Sustainable brands and cities
Sustainable brands and cities
Imagine you are starting your own clothing brand. How will you make it environmentally friendly?
Imagine you are starting your own clothing brand. How will you make it environmentally friendly?
Get to know Pavel Lozanov. Born in Bulgaria to a family that has been involved in the fashion industry for generations, Pavel grew up in his parent's factory, running around the machines and always dreamed of making his own mark on the world. He later married and, with his wife Theodora, in 2015, founded Bogdar, an eco-sustainable clothing brand in their home country Bulgaria. First of all, the couple wanted to win the trust of consumers. They decided to combine modern style with sustainability. The first step is to choose the fabric. They use eco-friendly, organic, biodegradable, or recycled fabrics. The brand has completely abandoned the use of leather and fur. The fabrics they use are organic cotton (no chemicals and minimal water consumption).
They are trying to find the origin of that cotton, to know who grew it, and whether the workers received enough wages for it. The viscose used is not produced from cellulose obtained from trees and plants but from the cotton crop residues, which are usually thrown away. Bogdar's suppliers are mostly local and European companies. They only work with small family-owned, socially responsible, certified fabric suppliers. They pride themselves on their personal connections and know all the people they work with personally. The factory has a very interesting cooling system. It uses circulating cold water from a well dug by them. The brand has also reduced the number of parking spaces and provides free buses for employees.
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Get to know Pavel Lozanov. Born in Bulgaria to a family that has been involved in the fashion industry for generations, Pavel grew up in his parent's factory, running around the machines and always dreamed of making his own mark on the world. He later married and, with his wife Theodora, in 2015, founded Bogdar, an eco-sustainable clothing brand in their home country Bulgaria. First of all, the couple wanted to win the trust of consumers. They decided to combine modern style with sustainability. The first step is to choose the fabric. They use eco-friendly, organic, biodegradable, or recycled fabrics. The brand has completely abandoned the use of leather and fur. The fabrics they use are organic cotton (no chemicals and minimal water consumption).
They are trying to find the origin of that cotton, to know who grew it, and whether the workers received enough wages for it. The viscose used is not produced from cellulose obtained from trees and plants but from the cotton crop residues, which are usually thrown away. Bogdar's suppliers are mostly local and European companies. They only work with small family-owned, socially responsible, certified fabric suppliers. They pride themselves on their personal connections and know all the people they work with personally. The factory has a very interesting cooling system. It uses circulating cold water from a well dug by them. The brand has also reduced the number of parking spaces and provides free buses for employees.
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Pavel and Theodora
Pavel and Theordora
Bogdar clothing
Bogdar clothing
What do you think differentiates environmentally sustainable cities from other cities?
What do you think differentiates environmentally sustainable cities from other cities?
Let's move to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. When designing the city, the city government and Copenhagen's chief architect Tina Saab thought about the ideal neighborhood. First, they wanted to reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy efficiency (these are houses with thoughtful insolation (how much sunlight gets into the house), centralized air conditioning and rainwater harvesting systems). Then they thought that the neighborhood should be comfortable in every aspect, especially from the point of view of pedestrian or bicycle movement. The government thought that it would be great to have everything needed in that district, such as offices, housing, restaurants, parks and playgrounds.




One of these districts is called Nordhavn. The UN environmental office is also located here. In the past, Nordhavn was an ordinary port. Now it is a completely new part of the city. There are many interesting things in the neighborhood that we can see. For example, the multi-story car park. A playground for adults and children is built on its roof. They used the already existing space here, which is a very sustainable solution. That is, instead of building a new park and spending resources, it was built in an already existing area. In addition, it helps residents have everything they need nearby; there is no need to travel to different parts of the city when everything is close, and it also reduces traffic.
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This is not the only environmentally sustainable area in Copenhagen. Imagine the municipality has a plan to be implemented by 2070. They understand that the climate is changing and there is a risk that sea levels will rise and the coastline will collapse. That is why they are building the Refshaleøen (Reifsheilullen) and Lynetteholm (Luniteholm) district buffer zones.


Let's move to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. When designing the city, the city government and Copenhagen's chief architect Tina Saab thought about the ideal neighborhood. First, they wanted to reduce CO2 emissions and increase energy efficiency (these are houses with thoughtful insolation (how much sunlight gets into the house), centralized air conditioning and rainwater harvesting systems). Then they thought that the neighborhood should be comfortable in every aspect, especially from the point of view of pedestrian or bicycle movement. The government thought that it would be great to have everything needed in that district, such as offices, housing, restaurants, parks and playgrounds.



One of these districts is called Nordhavn. The UN environmental office is also located here. In the past, Nordhavn was an ordinary port. Now it is a completely new part of the city. There are many interesting things in the neighborhood that we can see. For example, the multi-story car park. A playground for adults and children is built on its roof. They used the already existing space here, which is a very sustainable solution. That is, instead of building a new park and spending resources, it was built in an already existing area. In addition, it helps residents have everything they need nearby; there is no need to travel to different parts of the city when everything is close, and it also reduces traffic.
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This is not the only environmentally sustainable area in Copenhagen. Imagine the municipality has a plan to be implemented by 2070. They understand that the climate is changing and there is a risk that sea levels will rise and the coastline will collapse. That is why they are building the Refshaleøen (Reifsheilullen) and Lynetteholm (Luniteholm) district buffer zones.


Nordhavn then and now
Refshaleøen and Lynetteholm
Nordhavn then and now
Refshaleøen and
Lynetteholm
There is an electric bike company in the US called Propel. The director of this company, Chris, has his own YouTube channel, where he mainly talks about Propel products but also occasionally talks about regular bikes, vlogs about his bike races, etc. So, two years ago, he went to Denmark, our beloved Copenhagen, to film how the bike lanes are built there and whether it is comfortable to ride there. Today, 40% of Copenhageners ride a bicycle because it is more convenient and cheaper than a car. It is safe and fast in the city center and on major highways.
The city has been persistently and consistently promoting the idea of abandoning cars. Even after it snows, bike lanes are cleared first. There are even places to change tires along major highways. Chris included bike racks in his video, even double-deckers. He was amazed at the amount of bicycle parking. The city is arranged in such a way that traveling by car is very inconvenient. Many bridges are only for pedestrians and cyclists. One such bridge is the Circle Bridge, designed by Danish design legend Olafur Eliasson. And the Inner Harbor Bridge was built to increase the flow of visitors from the city center to the Opera House.
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Some bridges are only for bicycles; for example, with the Bicycle Snake, you can get from Vesterbro to Islands Brygge. Thus, the city naturally chooses bicycles. First creates a comfortable ecosystem, then invites residents to decide which is more suitable. This cycling success is being used by the organization Copenhagenize, which literally translates to "Copenhagenization." They are engaged in urban design. They develop bike systems for Paris, Lisbon, Montreal, and many other cities.
Chris Nolte
Circle Bridge
Inner Harbour Bridge
Bicycle Snake
There is an electric bike company in the US called Propel. The director of this company, Chris, has his own YouTube channel, where he mainly talks about Propel products but also occasionally talks about regular bikes, vlogs about his bike races, etc. So, two years ago, he went to Denmark, our beloved Copenhagen, to film how the bike lanes are built there and whether it is comfortable to ride there. Today, 40% of Copenhageners ride a bicycle because it is more convenient and cheaper than a car. It is safe and fast in the city center and on major highways.
The city has been persistently and consistently promoting the idea of abandoning cars. Even after it snows, bike lanes are cleared first. There are even places to change tires along major highways. Chris included bike racks in his video, even double-deckers. He was amazed at the amount of bicycle parking. The city is arranged in such a way that traveling by car is very inconvenient. Many bridges are only for pedestrians and cyclists. One such bridge is the Circle Bridge, designed by Danish design legend Olafur Eliasson. And the Inner Harbor Bridge was built to increase the flow of visitors from the city center to the Opera House.
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Some bridges are only for bicycles; for example, with the Bicycle Snake, you can get from Vesterbro to Islands Brygge. Thus, the city naturally chooses bicycles. First creates a comfortable ecosystem, then invites residents to decide which is more suitable. This cycling success is being used by the organization Copenhagenize, which literally translates to "Copenhagenization." They are engaged in urban design. They develop bike systems for Paris, Lisbon, Montreal, and many other cities.
Քրիս Նոլթին
Circle Bridge
Inner Harbour Bridge
Bicycle Snake
Which Dutch city do you think is world famous for its bicycle system?
Let's stay in Europe and visit another sustainable city, Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The municipality always tries to make the use of bicycles as convenient as possible for citizens. First, they want to make the traffic smooth and comfortable. For this reason, new bicycle connections are being created to overcome long distances comfortably. And the busiest bike lanes are given more space. Second, a lot of attention is paid to parking spaces. More free bicycle parking spaces are being created at bus stops and on the street. These parking lots are more convenient thanks to road signs and informational posters.
The city also combines public spaces and parking spaces - Bike & Walk. Park your bike and then go for a walk. As a result, a very comfortable network is obtained. You ride your bike to the park, stop it, and do your business. As you understand, the municipality actively encourages cycling. It establishes driving rules and ethics, and finances citizens' initiatives. For example, all Dutch people already know that if they are strong enough to lift a bicycle to the second deck of a parking lot, it is better to do so and leave the first deck for those with less physical strength. The city continues to install parking spaces at stations and bus stops and to build bicycle bridges and ferry crossings over the River Ey.
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Let's stay in Europe and visit another sustainable city, Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The municipality always tries to make the use of bicycles as convenient as possible for citizens. First, they want to make the traffic smooth and comfortable. For this reason, new bicycle connections are being created to overcome long distances comfortably. And the busiest bike lanes are given more space. Second, a lot of attention is paid to parking spaces. More free bicycle parking spaces are being created at bus stops and on the street. These parking lots are more convenient thanks to road signs and informational posters.
The city also combines public spaces and parking spaces - Bike & Walk. Park your bike and then go for a walk. As a result, a very comfortable network is obtained. You ride your bike to the park, stop it, and do your business. As you understand, the municipality actively encourages cycling. It establishes driving rules and ethics, and finances citizens' initiatives. For example, all Dutch people already know that if they are strong enough to lift a bicycle to the second deck of a parking lot, it is better to do so and leave the first deck for those with less physical strength. The city continues to install parking spaces at stations and bus stops and to build bicycle bridges and ferry crossings over the River Ey. Քաղաքը շարունակում է կայանատեղիներ տեղադրել կայարաններում ու կանգառներում ու կառուցել հեծանվային կամուրջներ ու լաստանավային անցումներ Էյ գետի վրայով:
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Amsterdam
Amsterdam
It is also convenient to summarize information on public transport in one platform. It was made in America, in the city of Pittsburgh. Move PGH is a shared platform that provides greater access to Pittsburgh's transportation options: carsharing, bicycles, scooter rentals, carpooling, and more. It is a result of collaboration between many different groups called the Pittsburgh Mobility Collective. All members work together instead of competing. Normally, with a subscription, people can go to school by bicycle in the morning, then by carsharing to shopping, and in the evening go to see some friends by scooter.
Carsharing և Carpooling տերմիններին ծանո՞թ ես։
All members work together instead of competing. Normally, with a subscription, people can go to school by bicycle in the morning, then by carsharing to shopping, and in the evening go to see some friends by scooter.
It is also convenient to summarize information on public transport in one platform. It was made in America, in the city of Pittsburgh. Move PGH is a shared platform that provides greater access to Pittsburgh's transportation options: carsharing, bicycles, scooter rentals, carpooling, and more. It is a result of collaboration between many different groups called the Pittsburgh Mobility Collective.
It was still in the 1950s when 4 people gathered at Sollefteå Hospital in Sweden to discuss a very important issue. Among them were engineer Torsten Kerfelt, chief architect Olle Genber, heating and plumbing consultant Stan Olsson, and Centralsug CEO Olaf Hallström. Centralsug is a company that manufactures central dust collection systems. They were meeting at Sollefteå Hospital to solve the problem of dust collection in the hospital. So, during the discussion, one of them had a question: "If we can clean the dust from every corner of the hospital with one system, why not do the same with the waste?" Previously, no one had thought of this idea and no one knew if it was possible.
After the discussion, Olaf returned to Stockholm, and a few weeks later came back to the hospital with a proposal to create a vacuum waste treatment system. In 1961, they installed the world's first vacuum waste treatment system at Sollefteå Hospital. It still works today. This idea did not remain within Sweden and spread to many European cities. For example, it is still used in France. Let's move to Paris, Clichy Batignolles district. Local authorities are planning to install a special pneumatic network here to collect household waste (except for glass and very large objects).
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A special pneumatic network is a network of underground pipes. The waste falls underground and, in order not to mix, is transported one by one through pipes. The waste is compressed into airtight containers at the end of the journey. As soon as the container is full, the automatic system replaces it with an empty one. The filled container goes to the recycling plant. The system will help avoid odor problems, reduce the need for trash cans in public areas, and eliminate the use of vehicles for garbage collection. Where it is not possible to install a special pneumatic network, separate sorting boxes are installed, for example, for clothes, organic waste, paper, plastic, etc.
It was still in the 1950s when 4 people gathered at Sollefteå Hospital in Sweden to discuss a very important issue. Among them were engineer Torsten Kerfelt, chief architect Olle Genber, heating and plumbing consultant Stan Olsson, and Centralsug CEO Olaf Hallström. Centralsug is a company that manufactures central dust collection systems. They were meeting at Sollefteå Hospital to solve the problem of dust collection in the hospital. So, during the discussion, one of them had a question: "If we can clean the dust from every corner of the hospital with one system, why not do the same with the waste?" Previously, no one had thought of this idea and no one knew if it was possible.
After the discussion, Olaf returned to Stockholm, and a few weeks later came back to the hospital with a proposal to create a vacuum waste treatment system. In 1961, they installed the world's first vacuum waste treatment system at Sollefteå Hospital. It still works today. This idea did not remain within Sweden and spread to many European cities. For example, it is still used in France. Let's move to Paris, Clichy Batignolles district. Local authorities are planning to install a special pneumatic network here to collect household waste (except for glass and very large objects).
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3
A special pneumatic network is a network of underground pipes. The waste falls underground and, in order not to mix, is transported one by one through pipes. The waste is compressed into airtight containers at the end of the journey. As soon as the container is full, the automatic system replaces it with an empty one. The filled container goes to the recycling plant. The system will help avoid odor problems, reduce the need for trash cans in public areas, and eliminate the use of vehicles for garbage collection. Where it is not possible to install a special pneumatic network, separate sorting boxes are installed, for example, for clothes, organic waste, paper, plastic, etc.
Special pneumatic network
Special pneumatic network
What did you learn, how can cities become more environmentally sustainable?
What did you learn, how can cities become more environmentally sustainable?
Discussion 8: Key questions
If you want to prepare further for the discussion, below you will find the main questions of the upcoming meeting.

1. There is a factory near the Seoul River that is polluting the lake by dumping toxic waste into it. However, it provides employment to thousands of citizens.
Scientists have found out that it is so polluted that if the factory does not stop its work, the river will disappear in 10 years. Newspapers and news websites write about this. The factory pays another group of scientists to say that everything will be fine with the river. Newspapers and news sites write about this again. The officials could have stopped the work of the factory, but they do not understand which scientists are telling the truth and do not know what they will do with the thousands of unemployed if the factory is closed. 10 years have passed, and the river has disappeared.
Who do you think is guilty and why?

2. For the project created in Discussion 7, make a budget sheet and plan how much money will be needed and where you will can find the necessary money.

3. Prepare a 3-minute speech introducing your favorite story/project from Topic 2. The speech should convey the project's main point and explain why you chose that particular one. The speech should consist of two types of sentences: emotional and rational. Start with an emotional sentence and alternate the types.