What characteristics make up sustainable ecocities?
With the goal of reducing dependency on fossil fuels and associated pollution, eco-cities incorporate active solar panels and solar roof tiles, passive solar designs in businesses and residences, super insulated and sound-proof constructions, biomass, bird-safe windmills where appropriate, plenty of individual and commercial garden plots and greenhouses to reduce imported food needs, and the whole assortment of non-polluting transportation options.
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Denver Community Garden Plot - Oct., 1997 
See: Gardens
Computers in every residence, connected by fiber optics, will allow residents to have access to:
Recycling pantries in all residences and businesses will allow for convenient recycling. For recycling to be successful, it must be easy. Curbside pick-up from wind protected receptacles for residence by electric vehicles will complete the cycle for regular recyclables. Community centers will offer a depository for used books, magazines, furniture, etc. Construction waste will be collected and separated for reuse.
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Friday, February 08, 2002
By Andrew Selsky, Associated Press
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Millions of residents of the capital hiked, biked, and skated to work Thursday or took buses and taxis during a "day without cars" that left the normally congested avenues of Bogota eerily devoid of traffic jams.
The weather, which has been sunny and crisp in recent days, did not cooperate. Roiling gray clouds hovered over Bogota, perched 8,500 feet (2,550 meters) above sea level in an Andean plain, spitting out occasional showers. It hardly put a damper on the affair.
"The rain hasn't stopped people from participating," said Bogota Mayor Antanus Mockus, who was biking around the city with an orange helmet and vest. He pedaled over to the residence of the ambassador of Holland, Teunis Kamper, for a joint ride. Before the two set off together, a reporter asked Kamper if he had exercised to prepare for the ride.
"I'm Dutch," the ambassador said with a smile. "I was practically born on a bike."
Rifle-toting soldiers, part of enforced security to ward off stepped up rebel attacks in past weeks, watched cyclists and people on inline skates weave past amid hordes of pedestrians. One policeman watched with amusement as a novice inline skater had a hard landing on his rear, then helped the embarrassed man to his feet.
It was the third straight year cars have been banned for one day in this capital of 7 million. For the first time, two other Colombian cities, Cali and Valledupar, joined the event, which is aimed at promoting alternative transportation and cutting down on smog.
"It's a good opportunity to take away stress and lower air pollution," said businessman Carlos Arturo Plaza, 48, as he rode a two-seat bicycle with his wife.
Municipal authorities who came to Bogota from other Latin America cities to see the event were enthusiastic. "These people are generating a revolutionary change, and this is crossing borders," said Enrique Riera, the mayor of Asuncion, Paraguay. Mayor Alberto Gallardo of Ovalle, Chile, said his town would probably adopt a day without cars.
Bike repair people waited along paths and roads to fix flat tires and tighten loose screws. Bikes ranged from sleek 18-gear mountain bikes to ancient pedal-pushers with peeling paint and bald tires.
The day without cars is part of an improvement campaign that began in Bogota in the mid-1990s. The city has seen the construction of 190 kilometers (118 miles) of bicycle paths -- the most of any Latin American city, according to Mockus.
Parks and sports centers have bloomed throughout the city. Uneven, pitted sidewalks have been replaced by broad, smooth sidewalks. Rush-hour restrictions have dramatically cut traffic, and new restaurants and upscale shopping districts have cropped up.
Copyright 2002, Associated Press
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