Amsterdam is one example of how a city is finding new and alternative methods for ensuring greener living. The ReGen Village that is being developed on the outskirts of Almere is designed to be fully self-sufficient. This new and ever growing neighbourhood will grow its own food, generate its own energy and handle its own waste in a closed loop.
Other cities ensuring that they move towards a more sustainable future are places such as Oslo, where government is working towards banning cars from the city centre by 2019 as a part of their plan to cut emissions in half by 2020.
Bogota, the Columbian capital, is leading the way when it comes to sustainable transport by establishing TransMilenio - one of the most successful rapid transit systems, similar to the MyCiti Bus in Cape Town. Segregated on high-speed lanes, these transport systems create low-cost, high-speed transport capable of moving masses of people through the city.
Moving closer to home, the City of Cape Town has recently introduced their new recycling web portal, making it a lot easier for residents to practice responsible waste management. The new system follows a four step process ensuring that residents are able to have a full overview of all waste management options available to them, be it a city drop-off facility, a weekly recycling collector or private community drop-off and buy-back centre.
These shining examples prove that, as cities around the world become more green conscious, government and city dwellers alike are working together and must continue to do so, to ensure that the these efforts continue and innovation increases into the future.
