60 RESUSTAIN
Environmental Sustainability
According to Morelli (2011) Environmental Sustainability can be defined as “as a condition of balance, resilience, and interconnectedness” that enable the provision of human needs without compromising the future regenerating capacity of the ecosystems that those depend on, and at the same time don’t affect the bio-diversity.2 Morelli (2011) divides the supportive principles of environmental sustainability in 5 categories: - Provision for Societal Needs - Preservation of Biodiversity - Regenerative Capacity - Reuse and Recycle - Constraints of non-renewable Resources and Waste Generation
Sustainable Economy
A definition of sustainable economy, given in the website of World Wide Fund For Nature refers to sustainable economy as “one that is resilient and provides a good quality of life for everybody. It stays within the limits of the planet and helps keep global warming within the well below 2°C threshold.”8
A Square As A Place Of Intersection
The creation of a square in a city can be an effective way to promote this sharing between social concerns, the economy and the respect to the environment. In Ancient Greece a square or “agora” was a large space located at a central point in the city. It was a congregation space of political discussions and trade, with importance in administration and justice, as well as a religious and spiritual centre. It was positioned in harmony in relation to the existing landscape, planted with trees on the perimeter and provision of fountains.9The provided functions were essential in order to sustain the city. This character of the square as an intersection of economy, society and environment in the contemporary era, still remains. A public square is a place where all citizens have equal right for access, political expression, participation, communication and entertainment. The economic activity is, also, present near a gathering space for people. In addition, squares as open spaces with the provided greenery and water features offer to the citizens the experience of nature, sunlight and air, which are, often, absent from the urban landscape but essential, in many ways, for the human nature.
Picture 2 (Retrieved from https://avantgarde.com.cy/)
