ConnectedCities
Green belt Under the ConnectedCity master-plans all undeveloped land not in a pedshed is designated as Green Belt and protected from development.
Vision from 2050 In most countries, despite the growth in population, the countryside is almost unchanged, except for improved sanitation, housing and agriculture. Where railways have been extended change has come with growth. But elsewhere the improvements have been for the existing population only. As a result the traditional pattern of small settlements in the countryside has been preserved, The population of the villages and rural towns not in walking distance of inter-town transport has remained more or less static. Development in this rural hinterland is limited to, for example: • • •
Small scale projects in rural towns and villages to provide housing, employment or facilities for local people Building in the interests of sustainability, such as green energy generation Making appropriate use of a heritage building; or development in its grounds to fund its restoration
Public access There is much more public access to the countryside, particularly around the ConnectedTowns. The paths through the green corridors separating the villages of new green quarters and new green towns continue through the protected rural land around them, creating coherent cycle and footpath networks across the country. In the past adding to the edges of towns cut off exactly the parts of the countryside which townspeople most valued, as they used them for recreational purposes and visual enjoyment. New green towns sited away from existing settlements had far less impact.
Agriculture Agriculture is much more integrated into the life of ordinary people than it was fifty years ago. Local food production is the norm, much of it from gardens, vegetable plots, community farms, farmshares, and intensive hydroponic farms. Despite the increased population, most countries are almost self-sufficient in food. Diets are greener and healthier, with more locally grown food. Imported food is mostly delivered by rail to local rail freight interchanges.
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