If footprint friends created a town, what would you want in it?

First things first, i'll start off. Let's see, how about houses with energy saving bulbs?
You can also say what you don't want in it.

ermm, I would like everyone to walk or cycle to school or work ( if it is not too far away)

Also lots of green spaces and trees would be good. But no cows

of course, the methane!

O.k, how about just a few wind turbines (not too many), solar panels on every building and oh! live near the coast so we can have tide, water, hydrothermal and wave power! 4 in 1!

Good ideas

any others? we need more ideas!

Like, no coal, oil or gas stations, only a small solar powered station (or maybe something else) connected to every house! (if there was enough power in that station to power maybe 100 or more houses).

Hmmm, the town would have to be environmentally friendly and its aim would be to be carbon neutral (or as close to as possible)

Every building would be powered by renewable energy sources (such as solar pannels and wind turbines) and have many large glass windows to allow as much natural light to be used as possible in addition to natural heat. If the town had a gym then the energy created by people using the machines would be used to provide power to the town. 

No cars would be allowed in the town and to travel in the town public transport (such as buses using hydrofuel or trains) would have to be used but people would be encouraged to walk or cycle as it also allows them to exercise. Public transport would have either a low cost or be free to encourage people to use it and not get in their cars.

In each house double glazing, cavity wall insulation and loft insulation would all be included to keep heat in the house. Also each room would have its individual thermostat which would allow the temperature to be changed for each individual room or even the heating to that room turned off if it isnt needed. Foil would also be put behind radiators to reflect heat back into the room.

All lightbulbs would be energy saving as all lighting fixtures would be basic (none of these which take all different sized and shaped bulbs). Also each hosue would have a shut off switch which would shut off power to the whole house (excluding vital appliances such as fridges and freezers) which would prevent applicanes etc being left on standby as this uses nearly as much electricity as it would if it was constantly on.

As much produce (eg fruit, veg and meets) would come from local sources to reduce the food miles of transporting them. Any food waste (that can) will be composted and as much waste as possible would be recyled.

There are many other wasy of making the town environmentally friendly and heading towards its aim of being carbon neutral! 

Environmental issues and climate change are the fore-front of todays news and in the modern society we live more should be being done to help modify our live and our world to become more environmentally friendly and star helping to reduce the cabon emissions destroying the world we live in for the next generation!!!!

 Hi,

Well... Your idea of an environmentally friendly town sounds very much like the initiative "Bedzed" (Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED)) which is a town that is environmentally friendly. Some of the key features of Bedzed include car sharing of electric and hydrogen cars; locally grown produce; reedbed water filtration system; solar panels on the rooves; combined heating services and many more.

However the initiative may be good but in practice it is not so good...yet!

The only issues have come from the government and money issues and the people are prepared to do what it takes but the government havent supplied enough funding and corners were cut so i am sure that a town created by Footprint Friends would be great and would run perfectly and smooth!!

ParkeyParker 

How about this for ideas... Efficiencity 

I would want recycling systems. Hybrid cars. Green people. Mabye a few other things, but I can't remember right now.

I would like it if there were No cars at all in the town and lots of bikes. Every Saturday it would be cool to  have a farmers market and the school would be open at weekends for youth clubs

I woud like a big pond/ lake that can be a home for little bugs and other creatures

Years ago one of the main features of towns were water towers. Not a new invention but I would like to see these re-intruduced into town planning along with all the other ideas you have been suggesting. All dwellings should have underfloor heating powered by heat pumps installed underground, and a large area for a huge greenhouse that collected the condensation from the domed glass to recycle the water .Green waste could be turned into liquid fertiliser as we can with nettles, but I'm not sure about lettuces etc.?

 I would want an organic farm to supply healthy and eco friendly food to the town with virtually no food miles

It would be great if the Footprint Friends town had a lot of colour, flowers and trees and places to sit and relax.