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Three Positive Effects of Developing Eco-Cities

An eco-home is a structure built with conservation in mind. In a traditional neighborhood, an eco-home may not make much of an impact on the local ecosystem. An eco-city, though, has many benefits. It can provide a large number of people with jobs and residences while reducing the consumption of natural resources.

  1. Eco-City Overview

    • An eco-city is a metropolitan area filled with sustainable houses and businesses. The building designs use natural light to its full potential, reuse water and consume very little energy. The construction can't do all the work, though. To make an eco-city successful, the populace needs to have conservation in mind. People need to make a conscious effort to reduce waste, limit energy consumption and preserve natural resources for the eco-city to be truly beneficial to the environment.

    Water Conservation

    • In most technologically advanced cities, water goes down the drain and immediately into the sewer system. This is a waste of grey water (slightly used water) that you can repurpose in your home. Eco-cities with a special drainage system designed to reuse grey water can severely decrease a city's water usage. The drainage system would store water used from showers and dish cleaning to apply it toward nonconsumption-based purposes such as watering lawns. Storing fresh rainwater in each home would also lower the demand for water.

    Increased Property Values

    • Eco-friendly homes are long-lasting structures that consume very little energy. While the upfront cost of construction may outweigh the current cost of outdated buildings, the low electricity bills and reduced maintenance fees add up over time. A well-built house that consumes very little energy will pull in some extra money in the housing market. When you build an eco-friendly community, you build several of these energy-efficient, low-maintenance houses in a centralized area. This will boost the value of each home, further considering that the type of neighborhood has a bearing on the value of the home.

    Emission Reduction

    • Eco-homes and businesses have a surplus of natural light and climate-controlling designs without the need of air conditioners or heaters. This reduces the demand for electricity, which equals fewer emissions. Electrical plants that still use coal release emissions that can result in acid rain and contribute to global climate change. The less electricity the plants have to produce, the less environmental impact they have. Eco-cities may invest in a different energy source altogether and power homes with wind and solar power, which cuts coal-based electricity production out of the picture entirely.

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