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Policy development and decision making in
sustainable cities takes into consideration the complex interactions
among a number of different related fields and tries to make
an across-the-board progress by minimizing harmful effects, including
the degradation and exploitation of the natural environment.
The following provides a list of some of these important issues:
- Sustainable cities try to minimize
urban sprawl.
- Material and energy input comes from renewable
or recyclable sources (e.g. agriculture, waste, renewable
energy sources).
- Material output (solid waste, sewage, and air pollution) is kept
to a minimal level.
- Extensive recycling.
- A sustainable city tries to minimize
its ecological footprint. (i.e. the land/natural resources
necessary to supply the city with raw materials/energy and
to ensure its implementation.)
- Holistic system development in policy
development and decision making.
Individual problems are always addressed in a wider context,
taking into consideration their complex interactions with related
fields. The goal is to achieve an accross-the-board improvement
instead of solving one problem at the expense of others.
- Integration of advanced environmental
principles into decision making and preparation. (E.g. reduce-reuse-recycle, polluter pays principle,
internalization of external costs, eco-efficiency in industrial
production, from cradle-to-grave approach/lifecycle analysis,
environmental impact assessment, public participation in decision
making etc.)
- Democratic society. (Primarily through public participation in decision
making, an influential civil society, and democratic control.)
- Cooperation of different stakeholders in solving problems. (Stakeholders may include businesses,
municipal/national governments, NGOs, universities/research institutes/think
tanks etc.)
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General
Central
Europe
India
Argentina
Sweden
Africa |
