What is a “sustainable city”? Fred Lee Department 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”