Small, sustainable cities; the key to the future

Pakistan's current installed energy capacity is approximately 20,000MW. By 2030, the Planning Commission thinks we will need somewhere in the region of 162,000MW. Where do you think we are going to find this energy?
As things stand, the single largest source of energy in Pakistan lies in conservation. But, as of yet, none of the energy or electricity policies to come from government have looked towards conservation as a means of providing energy.
At the same time, our large cities are incredibly difficult to supply energy to. They are very large and so need large energy production sources - usually situated hundreds of miles away - to pipe energy to them. An alternative: smaller cities. Smaller cities will require smaller energy production facilities and, it is possible, that such facilities be made to provide energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind or run-of-the-river.

Catherine Tumber writing in the Boston Review makes a compelling case for small cities. But she goes further, much further, in describing the potential benefits of smaller cities. Read here to find out more about the possible future of urban development.