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A sustainable city can broadly be defined
as "one that has put in place action plans and policies
that aim to ensure adequate resource availability and (re-) utilisation,
social comfort and equity and economic development and prosperity
for future generations".
The term sustainability is a difficult concept
to define as it refers more to a process rather than an end-point.
Effective governance at different scales such as regional bodies,
national agencies, or local authorities can achieve the path
towards sustainability. For example, Agenda 21 prescribes lifestyle
changes, governed through local implementation often in the guise
of Local Agenda 21. This requires consultation and consensus
building with all sectors of the community (local, civic, community,
business and industry).
Cities can vary in definition and classification
depending on the sector or issue being researched, the function
being observed as well as the legislative or administration system
being referred to (district council, county council). There are
many different terms that can be applied to cities, which often
refer to conceptual, physical or administrative boundaries of
a city. These include urban, municipality, metropolitan, city,
city-region and non-rural. Their boundaries are often indistinct
visually and local governance may also include both rural and
urban areas e.g. city councils. An important buffer zone is the
suburban/peer-urban interface, which can be included in some
city definitions. These have additional associated social, economic
and environmental pressures exerted on it such as localized air
pollution caused by traffic pollution along main transport corridors.
It is also difficult to look at cities as single, self-contained
entities as every city requires inputs and outputs and flows
of goods, services, people, communication and information, news,
water, air, food, raw materials, etc. in order for it to develop,
sustainably or otherwise. Many of these inputs and outputs are
uncontrollable and can be either beneficial or detrimental such
as air and water pollution and traffic congestion
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What is a sustainable city?
India
Argentina
Sweden
Central Europe |
