Factors of cities with organic environment

Environment+Space+Health+ Culture

The factors of cities with organic environment should not only be measured from the system of environmental space facilities, but more importantly, from the process of organic development and self-adjustment of the cities, and from the combination of the system of living space facilities and living standards of the residents. Environmental space system of organic cities and towns should be considered from physical and non-physical levels. It is the combination of two systems that form a complete system of the environmental space of organic cities and towns. One is the system of walking space facilities on physical level. The other is the system of health and life on non-physical level. Whether it is on physical level or non-physical level, the environmental space of organic cities and towns are reflected in the ecological and natural environment, space facilities, health and culture. 

 On the physical level of organic environmental factors of cities and towns, the physical space is built orderly through space carriers and facilities . The non-physical level of organic environmental factors of cities and towns is composed of residential living space, health facilities and exchanged culture. Among these, the healthy living environment of residents is an important component of residents’ quality of life. By combining spatial factors and cultural life, residents can achieve quality life in organic environment. The cultural life of residents in organic environment in cities and towns include social communication and cultural experience.

Element of natural environment

As one of the reflections of the physical factors of cities, the element of natural environment includes many factors, such as geology,landform, hydrology, climate, plants and animals, soil. The formation, development and arrangement of cities are helped by the environmental conditions of cities, and are also restrained by the local environment. The unreasonable development and over expansion of cities can cause deterioration of the local and inner environment. The quality of environment in the cities can directly influence production and activities of urban residents.

The environmental factors of organic environment of cities mainly include natural environment and artificial(social) environment, which contain human social activities and the surrounding space.Urban environment represents the environmental system of cities with residents. The quality of urban environment often depends on the evaluation of environmental elements. Environmental elements, which are independent and different in nature, are basic material compositions of the organic environment of the cities. Environmental elements can be divided into artificial (social) environmental elements and natural environmental elements.Artificial environmental elements are formed on the basis of human activities, such as houses, park and green land, traffic facilities, green area, etc. The elements of artificial environment include not only the material energy and spiritual products formed by man, but also the people-to-people relationship formed in the process of human activities. Natural environmental elements generally refer to sunlight, water, rocks, soil, atmosphere and living creatures. Generally speaking, organic environmental elements of organic cities constitute the structural unit of the environment, and multiple environmental structural units form the environment or the environmental system. For example: water → water area →water cycle; air →atmosphere →atmosphere circulation. Environmental elements can use and restrain one another. In practice, there is a set of detailed index system to evaluate urban environmental factors. The system includes physical and chemical index system(soil, water, atmosphere, sound wave, electromagnetic, radiation and other indicators), biological index system(vegetation and microbiological index,etc.), open area,and artificial natural elements such as green scenery.

Elements of Space Facilities

The environmental elements of organic cities and towns on physical level include:public resting area, public transportation, centralized parking facilities, urban pedestrian vehicle separation system, slow four lines, public toilets, seats and garbage cans, identification system and so on.

The elements of space facilities of organic cities and towns form the orderly existence of physical spaces in the area by building space carriers and facilities in the cities and towns. In this process, the construction of good public transportation system is encouraged. Building centralized parking facilities is an effective measure to balance and decrease the influence of the use of private vehicles. Today, with the maturity of private vehicle system, focusing only on the slow lines of the city and paying less attention on traffic convenience and private vehicle utilization will cause inconvenience in people’s life. Thus, in order to achieve the convenience of organic environment in cities and towns, the following effective measures must be taken: building public transportation system with relatively good accessibility in different areas, and perfecting indispensable spacial factors. It is always an essential part of residents’ life to live in a system with public transportation with good accessibility, centralized parking system for private vehicles and series of slow lines.Improving the slow traffic system in cities and towns is an effective means to ensure that urban residents have a healthy living facility space. There are some essentials in the cultural and spiritual life of residents, including the maintenance and perfection of the effective existence of public living space, and protection and continuation of cultural life and city history. These are measures that should be taken on physical levels of urban space.

•Elements of Health Facilities

•From the perspective of building comprehensive healthy environment with good diet, accommodation,activities and health management, cities and towns with organic environment are aimed to build healthy environment with the combination of facilities, nature and institutions. Healthy life is not only based on the idea, but also on healthy living environment and health elements.A good, healthy life cannot leave healthy living environment, which is the meaning of creating healthy environment and healthy structures in organic cities and towns. Healthy environment should be built from the following aspects, including exercise, diet,medical care, nursing,healthcare, facilities, nature, healthy psychology,living environment, social environment, in order to help the residents to achieve a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the organic urban environment. It is far from enough to consider the elements of the building itself in a single and abstract way. Thus, we actively promote the standards of healthy structures.Only by combining the buildings with the environment as a whole can we really provide urban residents with the living environment and quality of "healthy,organic urban environment " .

Healthy lifestyle is not just about the concept and mindset of health. The environment beneath the healthy lifestyle is far more important for forming healthy lifestyle. The main concept of organic environment in cities and towns are mainly reflected in 7 aspects, including healthy body, healthy mindset, healthy environment, healthy structure, healthy diet, healthy society and healthy industry. According to the principles of city planning, the planning and designing institutes in many cities focus mainly on facilities and physical space, but neglect important cultural, environmental, and healthy aspects, such as human life. The organic environment that we encourage, is not just about the physical space, but also about culture and health. Only in this way can we achieve healthy, meaningful lifestyle in organic urban environment.

Only in a healthy environment can we really get the essence of "healthy environmental construction". Based on the concept of “ healthy environmental construction of organic urban environment”, except for single healthy building, there are other seven factors in this concept, including physical health in organic urban environment, mental health in organic urban environment, healthy environment, healthy society of organic urban environment , healthy diet,healthy society, healthy industry of organic urban environment. These principles are used to achieve healthy lifestyles and organic urban environment for people to enjoy.

Elements of Cultural Communication

The cultural elements of organic urban environment are mainly reflected in promoting participation of residents in social activities, communication and mutual help among neighbors, the protection of traditional history,local culture and connotation of the city. In order to make a diversified organic environment for residents or tourists, the following areas should be maintained and perfected, including resting space, spiritual and cultural space, shopping streets,museums, libraries, bookshops, galleries, academies, art workshops, featured cultural facilities, theaters and performances, handmade projects, special food, entertainment, traditions and holidays, local salons, etc.

Elements of Organic Urban Environment

The upgrading and improving of cities and towns with organic environment , is an idea proposed by International Alliance of Organic Cities & Town. This idea is based on different conditions of different cities and towns to improve the ecology and environment of the area, to promote organic growth and self-adjustment, to encourage space with pedestrian streets and public transportation, and to perfect and improve the overall living quality of the residents and develop the area into comprehensive cities and towns.

The so called “organic urban environment”, mainly include physical spacial elements and non-physical spacial elements. Physical spacial elements are reflected in ecological environment,pedestrian spacial system and health facilities. Non-physical spacial elements include the combination of exchange and culture. Whether it is physical space or non physical space, no element can seperate from the other. The lack of either elements can lower the living quality of residents. Physical spacial elements can be achieved by building ecological and environmental space and facilities, which include building natural and environmental spacial system, slow lines system, public transportation with accessibility, health facilities, cultural and exchange activities, to ensure a healthy life for residents. Health and culture elements on non physical level include healthy environment, healthy life and behavior, urban environment and urban cultural life.

From the aspect of industrial development, “cities and towns with organic environment” is the deeper development of their construction. This concept is generated from the improvement of cultural and living environment. Cities and towns with organic environment are like life forms with self-adjustment and the ability to adapt to natural,economical, and social environment. The adaptation and coordination is a process developing from static state to dynamic state, from passiveness to activeness. 

Cities and towns with organic environment is a symbol of balance and improvement. This concept, proposed by the International Alliance of Organic Cities & Towns,is aimed to build space in cities and towns where the culture of organic city are dominated, the living condition and public transportation are encouraged and improved, to build comprehensive cities and towns where the overall living condition of the residents are improved in many aspects. From the residents point of view, with the severely damaged environment and culture, “organic living environment” has become a space where the continuation and development of the local culture of organic city can be ensured and the demand to improve living condition can be fulfilled.

Cities with organic environment include four themes and two extensions. Four themes include “Green & Organic d City””Slow Life & Cultural City””Intangible Cultural Heritage City” and “Healthy City”. Two extensions include “Sports City” and “ Healthcare City”. The meanings of these ideas are to develop a healthy lifestyle with low carbon emission and to promote ecological space systems in cities. The cultural systems of cities and towns with organic environment are reflected in the inheritance and development of local “slow life culture”. Through a series of measures, including perfecting Organic d transportation systems and environment, increasing social connections and communications, improving activities participation and mutual assistance, the living environment and health conditions of the residents can be improved. People can again live and communicate in a healthy social environment, dominated by “slow life culture” and inheritance. In the mean time, the traditional local culture and history within the cities should be protected as much as possible. The best living environment with comprehensive culture and healthy lifestyle should be created for the residents or visitors to live and enjoy.