City-Level Decoupling-Case Studies

Water

• All water is recycled and re-used for washing, cooling or irrigation.

• Overall, buildings in Songdo should use 20% less water than conventional buildings found in cities of the same size.

• Many of the plants used in Songdo IBD are native/adapted species, helping to significantly decrease water demand for irrigation.

• Reclaimed rainwater from cisterns and treated water from the district grey water plant is used to reduce demand for potable water in the city’s green spaces.

Transport

• Songdo is planned so that key functions — transport, shops, green space, culture — are no more than 12.5 minutes on foot from each other. Studies show that this is the maximum most people are willing to walk. • Priority cycleways will discourage car use for journeys between 12 and 30 minutes — which covers most of Songdo. For everything else, there is a pool of cars for hire in underground car parks. • To avoid the smog associated with many Asian cities, electric cars and bicycles have right of way and priority parking.

• Hydrogen powered green buses will soon ply the streets.

Waste management

• Standards for recycling and waste collection set by the municipality and national government will be applied. Within Songdo IBD, recycling will be heavily promoted through the provision of proper receptacles and/or sorting activities within each building. • In addition to the more traditional collection of glass, metal cans, cardboard, paper, and plastic, areas will be created for recycling of light bulbs, batteries, and other materials.

Green building operations

• A 'green housekeeping' plan exists for use by building operators and promotes the use of low- toxicity or non-toxic products within buildings. • Building occupants are educated via signage and targeted programmes about maximizing the effectiveness of the green attributes of the buildings.

Green spaces

• Some 40% of Songdo’s area is parkland and waterways, making it the greenest new city in Asia. 240 ha of open space, including a 40 ha Central Park provide beautiful places of refuge and relaxation for the city’s occupants.

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