The strength of the urban form

Abstract

Cities with more than 75% of consumption and 85% of global CO2 emissions are a major problem in our country. The continuous process of urbanization highlights the human need of city and denounces the need to transform the urban settlement from a weak to a strong future sustainability. Urban form and functions are deeply related to the availability of the energy resources in the territory, comparing the behavior of the city to a living organism, dependent on the energy flows in and out. This one-to-one relationship between form and energy sources historically proved that emphasize mutations engender each other on their development and their decline. According to scientific studies, relevant "physical" factors, such as morphology and density, directly affect a settlement's energy behaviour and its microclimate. The uniqueness of each city and their ability to work simultaneously on local and global objectives has driven Europe to indicate cities as a crux and urban design as the appropriate tool for defining the shape and land uses compatible with sustainability goals. Because of historical ties linking urban form and energy sources, the force switchover to renewable sources raises the question what will be the future shape of the sustainable city. The use of urban design as a tool to influence urban form becomes an essential prerogative to bear on urban form and reach the optimal condition of energy's self-sustainable island. © 2011 WIT Press.