Comments on: The Post-Kyoto City http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/the-post-kyoto-city.html Good Ideas Report Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:28:11 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Chantal Martin http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/the-post-kyoto-city.html/comment-page-1#comment-254886 Chantal Martin Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:15:05 +0000 http://www.psfk.com/2009/03/the-post-kyoto-city.html#comment-254886 I, too, read The New York Times article by Nicolai Ouroussoff, and found myself asking the same question you pose about urban-planning in the US. While American environmental policies may not be as advanced as those of some European nations, Sarkozy’s recent study of proposals for a “post-Kyoto city” should act as inspiration for future urban-building schemes across the nation. To be sure, the plans the study produced for Paris are by no means perfect, especially considering the amount of money it would take to implement any one of the visions in the context of the current economic crisis. Still, however lofty Sarkozy’s ambitions may seem, such initiatives as the “grand plans” show that France is taking an important step towards a future where the environment will be one of the primary considerations in urban development. Even though the US rejected the Kyoto Protocol and may thus be less inclined than other nations to work towards eco-friendly infrastructure, as you point out in your post “we are at a pivotal time where we could reclaim” cities in America “and rebuild them.” While it will be difficult to rectify the mistakes of the past, in creating and adopting environmentally sustainable structures now we would be building for the future. I think that one of the most potent examples of this, which you also touched, is the case of New Orleans. Certainly the devastation the city experienced due to Hurricane Katrina was a great tragedy. However, as Ouroussoff makes clear in his article, the disaster presented an opportunity for “architects and urban planners all over the country” to begin “a spirited investigation of how to make New Orleans safer and more sustainable.” In addition to New Orleans, what cities do you consider to be ready for such large-scale plans as those proposed for Paris? Though I currently reside in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to live in Paris for a year and was able to experience first-hand the advantages of a concentrated urban center and efficient public transportation system. As these are both attributes that are virtually non-existent in LA, I am hopeful that with the increasing publicity caused by Sarkozy’s study and Ouroussoff’s avocation for sustainable American cities, there will be extensive revamping projects to make LA a more compact and green city in the near future. I, too, read The New York Times article by Nicolai Ouroussoff, and found myself asking the same question you pose about urban-planning in the US. While American environmental policies may not be as advanced as those of some European nations, Sarkozy’s recent study of proposals for a “post-Kyoto city” should act as inspiration for future urban-building schemes across the nation. To be sure, the plans the study produced for Paris are by no means perfect, especially considering the amount of money it would take to implement any one of the visions in the context of the current economic crisis. Still, however lofty Sarkozy’s ambitions may seem, such initiatives as the “grand plans” show that France is taking an important step towards a future where the environment will be one of the primary considerations in urban development.

Even though the US rejected the Kyoto Protocol and may thus be less inclined than other nations to work towards eco-friendly infrastructure, as you point out in your post “we are at a pivotal time where we could reclaim” cities in America “and rebuild them.” While it will be difficult to rectify the mistakes of the past, in creating and adopting environmentally sustainable structures now we would be building for the future. I think that one of the most potent examples of this, which you also touched, is the case of New Orleans. Certainly the devastation the city experienced due to Hurricane Katrina was a great tragedy. However, as Ouroussoff makes clear in his article, the disaster presented an opportunity for “architects and urban planners all over the country” to begin “a spirited investigation of how to make New Orleans safer and more sustainable.” In addition to New Orleans, what cities do you consider to be ready for such large-scale plans as those proposed for Paris? Though I currently reside in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to live in Paris for a year and was able to experience first-hand the advantages of a concentrated urban center and efficient public transportation system. As these are both attributes that are virtually non-existent in LA, I am hopeful that with the increasing publicity caused by Sarkozy’s study and Ouroussoff’s avocation for sustainable American cities, there will be extensive revamping projects to make LA a more compact and green city in the near future.

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