Autodesk Builds the Sustainable City 2.0

Building a sustainable city - you can't manage what you don't measure The nonprofit Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is home to the world's largest database of corporate climate change information. CDP provides thousands of organizations and some of the largest international companies a standardized platform to measure, analyze and report greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and sustainability initiatives. You can't manage what you don't measure is the driving philosophy behind CDP, a philosophy with proven benefits providing companies greater efficiency, lowered costs, and better resource management. And what is true for leading companies is just as true for cities - right where most of us live. CDP and C40 Cities C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group is an international network of large, progressive cities committed to implementation of climate risk assessment  and management - creating the sustainable city of the future.  C40 Cities members now have access to the CDP platform through CDPCities, a partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project and C40 Cities. Autodesk is a primary sponsor of the CDPCities Program and consulted on the creation of the project's first questionnaire, which 43 of the world's largest cities responded to last November. Using a variety of tools including Autodesk map 3-D, Infrastructure Map Server, and Infrastructure Studio, Autodesk's Ben Thompson and his team have created an interactive online map incorporating and sharing data from these first participating cities. Access to these data through advanced visualization and modeling technology leads to a better understanding and perception of climate risks, management, and policy initiatives. Thompson expects more cities will participate in the next questionnaire, as participation motivates a growing dialog between cities on effective climate risk management and effective sustainability strategies. The City 2.0 Emphasizing this emerging focus on the sustainable city is the TED Prize. For the first time ever, the prize is not going to an individual, but to an idea: The City 2.0. Given the political gridlock in national politices and the torturous process just ended in Durban, it is clear that sustainability often comes from the bottom up. The city is where most people now live, and the city is where effective change will happen, driving the global movement toward sustainability. It is the work of mayors, city managers, and citizens - supported by organizations like Autodesk, CDP and C40 Cities - that will transform the world's cities and create a livable, sustainable future. Below are screenshots of various data views of the interactive map created by Autodesk. Get a real feel for it by visiting the online interactive CDPCities Map. Download the CDPCities Global Report 2011 for more information.  

Map overview

Mapping local government reduction targets

Mapping highest level of responsibility for climate change