Perspectives on Urban Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure, and the capacity for humanity to endure is being tested on a global scale.
Population is exploding and becoming increasingly urbanized. It took more than 10,000 generations for the planet to reach two billion humans in the middle of the last century. But someone born at the end of World War II has already seen the population grow to 6.6 billion. If that person lives to be 100 and the pace of urbanization continues, the population is expected to be 9 billion at that person’s death.
The challenges of climate change, peak oil, clean air and water, economic redevelopment, social equity, and the many others that confront government leaders will not go away because we meant well. To do well, a plan of sustained action, based on some guiding principles, is required.
If there is good news on the sustainability front, it is that myriad efforts are under way at the grassroots level to make a difference. Observations from hundreds of sustainability initiatives around the world suggest that here are some common principles guiding sustainability improvements in the urban context.
From these common principles of urban sustainability, municipal leaders might, in turn, craft effective strategic planning processes that lay the groundwork for creating more sustainable communities. While not radically different from other interpretations of sustainability, the common themes of urban sustainability practices around the world are, essentially, fourfold: efficiency, diversity, connectivity, and restoration.