Week 03: Sustainable Future

This tutorial involved looking at the sustainable future of Brisbane. To reach the future, the past and current issues must be addressed and re-configured for the future:

- Transport (Smart Cars, better transport infrastructure)
- Energy Use (Alternative energy sources, smarter electrical grid, end of oil era approaching in future)
- Waste (Dealing with our waste better)
- Water (We are running out of water world wide)
- Resilience (Against future scenarios presented)
- Biodiversity/ Environment (Protection, generation)
- Health (Obesity, drugs and alcohol, mental health)
- Food (Resource consumption)
- Population Increase (From other states or countries)
- Fossil Fuels


Transport:
Transport is the second largest consumer of energy in Queensland behind electrical generation. Developing strategies improve public transport and private transport is necessary. Potentially looking at a carless city. Tax on cars which run on fossil fuel. This rewards cleaner transport. Will force manufacturers to develop cleaner cars and market better. May need permits for people who live in city.  Need to consider ways for Emergency Vehicles and Disabled and Service vehicles.

Look at light rail, high frequency, low volume.

Bikes (providing storage in buildings, carparks can be bike stores now)

Rowing to work. clubs;. need better accessibilty from river. Potentially canals in city??



Energy Use:

Alternative energy sources, smarter electrical grid, end of oil era approaching in future.

Facade film that generates energy and solar panels.

Turbines.

- The largest consumer of electrical energy is actually the electricity generation industry which contributes 71 million tonnes of carbon emissions. 
- Looking at implementing more alternative energy systems from the money generated from carbon tax. Introduce new design regulations for new developments to store an amount of water and treat on site.

Waste:

- Collection points that suck waste to collection points to remove need for collections.
- Feeding more waste back into the loop. Providing alternate uses for waste? 
 
 Water:

The table below shows water consumption by sector. Agriculture industry consumes most water which could be addressed by better irrigation. Within Brisbane, better storage of water on site to use as grey water.

Biodiversity/Environment:

Upholding biodiversity in Brisbane is utmost importance. In Brisbane, Brisbane City Council aims to have 40% of Brisbane land with biodiversity. Hotspots within Brisbane will be protected with the intent to connect ecological corridors.
- Reduce urban sprawl so that we can be surrounded by more farm land.
- More greenery in city to reduce. Laws that requires green roofs.

Health (Obesity, drugs and alcohol, mental health)

- Creating a social loop at water’s edge.
- Row to work.

Food:

With a reduction in cars and congestion in the city, cleaner air will occur. This could provide more ideal environments to design sustainable landscapes which bear fruit or vegetables.

- Smart landscape design which is more than ornamentation. Using trees that bear fruit, or urban farms.
- Improving hospitality in mixed use.

Population:

The diagram below shows population growth in Queensland over the last 10 years. Brisbane has seen the most growth. Inner city population has increased the most with outer suburbs as well indicating sprawl and strain on inner city living. Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast have also increased dramatically. A lot of people commute from the coasts to Brisbane.

Fossil Fuels:
Need to reduce or find alternative uses for fossil fuels. Queensland industry is driven by the mining sector. If coal was suddenly an unused entity, then there would be financial and social repurcussions. By slowly phasing out fossil fuels, people who lose their jobs could re-directed towards alternate energy use.