a healthy, life-supporting way.

For example, the city of Münster, Germany was initially built for 14,000 inhabitants (it was founded in 793 A.D.). The current population has multiplied by a factor of almost 20 to its current population of around 270,000, yet its initial design has allowed the city to grow organically. It is now considered the bicycle capital of Germany, where the self-propelled vehicles represent a plurality (37.6 percent ) all traffic in the city. Even if more numerous extensions to the city were built, Münster would still exist. However, if the old city center were to be removed, then the city would simply be degraded to a lifeless hull.

For a greater understanding of the many factors that affect city living and growth, both negatively and positively, please see course IBE 203.4 – Community Planning.

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