An ecological consideration for environmental infrastructure evaluation to achieve urban sustainability

Abstract

This study aims to improve how environmental infrastructure is evaluated to achieve urban sustainability. To do this, it focuses on evaluation criteria from an ecological perspective. Given that urban areas are similar with ecosystems, the authors examine the characteristics of ecosystems in terms of survival, i.e., evolution, adaption, ecological network, maximum power principle, dispersal and ecological hierarchy. From these characteristics of ecosystem survival, the authors consider how environmental infrastructure should be evaluated for the purpose of contributing to urban sustainability. Thus, evaluation criteria are derived from the characteristics of ecosystems as they relate to survival. These include inherent innovation, interconnectivity, maximizing efficiency, compactness, decentralization, conservation of the natural ecosystem, convenience with historical and cultural coupling and stepwise greenization. Finally, these criteria are applied to evaluate a Korean case. As a result, the evaluation criteria are regarded to be useful to incorporate urban sustainability into the evaluation process for environmental infrastructure.