Prof. Daniel Lang discusses the grand challenges facing cities in creating sustainable habitats. As the global population becomes increasingly urbanized, with 70% projected to live in cities by 2050, cities will be critical in addressing issues like climate change, energy usage, and social equity. Some key challenges discussed are the urban heat island effect and increased energy demands associated with urban density. The document also examines sustainability principles like zero carbon emissions and sustainable land use, as well as the need for resilience and adaptability in cities. Overall, the talk emphasizes that cities must invent and plan for sustainable solutions to shape a desirable future global environment.

1. Future. City. Life!
Sustainable Habitat by Prof. Dr. Daniel Lang, 7th October 2013

2. 1
Prof. Dr. Daniel Lang
Leuphana University
Faculty Sustainability
Sustainable Habitat

3. GRAND CHALLENGES FOR CITIES –
PRESERVING AND CREATING SUSTAINABLE
HABITATS
Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang

4. Prof. Paul J. Crutzen
Source: Teemu Rajala
LIVING IN THE ANTHROPOCENE
Grand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang

5. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - CO-EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS
Grand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang

6. Cities – Critical „Places“ in the Antrhopocene
Sources: LSECities / School of Economics and UNDESA Revision 2005
Urban
Population by
city size
Grand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang
Urbanization trends: 2050 70% living in cities
70% of global CO2 Emissions
75% of global economic output
Global Urbanisation:
Urban vs Rural

7. BASIC FUNCTIONS OF CITIES
To work
To
reside To
nourish
To
commu
-nicate
To
trans-
port
Grand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang

8. EXEMPLARY CHALLENGES -
ENERGY AND CLIMATE
Urban Characteristics 
● Urban Heat Island Effects
● Altered wind climate
+ effects from global climate change
 Heat waves, Heavy precipitation
events, Sea level rise
Source: LSE Cities/ School of Economics
IEA Report 2008
Source: NASA
Grand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang
Density and Energy Demand –
City Comparison
Energy Demand/ per capita in the EU/cities

9. The ecological footprint of Londoners
●is 293 times the size of London
●6.63 gha per capita = 3.5 „worlds“
Exemplary Challenges –
Urban Metabolism / Urban Footprint
Sources: Best Foot Forward
Grand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang
Source: Duvigneaud and Denaeyer-De Smet
1977

10. EXEMPLARY CHALLENGES -
SOCIAL JUSTICE / EQUITY / HEALTH
Equity:
e.g. access to public and
social services
Source: Christian Nadeau
Health:
e.g. food deserts and
obesity
Social justice:
e.g. gentrification
Grand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang
Source: Anna Lusty
Source: Renate Hildebrandt

11. **
SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES
Source: Tom ChanceGrand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang
Zero carbon emissions
Zero waste
Sustainable transport
Sustainable material
Local and sustainable food
Sustainable water
Land use and wildlife
Culture and heritage
Equity and local economy
Health and happyness

12. Grand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang
Source: MasdarCity
RESILIENCE AND ADAPTABILITY
Masdar
City
Detroit
Source: GlobalClassroom
Source: Rick Smith
Arcosanti

13. No one can predict the future, but we can invent and make the
future because we know how to do so and we have done so consistently through our
history as a species. Inventing and making however mean thinking clearly
about where we wish to go and then creating and devising the
means to get there (Brewer 2007)
Grand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang

14. Source: Rockström et al. 2009, p. 472
…
 Determine how to anticipate, avoid,
and manage disruptive global
environmental change.
 Determine institutional, economic,
and behavioral changes to enable
effective steps toward global
sustainability.
 Encourage innovation (and
mechanisms for evaluation) in
technological, policy, and social
responses to achieve global
sustainability.
(Reid et al. 2010)
GRAND CHALLENGES FOR GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
Grand Challenges for Cities - Leuphana Startwoche 2013 – Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Lang