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5.	Liveable Cities
	It's natural that APEC would seek a SD approach to urban planning, since nine of the world's 15 largest cities (Tokyo, New York, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Beijing, Seoul, Jakarta, Osaka, and Tianjin) are within the trading bloc's borders, and since rapid urbanization over the past 15 years has made urban-dwellers of more than 50 per cent of APEC's population. The health, environmental, and secondary economic impacts of dense urbanization are expected to worsen as liberalization of agriculture (spurred by structural adjustment) and the emergence of new industries create additional waves of urban migrants. The impact will be dramatic. In Manila, for example, the estimate of 1 million cars clogging city streets (and accounting for an annual $51 million in wasted fuel due to gridlock) is expected to double by 2002. APEC leaders addressed this looming urban juggernaut at their July 1996 meeting in the Philippines by vowing to create an action plan on sustainable cities. Although it was at first difficult to find an institutional home for this cross-cutting issue within an APEC structure characterized by autonomous and highly-focused working groups, some linkages have been created thus breaking new ground in efforts to integrate sustainability issues into APEC's broader planning functions. Information exchange, transfer of skills, and the sharing of best practices are all means of ensuring that sustainable principles guide the anticipated urban growth. Partnership between public and private sectors, and the removal of disincentives to investment in sustainable urban infrastructure (through innovative financing mechanisms, and life-cycle approaches to planning, design and construction, for instance) are also keys to creating more liveable cities. However, partnership plans are not limited to technical experts and private business: APEC's Sustainable Cities program also calls for involvement by the disenfranchised urban poor, support for inclusive forms of governance, and the realization of local Agenda 21 communities. APEC economies have agreed that sustainable cities must have a part in ongoing discussions on other issues such as Sustainability of the Marine Environment, the Impact of Expanding Population and Economic Growth on Food, Energy and the Environment (FEEEP), and particularly on Cleaner Production/Clean Technology, since efforts to limit waste and pollution will have an immediate and tangible impact on the quality of the urban environment. Given that there is a need for $3 trillion in infrastructure spending to cut down on such problems as air pollution, devoting resources to clean technology in support of more breathable urban air is also likely to produce a healthy economic stimulus. [sustainable cities response to APEC's urban juggernaut]
	Seaside Arcology Architects and planners are seeking innovative solutions for China’s cities. Already beset with problems of urban homelessness, acid rain, contaminated water and solid waste accumulations China needs to plan for 432 new cities by the year 2010, many along the coasts. One response is “Seaside Arcology”, a design concept developed by Francis Frick of the University of Hong Kong. Arcology houses many “related ‘green’ subsystems of food, water and energy” and a ‘seed arcology’ has been proposed which would straddle the waterfront and coast-line and form a self-contained community. In the prototype, greywater-fed gardens generate food which is packaged on site; energy is saved via bioclimatic adaptation and solar and wind electrolysis and wastewater gasification provide hydrogen gas for electricity and heat. It would house 300 people, offices and classrooms as well as a marina, hydroponics gardens, filter beds, bioremediation tanks, a small market plaza and shared, communal spaces. In essence it becomes “factory, farm, school and community in one” where automobile traffic is limited and pedestrian traffic the norm. For more information on “Seaside Arcology” contact: Francis Frick at the Department of Architecture, University of Hong Kong. Email: fjfrick@hkusua.hku.hk
	Local Agenda 21 n. sustainable development goals and strategies implemented at the local level. Cleaner production n. manufacturing process which conserves materials, eliminates toxic substances and reduces waste and pollution.
	National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. Toward Sustainable Cities in APEC: urban air quality and urban energy management. Ottawa: NRTEE & Asia Pacific Foundation, 1997.