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(2014/02/09) Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering
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4.6. Post-Carbon cities

So what do we know about how land use and transportation patterns might change as oil prices rise and be-

come volatile? Not surprisingly, some land use studies of the 1970s oil crises suggest that consistently high
oil prices would cause centrally-located land to increase in value as households and firms try to reduce travel

costs. This could very well mean that the high and volatile oil prices which are expected to accompany peak

oil will encourage more people and businesses to move into downtowns and other more central, dense urban

areas. However, these studies also note that the forces driving metropolitan decentralization are very strong

and not easily counteracted. Much depends on how governments and businesses respond to these long-term
changes with planning, policy and actual investments.

4.7. Siemens: Sustainable Cities & Development for Urban Infrastructures

» Cities are the growth drivers of the future, yet also account for the biggest share of CO2 emissions.

Worldwide, cities are the decisive factor for our climate. Our unique environmental portfolio makes Siemens

the perfect partner for sustainable urban development. «

Peter Lö scher, President and CEO of Siemens AG

Our Portfolio for Sustainable Cities

• Energy

• Transport Buildings

• Water

• Security and Safety Airports

• Harbors

• Sports Venues Healthcare

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