What is a “sustainable city”?

Fred LeeDepartment of Geography

The University of Hong Kong

March 15, 2012

What is a “sustainable city”?

What is “sustainable development”?

Ambiguous definitions confusions & contradictions ~ “sustainable cities”? or ~ cities that contribute to “sustainable development”?

Historical context ~ UNCED (1992): > Agenda 21: Program of Action for Sustainable Dev’ > “Local Agenda 21” (Ch. 28 of Agenda 21)

Why Local Agenda 21?

Historical context ~ Habitat II (1996): Habitat Agenda > “Sustainable human settlements”

(Ch. III.B.) * “green city” * “eco-city” * “liveable city” * “environmental city” * “zero-emission city”

What is “sustainable development”?

~ sustainability > what is to be sustained? > what sector(s)? > at what scale?

~ development > what goal(s)? > for whom? > how?

Discourse on sustainable development

~ one-sided emphasis on: sustainability [ecological sustainability]

~ consequences (at city level): > investment to reduce use of fossil fuels> decrease throughputs of resources> control pollution> draconian measures on pop. growth & mobility * such policies do little for the poor * may even exacerbate their problems

Ambiguous definition confusions

~ What does “sustainable development” mean?> “ensuring human activities can continue”? or> “keeping natural capital intact”? or> “meeting human needs”?

What is “sustainable development”?

~ the WECD definition:

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs

of the present without compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs”

WCED definition

~ sustainable development > poverty & inequity ecological crises

~ two major aspects need to be combined: > meeting human needs > keeping natural capital intact

~ two key principles need to be observed: > inter-generational equity > intra-generational equity

Critics of dominant definition (ecological sustainability): ~ critics: emphasize the need to discuss & define

development goals

> SD means more, not less, growth * growth eliminate poverty & inequity

> SD demands social change * re-distribute assets & resources

> SD requires trade-offs * reconcile conflicting development goals

Ambiguous definition confusions

~ What does a “sustainable city” mean? > “keeping an urban human settlement

functioning”? or > “cities that contribute to SD goals”?

~ Our Common Future’s principles: > meeting human needs in cities > minimizing the transfer of costs from city-based

production, consumption or waste generation to other people or ecosystems, both now & in the future

What is a “sustainable city”?

~ a provisional definition:

“a city designed, built, and managed in a manner where all its citizens are able to meet their own needs without endangering the well-being of the natural world or the living conditions of other people, now or in the future”