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Tall Building Sustainability
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Summary
Initially, the concept of sustainable development
was associated with ecological sustainability, but
it was soon used to describe social and economic
sustainability, too. The greater popularity the concept
gained through the Brundtland Report and
Agenda 21. Sustainable development is mostly
perceived as a socioeconomic system that enables
human needs but also a long-term progress toward
the well-being and improvement of overall quality
of life in accordance with environmental constraints.
The essence of the concept of sustainable
development derives from the triple bottom line
framework, which implies the balance between
three dimensions of sustainability: ecological
(environmental) sustainability, social sustainability,
and economic sustainability. In the core of
sustainable development are eco-efficiency,
inter- and intra-generational social justice, and
participation in decision-making. Thus to understand
sustainable development requires understanding
of the behavior of systems in general and of human and
environmental systems in particular
because the ecological, social, and economic
dimensions of sustainable development
include several different aspects which are interrelated
with each other.
Systems thinking is a way of thinking that
helps people see their role from a holistic point
of view. Systems thinking and systems dynamics
can be taught without involving sustainability, but
sustainability cannot be taught without involving
systems thinking. Beside systems thinking, the
capacities to think systematically, to understand
ethical issues, to cope with unexpected problems,
and also problem-solving and collaboration skills
are needed when modifying and shaping the
future of society in a sustainable way.
Sustainability is, thus, not only an environmental
issue to be controlled by scientists, it is a
multifaceted and interdisciplinary issue related to
both local and global circumstances and past
events as well as future prospects. There is a
growing need for effective international cooperation
to manage ecological, economic, and social
interdependence. Thus the term sustainable development
encompasses the concerns of people
working in a wide range of disciplines from sociology
to engineering, from geology to mathematics,
not only today but also in the future.
It is widely assumed that the “dense vertical city” is more sustainable than the “dispersed horizontal city.” This concept has certainly been a large factor in the unprecedented increase in the construction of tall buildings globally over the last few decades, especially in the developing world. The concentration of people in denser cities — sharing space, infrastructure, and facilities — is typically thought to offer much greater energy efficiency than the expanded horizontal city, which requires more land use, as well as a higher energy expenditure in infrastructure and mobility.
Though this belief in the sustainability benefits of ‘dense’ versus ‘dispersed’ living is driving the development of cities from Toronto to Tianjin and from Sau Paulo to Shanghai, the principle has rarely been examined at a detailed, quantitative level. Studies to date have been mostly based on large data sets of generalized data regarding whole-urban energy consumption, or large-scale transport patterns. Crucially, there are very few studies that also take into account a “quality of life” aspect to urban vs. suburban living, in addition to differences in energy use patterns.
Chicago, the city in which this research has taken place, is uniquely positioned for a study exploring density vs. sprawl from a sustainability point of view. The birthplace of the tall building and one of the main crucibles for experimentation in the typology in the century or more since then, Chicago also has an ever-growing suburban area that is typical of most US cities. And yet, again in line with many other cities around the world over the past decade or two, it has seen suburban growth alongside densification of its downtown area and a resurgence of people seeking high-rise urban living.
This research report offers a quantitative evaluation of long-held assumptions, and with sometimes surprising results. The ground-breaking study quantitatively investigates and compares the sustainability of people’s lifestyles in both urban and suburban areas from environmental and social perspectives, using detailed information directly collected from households and best available data from public resources. It fills significant research gaps in our knowledge of the sustainability of urban density compared to suburban sprawl. This is an indispensable resource for policy makers, developers, urban planners, architects, utilities, and anyone else with a stake in shaping the future of the built environment.
Studies of compact cities have evolved along with the rising awareness of climate change and sustainable development. Relevant debates, however, reveal that the prevailing defi nitions and practices of compact cities are tied primarily to traditional Western urban forms. This book reinterprets “compact city” and develops a groundbreaking discourse of “Vertical Urbanism,” a concept that has never been critically articulated. It emphasizes “Vertical Urbanism” as a dynamic design strategy instead of a static form, distinguishing it from the stereotyped concept of “vertical city” or “towers in the park,” dominant in China and elsewhere, and suggests its adaptability to different geographic and cultural contexts. Using Chinese cities as laboratories of investigation, this book explores the design, ecological, and sociocultural dimensions of building compact cities, and addresses important global urban issues through localized design solutions, such as the relationship between density and vitality, the integration of horizontal and vertical dimensions of design, and the ecological and social adaptability of combinatory mega-forms. In addition, through discussions with scholars from the United States, China, and Japan, this book provides an insight into the theoretical debates surrounding “compact city” and “Vertical Urbanism” in the global context. Scholars and students in architecture and urban planning will be attracted by this book. Also, it will appeal to readers with an interest in urban development and Asian studies. © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Zhongjie Lin and José L. S. Gámez; individual chapters, the contributors.
Tall buildings are an integration of architecture, structural, and environmental systems, and they require substantial resources to build and operate. Therefore, design and construction of tall buildings is a highly multidisciplinary process. To realize a desirable built environment through tall buildings, all professionals involved in the design and construction of such projects should work collaboratively from project inception to completion. Further, operation and maintenance of the building after completion must be taken into consideration during the design stage. The knowledge, experience, and input that each team member can offer throughout the design and construction process will add substantially to producing a built environment that is creative, environmentally sensitive, aesthetically pleasing, functional, and reasonable to construct, operate, and manage. Every team member's basic background and knowledge of aspects of tall building design and construction beyond his/her own discipline is crucial. It is true that the workload of individual design and construction team members varies throughout the process, but every professional has a significant role to play at every stage.
Tall building developments have been rapidly increasing worldwide. This paper reviews the evolution of tall building's structural systems and the technological driving force behind tall building developments. For the primary structural systems, a new classification – interior structures and exterior structures – is presented. While most representative structural systems for tall buildings are discussed, the emphasis in this review paper is on current trends such as outrigger systems and diagrid structures. Auxiliary damping systems controlling building motion are also discussed. Further, contemporary "out-of-the-box" architectural design trends, such as aerodynamic and twisted forms, which directly or indirectly affect the structural performance of tall buildings, are reviewed. Finally, the future of structural developments in tall buildings is envisioned briefly.
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica
- Britannica
Urban population growth (annual %)
- World Bank
Engineering architecture: The vision of Fazlur R
- Y S Khan
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Essays on the tall building and the City
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- World Bank
Operations + training: Understanding the core
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Urban population (% of total population
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