GEOG 311 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Urban Design, Life-Cycle Assessment, Rain Garden
Document Summary
Understanding life cycle analysis when "making design decisions" Plastic bags, if biodegradable and not eaten by animals, are actually more sustainable than cotton or paper bags. In california, they are in denial, and make a decision to waste water on greening the lawns, even though they are naturally dry. The zinc and sediments from tires gets into the water, makes it dirty, and is especially bad in september when it hasn"t rained in a while. The sewage system in vancouver is 100 years old, but we keep building --> we have less green space, the water gets flushed to the sea which is a major issue. Green roofs can act as a sponge on top of a building; it releases runoff slowly into a rain garden on the ground. Population growth --> increased urban space --> increased pervious surfaces --> increased water runoff. It"s a car problem --> 2/3 impervious coverage comes from driving.
