Challenges
Despite the sustainability, efficiency and other established benefits of ecocities, actual implementation can be difficult to attain. Existing infrastructure, both in terms of the physical city layout and existing local bureaucracy, are major, often insurmountable, obstacles to large-scale sustainable development. The high cost of the technological integration necessary for eco-city development is a major challenge, as many cities either can’t afford, or are not willing to take on, the extra costs.
Challenges associated with planning and managing sustainable programs are also large. Cities that want to become more sustainable are faced with retrofitting existing structures and concurrent management of sustainable urban expansion and development. The costs and infrastructure needed to manage these large scale, two-pronged projects are great, and beyond the capabilities of most cities. In addition, many cities around the world are currently struggling to maintain the status quo, with budgetary issues, high rates of poverty, transportation inefficiencies, and rapid population growth encouraging reactive, coping policy. While there are many examples worldwide, the development of ecocities is still limited due to the vast challenges and high costs associated with sustainability.
Read more about this topic: Eco-cities
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“A powerful idea communicates some of its strength to him who challenges it.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)
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