City-Level Decoupling-Full Report

just air quality in the city. The use of biogas as a fuel results in very few hazardous emissions and greenhouse gases. The biogas from the plant replaces about 5.5 million litres of petrol and diesel each year, decreasing the need to import fossil fuels substantially. Carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by more than 9,000 tons per year since 2002, lessening the city’s contribution to global warming. The production of biogas turns waste products into a valuable resource, reducing the need for environmentally-destructive landfills and waste incinerators, and creating circular rather than linear resource flows through the city. Specifically, the project has cut the volume of waste sent for incineration in Linköping by 3,422 tons annually. The biogas process produces biological fertiliser as a by- product, which is purchased by the farmers' association to replace energy-intensive, fossil-fuel based fertilisers. Made from waste products, these bio-fertiliers cycle nutrients, such as phosphorus, through the economy and return them to nourish farmlands rather than allowing them to accumulate in toxic concentrations at landfills. The project has also contributed positively to the city’s economy by including local farmers in the production of biogas and sale of bio-fertilisers to increase their competitiveness and keep financial flows within the local economy.

An assessment of the highway-river conversion in Seoul found an improved quality of life: citizens now have green public spaces where they can interact as equals, exercise, participate in traditional festivals and enjoy cultural events. The project inspired the creation of an informal 'knowledge community' to discuss issues relating to the Cheonggyecheon River and recommend solutions. The public now has access to valuable educational resources through renewed contact with nature, restored historical sites, and the Cheonggyecheon Museum. Ecological sustainability has also improved, although there are reports of system failures with respect to the re- creation of a viable natural eco-system that can sustain the fish population and the water quality. Fossil fuel use has been reduced by removing about 170,000 cars from the arterial road system, improving public transport, and creating pleasant pedestrian routes to encourage walking. This has also reduced air and noise pollution in the city; small- particle air pollution in the area has fallen from 74 to 48 micrograms per cubic meter. High city temperatures have decreased by up to 5 degrees Celsius due to reduced traffic, the proximity of cool water, and a 50% increase in average wind speeds following the removal of the highway. The restoration has re-established lost habitats, and increased the number of fish species from 4 to 25, bird species from 6 to 36, and insect species from 15 to 192. The river has also helped to improve Seoul’s resilience to climate change as the open river is better able to cope with flooding than buried sewers. Economic benefits can be seen in an increase in the number of businesses and employment density within 1.2 km of the Cheonggyecheon corridor. Property prices have also increased at double the rates found elsewhere in the city. Single- family residential units are now more likely to convert to high-rise residential, commercial- retail, and mixed units that can lead to resource decoupling. In Linköping, the transition from a fossil- fuel driven public transport system to one powered by biogas has improved more than

6.6.4. Lessons learned

Many lessons can be derived from these initiatives both in terms of what worked well and what challenges remain:

1. National funding and long-term

programmes are often essential, as demonstrated by the ProHuerta initiative.

2. Local champions often play a critical initiating role. For example, the mayor of Seoul’s championing of the Cheonggyecheon River Restoration Project was crucial to the project’s success. 3. Innovation can sometimes be built on traditional forms of resource-use efficiency. For example, rainwater harvesting as a low-

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