Clean, green cities beckon...

Abstract

Clean, green cities have been the agenda of the Clean Air Movement for over a century. This paper picks up on the imminent demise of the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) automobile and suggests how much cleaner and greener cities can emerge as we build them around (1) revitalised electric transit with accompanying focussed land use, (2) new plug-in electric vehicles associated with smart grids and local renewables, (3) natural gas and biofuels for industry, freight and regional transport especially in agriculture and remote settlements, (4) telepresence, high speed rail and airships for longer distance linkages. This vision for change is seen as being an essential part of the next technological era and early signs beckon us towards its rapid emergence.