Sweden Symbiocity by Honorata Grzesikowska Architect and Urbanist

Take a deeper look The holistic approach to sustainable urban development

SymbioCity promotes holistic and sustainable urban development â&#x20AC;&#x201C; finding potential synergies in urban functions and unlocking their efficiency and profitability.

What is SymbioCity? Introducing: Your future

Symbiosis in Swedish Symbiosis means the integration of two or more organisms in a mutually beneficial union. In Sweden, where for fifty years weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve focused on holistic city planning, symbiosis means finding synergies between urban technology systems that save natural resources and cost less.

SymbioCity SymbioCity is the trademark that reflects all knowledge and experience in regard to the Swedish approach to sustainability. Several hundred Swedish consultants, contractors and system suppliers are organised in various networks dedicated to spreading the vision of sustainable urbanism and making the distance to implementation as short as possible.

Sustainability: everywhere, always As the Brundtland Commission* put it, sustainability is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” *The Brundtland Commission, formerly the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), convened by the United Nations in 1983.

World of cities

We…

Urbanisation is closely tied to economic and cultural development. The majority of the world’s six billion people already live in or near cities. This ever-expanding large-scale urban growth has created a pressing need for more holistic planning and governance of city development. These challenges were the reason for an initiative taken by the Swedish Government and the Swedish Trade Council to present a concept for sustainable city development at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg 2002.

… put into practice a holistic approach for sustainable urban development primarily based on experiences and best-practice. All aspects of sustainability should be considered. … use an integrated approach where different fields of action will be coordinated and combined in an optimal way. … offer a concept which may be adapted to different development levels of cities and towns as well as different planning situations.

Urbanisation The way the World is heading We are now one society

One planet, nine billion passengers

While ecological footprints come in many sizes, we are all leaving our mark on the planet. As our consumption increases, the earth’s biocapacity decreases. The environment is under obvious and increasing stress to which every economy contributes. The main challenge areas are well known: water supply, food supply, transport systems, waste disposal, threats to fauna and flora. Not to mention the abstract – but very real – problem of climate change and its causes in the carbon dioxide emissions that stem from almost any human economic activity. Specialists in ecosystem research have shown how various environmental aspects depend on each other; the depletion of natural resources in most of the world today is a serious threat to ourselves and our standard of living. Not least to us living in urban areas.

Cities and towns represent a large share of the consumption of non-renewable resources, they produce large amounts of waste and enormous environmental pollution of air and water. It’s crucial to find the best answers to questions of how urban growth should be managed. World population will likely rise from 6 to 9 billion by 2050; in twenty years, as many as 60% of the human population will live in cities. We simply must build sustainable urban areas for future human life.

Taking it downtown City leaders are well-aware of natural and man-made hazards in urban settings. Of traffic congestion and accidents. Of air pollution from industry, transport and energy production. Water pollution from industries and municipalities. Lack of green areas and biological diversity. The complexities of waste collection and disposal – the list goes on. In many of the world’s urban areas, the levels of depletion and pollution are close to critical. Faced with diverse challenges, city governments are eager to take action, and must decide on the best course.

Traffic is an obvious major source of air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions in a city, but far from the only one. Fossil fuel consumption for heating and low energy efficiency in buildings also adds to environmental challenges. 6

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The search for sustainable grow What have we found along the way?

Sustainable growth is a shared responsibility. Strict environmental legislation and rules provide guidance for developing and preserving manmade environments. The successful cooperation between local, regional and national authorities and private industry – as well as the crucial involvement of everyday citizens – have been important factors in turning ideas of sustainability into reality. In the past decade sustainability ideas have been implemented with increasing frequency on a larger scale.

Sweden was an early starter in regard to sustainable thinking. As early as the 1960’s, Sweden recognised that the rapid loss of natural resources had to be confronted. It took a leading role in organising the first UN conference on the environment – held in Stockholm in 1972. During the oil crisis of the 70’s and 80’s, a tremendous effort was made to find new sources of energy, create new ways to insulate buildings and develop automatic energy saving systems.

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Since the 70’s, the dependence on oil for heating and electricity production in Sweden has gone down by 90%.

Tackling urban issues is a matter for industrialised as well as developing countries. In the 50’s and 60’s you wouldn’t even dip a toe in the polluted waters around Stockholm. Swimming and fishing was of course forbidden. Today, bathers are everywhere, and fishing in central Stockholm is popular.

Shared responsibility

Sweden: Pioneers in sustainability

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Over the period 1990–2006 Swedish carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by 9% while at the same time GNP increased by 44%. Joining environmental performance to economic performance is both necessary and fruitful.

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Consider the SymbioCity approach for: n Lower life cycle costs of system investments n More efficient land use n Lower maintenance costs n Increased property values n Improved living satisfaction n Lower carbon dioxide emissions and reduced climate change impact n Reduction of direct environmental impact, such as air pollution, noise and vibrations, harmful substances, polluted water, sewage and waste treatment … for home, industrial, commercial and office areas … for any city, block, house or household … for both small-scale and complex implementations … for planning, building and renovation

Sustaining Vision Spin-off benefits of sustainable planning Seeing your city through green-tinted glasses When urban areas are built or remodeled according to a sustainable green vision, the social benefits can be huge – and so can the economic benefits. And this is a crucial point. Both social and economic benefits can increase together. This is especially true in the long run. Lowering carbon dioxide emissions will lead to fewer air pollutants, noise and vibrations, contaminated water, harmful substances and risk hazards. As city dwellers find themselves more satisfied with their housing and neighborhoods, property values increase. As well, in a sustainable city, maintenance costs tend to be lower thanks to forethought and better planning, resulting in lower life cycle investment costs and better returns.

Sustainable, possible, profitable The mission of SymbioCity is to make sustainable urban development possible by promoting smart investments in technology with a new and holistic approach. How is this achieved? Economies of scale and scope, as well as horizontal and vertical integration, provide the basic intellectual concepts for understanding the economy of urban technology systems. When investment costs are borne by a larger number of users, it leads to increased profitability and social benefits.

$€¥£! Holistic thinking. Integrated urban technologies. Synergies. At the end of the day the most important word in the SymbioCity concept is value. Getting more for less. The main focus is finding ways to increase system and work process efficiencies. The integration of different urban technology solutions create synergy effects. In short, the expertise and careful planning pay off. With a holistic view of problems and solutions, all involved parties can see the big picture. Coordinated planning and the harmonising of all concerned parties in a common strategy is the SymbioCity method in a nutshell.

The short term is obsolete SymbioCity is about the life cycle cost – the long-term benefits of sustainable investments. Short-term investment horizons are blind to efficiency gains and long-term positive effects. It simply makes better economic sense to use a net present value approach to value investments – one that takes into account long-term gains when making an investment decision.

One basic goal for all sustainable development is to simultaneously reduce the environmental impact and improve quality of life, health, comfort and safety for ourselves and for future generations. 10

Open your eyes Find the hidden urban links Quality of life in SymbioCity

The building blocks of city blocks

SymbioCity means urban technology resource efficiency – across and between different urban systems or fields of action. At the same time it emphasises renewable resources and resource management that minimise waste and optimise recovery and reuse. It encourages the development of new and better system solutions as well as the most efficient use of natural resources. The SymbioCity concept uses best-practice methods for the realisation of truly efficient and democratic work processes. In the SymbioCity view, social and economic factors are as important as the ecological and technical – the recognised final goal being health, comfort, safety and maximum quality of life for all citizens, in harmony with nature.

Energy, Waste Management, Water Supply and Sanitation, Traffic and Transport, Landscape Planning, Sustainable Architecture and Urban Functions (e.g., housing, industry and service functions; recreational and cultural functions etc.). These sectors typically live their own lives independent of one another, leading to sub-optimisation. The SymbioCity approach finds links between the sectors and their system investments in order to optimise the results.

Organic waste from restaurants and grocery shops as well as from households, toilet waste, sludge from septic tanks or wastewater treatment plants and manure from agriculture adjacent to a town – all of it can be utilised for the production of biogas. The digested biogas contains methane, which can be used for heating, cooking and electricity production or, after refining, as fuel for public transport or private vehicles. Depending on the quality, the residue can be used as fertilizer in agriculture. 12

So much energy is being thrown away. Waste in landfills, for instance. An increasing number of cities realise they’ve ignored a massive energy resource. Much more efficient economic growth would be possible if cities merely took the waste destined for landfills and used it instead for energy production. Use waste for energy – and you get rid of polluting landfills as a bonus. Combined in a common strategy, our infrastructure investments will create much more benefit and save substantial costs. It’s about finding new recycle-loops. Take water, a scarcer resource than ever. Modern cleaning technology can extract healthy drinking water out of household wastewater. Such wastewater together with household biowaste could be treated as a resource, for example as input in the production of biogas for the transport sector and fertilisers for agriculture.

Get more from less

How are environmental problems usually tackled in the urban context? For administrative and practical reasons, the functions of the city have become separated from each other. Household waste is collected for deposit in landfills. Sewage water is treated in water treatment plants. Runoff water is led into a river or lake. Traffic congestion is managed with traffic planning, Air pollution is attacked with end-of-pipe cleaning technology, et cetera. In other words, individual problems are addressed with one urban technology solution or another – in isolation. This is all the more strange as there is great money to gain once we see the invisible links and better exploit the synergies between the systems.

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Combine wastewater treatment and traffic systems – you get biofuel for public transport!

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Combine waste management and heat production – you get a new power industry!

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Did you know that 1 ton of waste contains 3,000 kWh of energy?

Combine industrial waste heat with the municipal energy plant – you cut energy production costs in half!

Combine them all – get more for less!

Blueprint for a SymbioCity Plan and implementation A strong foundation The SymbioCity approach focuses on how urban governance, urban planning, education, IT-concepts, public participation and other coordinating activities can be used to promote sustainable urbanisation. Well-functioning institutions are crucial. The best results come when all interested stakeholders and citizens are involved from the start. Municipalities, public authorities, universities, institutes, private companies and other extensive networks come together to share knowledge, skills, and organisational muscle. Questions of legislation and its implementation, of decisionmaking, transparency, and accountability are addressed and answered. A multi-disciplinary approach can identify relevant synergies and ease collaboration across formal sectors. Such sharing is crucial to a cost-efficient and smooth process.

SymbioCity by numbers

Determine clear objectives for reduced environmental impact – expressed in legislation and policies.

Discuss in what direction your city should grow and identify the preferred economic activities that will spur this development.

Formulate a good urban governance strategy that will attract desired economic activities.

Include visionary spatial planning and land management to support it.

Add consistent transport system planning as well as strategies for water, waste and energy.

Investment basics As a vision takes shape for a given city or district, investment considerations follow naturally. What is the best way to manage investment projects? This four-step approach has proven effective. Phase 1 Prestudy. Analyse the market conditions for a system investment. Phase 2 Business development. Develop a detailed plan for a local technology solution with an eye toward long-term business.

Phase 3 Investment project. Organisation and implementation of a real system solution, from technology setup to marketing and information. Phase 4 Final launch and transfer of the solution to a permanent client.

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Scalable cities Small, medium or large?

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state-of-the-art, large scale, ultramodern high-tech district. Or help you create a single system or building that can serve as a touchstone – driving inter-

est in sustainable building – so that a district or a city can be developed step by sustainable step.

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SymbioCity is a scalable concept. Region, city, district, building… Depending on your needs and resources, Symbio City can help found a new,

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always the most high-tech. Optimise your own combinations of water supply and sanitation, waste disposal and energy, traffic and transport.

Apply SymbioCity to both new towns and renewal of existing urban districts.

SymbioCity in Sweden Hammarby by-the-sea, a model district In the 90’s, plans were made to build Hammarby Sjöstad in a former brownfield area of wharfs and docks. The first construction phases were finalised in 2000. There will be 11,000 apartments, 25,000 inhabitants and 35,000 workplaces by 2015. The district is now famous for its integrated planning approach, where every aspect was developed with the whole in mind. n Automatic underground

waste collection systems n District heating and cooling

fuelled partly by local waste collection and by heat exchangers in water treatment n Solar-powered hot water and electricity n Biogas from household sewage water and waste n Collection and filtration of runoff water

n Super-efficient buildings,

triple-glass windows, green roofs, etc. The results are truly fantastic. A general assessment indicates a doubling of the total environmental performance. 40% less environmental stress 50% less eutrophication 45% less ground-level ozone 40% less water consumption Hammarby Sjöstad boasts attractive housing for Stockholmers – for families, and for the young and old. The “Hammarby model” has set a new standard for future housing development. It has been presented worldwide – in China, Canada and South Africa – as a model for other cities.

Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm, the Swedish capital and the biggest city in Scandinavia. 16

District heating environmental performance, since 1980: 70% less carbon dioxide 95% less SO2 80% less NOX Oil consumption in fuel mix went from 80% to 3% between 1980–2006.

District heating – energy hero It’s cold in Sweden. From December to March, the temperature is below freezing in many parts of the country. So heating is fundamental. Clean incineration technology has become vital. And “district heating” has become an energy hero. District energy systems produce steam or hot water at a central plant. The steam or water is then piped underground to individual buildings within a designated area for heating. This provides 50% of the households with an ideal indoor climate. District heating is far more efficient than traditional individual household heating and thus releases much

less carbon dioxide. It has even been called “the quiet save-theclimate movement”. From 1990, carbon dioxide emissions from district heating have been reduced by 60% or three times the EU targets for 2020. The use of fossil oil in district heating has gone down from 80% to 3% and the total Swedish carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by 25% since the 70’s thanks to district heating. In the city of Umeå, where one of the country’s most advanced heat and power plants is located, 70% of the inhabitants enjoy the advantages of district heating. A dis-

trict heating system, compared to individual household burners, can easily increase energy efficiency by 50%. When the plants also provide electricity – so-called combined heat and power – like the one in Umeå, a 90% increased energy efficiency is possible for the same output. District heating plants are also much cleaner: in Umeå 99,5% of sulphur and particles is filtered out. The incineration works well with most fuels, including biomass and waste. The Umeå plant runs on waste from households, construction industry and forestry. Perhaps the best argument for district heating is the flex-

ibility of the solutions. It works equally well no matter what the fuel source. In Europe, for example, energy waste from industry was a vastly underutilised source of energy. The amount of energy stored in this waste is greater than the total amount needed for heating the European Union. It has been calculated that if the European Union reached the same level of district heating as Sweden, the Europeans could overshoot their carbon dioxide reduction targets four times. A simple doubling from today’s low level would meet the demands on European carbon dioxide reductions in the Kyoto protocol. 17

New urban savings One big reason these new urban areas attract families and businesses is the fact that they are constructed for maximum energy savings. From triple glass windows to warm water economy, all the buildings in new districts, such as in Malmö in the south, are optimised with a life cycle calculus of maintenance costs.

Near Gothenburg, a suburban area with 255 apartments from the 70’s is being refurbished so that energy costs will be cut in half. Many new constructions use insulation techniques that allow for so-called passive energy buildings, where the only heating sources are household appliances and the residents’ own body heat.

So much water close to home Water supply is generally not a problem in Stockholm, with the large, clean Lake Mälaren around it, and other smaller clean lakes nearby. We have spent more than three decades to clean Lake Mälaren from household wastewaters, industrial pollution and runoff from traffic systems. Water treatment techniques have now become so sophisticated that even household wastewater can be a resource for drinkable water production. Furthermore, water treatment companies are engaged in a new industry – biogas pro-

Waste to treasure n Less than 20% of household waste in Sweden today

is deposited as landfill. n In Stockholm, 75% of all waste is collected for recycling

or use as fuel. For household waste, this figure is 95%! 18

duction out of wastewater. In Linköping, one municipal gas company offering biogas for vehicles now has 7% of the local fuel market. Considering that biogas is one of the best fuels for reducing fossil carbon dioxide emissions, the prospect of combining wastewater treatment and biogas for public transport is compelling. A full scale project with a local biogas train is also in process. And there is little waste in the process. After fermentation to gas, the biomanure is used as an agricultural nutrient, reducing the use of artificial fertiliser.

By world standards, these are astounding statistics. But achieving such numbers in other cities and countries may not be as hard as one might imagine. Swedish automatic underground waste collection systems have been put to use in many cities all over the world and have led to dramatic cuts in driving distance for ordinary, noisy garbage trucks – typically a reduction of more than 90%.

The big chill What about countries that have the opposite situation – where it’s too hot rather than too cold? No problem. The district heating idea can be turned inside out. Using essentially the same technology, cities can create district cooling systems and reap unexpected benefits. On hot summer days, business productivity is much higher in air-conditioned offices. Hospitals benefit enormously from effective climate control. Here district cooling has massive advantages over individual solutions. For one thing, it is often produced in the form of free cooling via a closed distri-

bution system laid in the ground to supply customers with cold water from adjacent rivers or lakes. But it can also be produced from sewage water or sludge. Compared to individual household air-conditioning, district cooling lowers carbon dioxide emissions by 60%. Optimal efficiency is achieved with new piping, metering and advanced control systems. On smaller scales, innovative companies provide system solutions for both cooling and warming, using solar technology combined with extremely efficient small scale heat exchangers.

In search of lost heat Not only could the housing areas in most cities benefit from a SymbioCity approach to system synergies, there is also enormous potential in waste heat recovery – in harnessing the heat energy from waste that would otherwise be lost. At Iggesund Paperboard, a large paperboard factory in the north, they have already cut their fossil fuel consumption by 75% by using waste heat. Thanks to a detailed energy assessment and large invest-

ments in new technology, they now use a greater part of waste heat from the industrial processes as a source for the whole plant and all its buildings and offices. The paper industry in Sweden has worked hard to achieve a solution that ensures their competitiveness – and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions is just one result of that. By the year 2009, the plan is to make the paperboard factory 100% independent of fossil fuels. 19

Global holistics â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SymbioCity worldwide

Though SymbioCity is all Swedish, here are some examples of places around the world where the SymbioCity concept has been applied or used as a source of inspiration in very different areas and climates. Luodian Town China The Dongli Lake Project China Tianjin Gangdong China Qingdao Olympic Sailing Arena China Toronto Canada Cork South Docklands Ireland The Baltic Pearl Project Russia Buffalo City South Africa Pune India London Olympic Village United Kingdom Narbonne France

Come see us! www.symbiocity.org 20

What’s happening in your part of SymbioCity?

urban functions n Space for water and sanitation facilities, waste collection and possible source separation must be considered for residential and commercial areas. n Assessing public transportation facilities between disadvantaged settlements and city centers, commercial and industrial areas. n If possible, placing new residential areas where it is favourable from a transportation and public infrastructure viewpoint, so as to minimise costs for transport and connections to energy and water supply systems. n Opportunities for rainwater collection can be considerably increased if there is awareness of these possibilities during the planning and construction process. n The orientation of industry areas may affect the impact they have on city inhabitants’ health and well-being. Locate industry correctly with regard

to prevailing wind direction. Consider planning for common industrial wastewater treatment plants and waste separation and collection facilities. n Develop alternative solutions presenting principles and ideas for integrated land-use and green areas, traffic/trans portation and infrastructural planning. n Energy demands for cooling of industries and offices are increasing. Can this demand be diminished?

sustainable energy n Deforestation around the city and the use of firewood and charcoal for cooking are closely linked. Forestry authorities, nature conservation authorities and energy planners/utilities must cooperate in order to stop deforestation and turn the situation around towards sustainable and efficient use of biomass. n Energy demands for cooling industries and offices are

increasing. This demand can be diminished through a combination of urban planning, building design, production processes and equipment, introduced in early decisionmaking phases. n The city’s own energy demand may be high. Municipal utility departments must cooperate in identifying energysaving opportunities. n The energy sector can contribute to the spreading of knowledge of potential hazards in cooking or heating with dangerous fuels. They may be able to contribute alternative, affordable, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions. n Incineration of waste may be a possible option for largescale CHP systems (Combined Heat and Power). Environmental considerations must be rigorous and the best available technology for reduction of dioxin emissions applied. n Energy utilities and industry may cooperate to cut peak loads in order to make energy supply more reliable. n Fermentation of biodegradable waste, septic sludge,

Source: "The Sustainable City Approach – Sida Manual for Support to Environmentally Sustainable Urban Development in Developing Countries" Published by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

wastewater sludge or other such materials may be a feasible option for small-scale energy production. Gas may be utilised for heating purposes or to produce electricity or even vehicle fuel.

waste management n Waste collection creates a fairly high transportation load. Waste utilities, private actors and traffic planners need to develop plans for how to make waste transportation efficient. n In cities where there is no, or only a limited, waterborne sanitation system, sanitation is, or may be, an issue for the waste collection services. It is important that responsibility for dry toilet waste, septic sludge and other types of waste is clearly allocated. n Minimisation of industrial waste and changing hazardous substances to less hazardous ones may be carried out by environmental and waste authorities and industry in collaboration with one another.

n Water and drainage utilities and waste collectors need to cooperate in order to prevent dumping of waste and septic sludge in collectors for storm water and/or wastewater. n Incineration of waste may be a possible option. Environmental controls must be rigorous. n Old waste dumps may be redeveloped for ecological and recreational purposes, or integrated into strategic and detailed plans. n Digestion of biodegradable

waste, septic sludge, wastewater sludge or other such materials may be a feasible option for small-scale energy production. Biogas may be utilised for heating purposes or to produce electricity or even vehicle fuel.

water supply and sanitation n Water supply authorities and authorities responsible for sanitation and wastewater management must cooperate. Far too often drinking water

sources are polluted by wastewater, sludge and toilet waste. n Digestion of biodegradable waste, septic sludge, wastewater sludge or other such materials may be a feasible option for small-scale energy production. Gas may be utilised for heating purposes or to produce electric ity or even vehicle fuel.

traffic and transport n Minimise the need for transportation by private car and motorcycle through collaboration between public transport, industry and urban planners. n Utilise synergies between

land-use (location of urban functions and urban density), traffic and transportation to achieve good logistics for public transportation in order to minimise transportation energy consumption as well as air pollution and noise. n Waste utilities, private actors and traffic planners need to develop plans for how to make waste transportation efficient.

n Biogas from digestion of bio mass may be used as fuel for vehicles. Technology may be competitive where fuel costs are high.

landscape planning n Purification of water bodies connected to recreation and biodiversity. n Integrated planning of green areas and the attenuation of storm water by developing attractive open ponds and ditches where the water level can vary. n Restoration of wasteland “brownfield management” turned into green areas and parks for recreation. n Redevelopment of closed landfills for green areas and recreational purposes. n Using green areas to help school children understand ecology and the environment. n Green areas are the lungs of the city which make them important for the reduction of

air pollution. (However, it should be emphasised that green area planning can never replace solutions at source for the reduction of air pollution.) n Green wedges and green corridors in coordination with paths for bicycling and walking. n Plants for water treatment and supply, and wastewater treatment plants, should be managed in a way that decreases energy demand. n Improvement of incoming water quality to wastewater treatment plants through cooperation with industry. Combat environmental problems “upstream”. n Road department and water

utility must cooperate in storm water management issues. n Water supply and sanitation authorities need to include health education and hygienic practices in their operations in order to mitigate water-borne diseases. n The topography, vegetation and other factors concerning the green structure are important to the micro-climate which should be taken into consideration as it influences energy

demand, the diffusion of air pollution, comfort level due to sun exposure, sun shading or wind exposure for cooling winds in summertime or wind protection in wintertime, etc.

building design n The option to design multipurpose buildings should be considered in urban areas in order to facilitate mixed use of both housing and small-scale business activities within the service sector. n The building design of walls, roofs and floors (insulation, space and design of windows etc.) is one of the most important factors for the reduction of energy demand and for minimising energy supply needs and operating costs. n Considerable advantages with regard to micro-climate (sun shading, sun exposure, wind exposure, wind protection) and energy demand can be achieved by careful building design in relationship to the surrounding landscape.

n Green roofs are an option for the attenuation of storm water flow and they also contribute to cooling in summer. n The buildings and their immediate surroundings should be designed with regard to the source separation and collection of waste – for example by facilitating waste management centers on the ground floors of multi-family housing. n The entrances of buildings should be easily accessible from bicycle and walking paths and parking lots for bicycles.

SymbioCity is an initiative by the Swedish Government through The Swedish Trade Council, in the aim for sustainable urban development worldwide. Swedish Trade Council Telephone +46 8 588 660 00 E-mail symbiocity@swedishtrade.se Website www.symbiocity.org