Module 4 — City Performance Indicators and Methods of Assessment
Lesson 5 of 13
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment is a methodology to evaluate performance over time with respect to impacts on the environment. Typically demonstrated and applied for materials and products over their life cycle, the methodology can be used to assess buildings over the span of their design life, and therefore infer some knowledge about the environmental sustainability of neighbourhoods and cities. In this video, the methodology of Environmental Life Cycle Assessment is first introduced, followed by some early studies globally that used this approach, and you’ll be introduced to applications on products and materials, followed by applications in cities. 

The Environmental Life Cycle Assessment methodology that was presented was demonstrated through it application to products and processes, and then interpreted with the context of urban development. Life Cycle Assessment is a consistent tool that can quantify all possible environmental burdens in relation to a functional unit, and offers an analytical tool to make better-informed decisions, to explore alternatives, and to communicate environmental impacts objectively and quantitatively.