Project Abstract

Sustainability assessment and the management of urban areas have become critical aspects of modern city planning and development. This research project aims to investigate the various methodologies and tools available for assessing and enhancing sustainability in urban environments. The study will focus on evaluating the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability to develop a comprehensive understanding of urban systems. The research will involve a literature review to explore the current trends and best practices in sustainability assessment for urban areas. Various frameworks such as the Triple Bottom Line approach, Sustainable Development Goals, and Urban Sustainability Indicators will be examined to identify key criteria and indicators for evaluating sustainability in cities. Additionally, the project will investigate the role of technology and innovation in promoting sustainability in urban management. This includes the use of smart city technologies, renewable energy systems, green infrastructure, and sustainable transportation solutions to improve the overall sustainability performance of urban areas. A case study analysis will be conducted to assess the sustainability practices of selected cities around the world. By comparing and contrasting different urban sustainability initiatives, the research aims to identify successful strategies and lessons learned that can be applied to other cities facing similar challenges. Furthermore, the project will explore the importance of stakeholder engagement and community involvement in the sustainability assessment and management of urban areas. By involving local residents, businesses, and government agencies in the decision-making process, cities can ensure that sustainability initiatives are aligned with the needs and priorities of the community. Overall, this research project will contribute to the growing body of knowledge on sustainability assessment and management in urban areas. By identifying best practices, key challenges, and opportunities for improvement, the study aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and other stakeholders working towards creating more sustainable and resilient cities.

Project Overview

INTRODUCTION

This book is the result of a research project funded by the Fund for Scientific Research—Flanders (Belgium) that looks into strategic environmental assessment as an instrument to develop urban areas more sustainably. This research is carried out at the Environmental Impact Assessment Center, which is part of the Human Ecology Department at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). In 1975 the VUB instituted a Master of Human Ecology educational program. As the interdisciplinary study of the relationships between the human species and its environment, human ecology is distinct from traditional animal, plant, or microbial ecology in that it recognizes the…

By early in the coming decade, the majority of humankind will be living in cities. For the first time in the two-million-year history of our species, the immediate human environment will be the “built environment.” By some conventional accounts, accelerating urbanization is just another piece of evidence that the human economy is “decoupling” from the environment, that humanity is finally leaving nature and the rural countryside behind. This is a perceptual error. Even as we urbanize, human beings remain dependent on the environment, and cities become the major drivers of global ecological change. Moreover, the sustainability of our cities is…

As a concept, the notion of sustainable urban development is simple, appealing, and an essential component of global sustainability. On a technical level we already have many of the pieces that we need to construct communities that would be much more sustainable than those we inhabit today. We can even identify working examples of urban activities that are more sustainable than the typical ones. However, the incentive structure of regulations, prices, and taxes does not encourage the diffusion of these improved practices. We need to put into place the regulations—such as a tax on carbon emissions—that will create…

The pursuit of sustainable development at the local and regional level of governance has received a powerful impetus from the follow-up to Chapter 28 of Agenda 21, the “action plan” adopted at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. “Local Agenda 21” (LA21) has become an international symbol for new initiatives for sustainable local and regional communities. With strong support from the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), and the European Commission, Local Agenda 21 is one of the major success stories from the Earth Summit. The purpose of this chapter is…