Author(s)

M. TADI & S. VAHABZADEH MANESH

Abstract

Cities are energy-using systems in their own right; they consume energy in varying levels of efficiency. A city’s form can have a tremendous effect on its energy consumption, as well as its environmental performance. There has been much research and discussion regarding which urban form is sustainable, but lack of construc- tive methods to improve upon their existing environmental performance. This paper explicates a possible method of sustainable urban transformation design principles. The methodology aims to reform an existing urban assessment into a more sustainable form, regardless to its present form and performance. The research demonstrates how one can transform a city into a lower energy consumption system, using the Integrated Modification Methodology. In this approach, the city is considered as a single entity, a Complex Adaptive System; accordingly, the sustainable urban form emerges through modification of its elements and integration of its subsystems over time.

Keywords

complex adaptive system, integrated modification methodology, morphology, sustainable urban transformation