Page 268 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

242 Sustainable Cities and Communities Design Handbook

makers and influencers, urban planners, architects, and public infrastructure
operators, being also a model for sustainable buildings. It generates its own
energy through solar power and heat pumps. A highly efficient building
management system optimally distributes electrical power, as well as heating
and cooling. Rainwater is harvested for use, and all waste water is recycled.
Then it went through concrete business actions of partnership with cities.
Berlin had annual energy costs of V17.2 million for its 185 public buildings.
Siemens implemented an energy management system for heat generation and
distribution, and for water control, monitoring, and maintenance, helping the
city fund this large investment through sales of receivables, a framework
agreement with attractive terms and conditions, and accounting and tax clar-
ification. In all, Berlin invested V28.5 million in this project, with contract
terms valid for 9e12 years. Berlin now saves V5.3 million per year in energy
costs and has reduced its CO 2 emissions by 25% per year. This project served
as a model for how PPP can help municipalities achieve their economic and
environmental goals.

THE ROLE OF SMALL CITIES: THE ITALIAN EXPERIENCE
Does urban circular economy only work for big cities? We believe that you do
not need to be big as Paris, London, or any other large capital to benefit from
what circular models can do for your people and the environment in which
they live.
Many midsize cities in Italy, having from a few thousand up to 300,000
inhabitants, are really enjoying the benefit of urban circular economy ap-
proaches. Urban centers such as Belluno, Bolzano, Ferrara, Parma, and Tre-
viso have a rich and historical cultural heritage, and their city centers are a
protected United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
site. They are all nice examples of urban circular economy, with a strong focus
on quality tourism. The main investments are on the sustainable mobility,
where ecovehicles and cycle routes represent a key resource. The use of
renewable energy is widely applied, and there are systems for monitoring air
pollution and waste prevention. Local communities are deeply involved in
awareness-raising initiatives, actions, and programs concerning recycling and
reuse, exploitation of green spaces, energy efficiency, and food waste
prevention.
However, Italy can also provide good examples of how circular economy
and sustainable policies can improve the quality of life even in smaller towns.
Let us take the municipality of Varese Ligure located in the Liguria region of
northwest Italy, a very small town with less than 5000 habitants. Transformed
from a degrading municipality in the 1980s to a thriving location today, Varese
Ligure is fully powered by renewable energy. In the 1980s the municipality
was in trouble, due to lack of jobs, no industry, decaying properties, and the
absence of essential services. However, the local administrators did not give