Green Cities With rising population in urban areas there is issue of global warming and increasing pressure on human

settlements. So the challenge is to create green cities which are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy and other natural resources, and improve the quality of urban life over the coming decades. The reason for increasing population in urban centers is the centralization of economic and business & manufacturing activities around these centers. Sample this: between 1800 and 1900, the urban segment of the human population rose from approximately 3 percent to 14 percent. Unfortunately with cities being center of manufacturing they often suffered with severe air pollution and public health problems. All these and the rising environmental issues has led leaders, elected officers and city planners to develop an approach that lessens the negative environmental impact of urban centers. However, cities have their own sets of advantages like lower per-capita rate of carbon emissions. Because big cities are compact and densely populated, they allow for efficiencies in energy use and transportation that are not achievable in non urban places where people are more automobile-dependent in their daily lives. The green city movement seeks to capitalize on these characteristics. While developing green cities researchers are focusing on many things like: energy, transportation, housing, Land use etc. Nearly 40 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions in the United States come from the burning of fossil fuels for electricity production. Thus the focus is on making cities more dependent on renewable energy sources as wind, solar, hydroelectric, and geothermal power. Government plays a key role in encouraging the use of renewable energy by giving tax incentives. Cities like Vancouver are good example that produce majority of its

power through hydroelectricity. Also, cutting down on use of electricity can also help to maintain a green city environment. Green cities are also working on ensuring convenient public transport options so that dependence on automobile is reduced, also encouraging health enhancing transport means like bicycling. New York City has nearly doubled its protected bicycle lane network since 2007, and the number of commuting cyclists has doubled too. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards created by the US and Green Building Council are helping in designing buildings that are sustainable and energy efficient.