Stanford Human Cities Initiative
Four Pillars of Sustainability
Copyright Š 2016 by Deland Chan
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews. i
Prologue Congratulations! You are about to embark
coming across noticeable differences in
on a summer fellowship and spend the
the quality of roads, housing, and
next few weeks living, working, and
infrastructure. You may walk away from
playing in a city that is brand new to you,
these daily scenes wondering: Interesting!
or with which you may already have some
How do I make sense of what I’m seeing
familiarity. You will pack your bags, land at
and experiencing in my new home? What
the airport, settle into your summer
framework can I use to organize my
housing, find a new grocery store or
thoughts and evaluate what I’m seeing?
favorite restaurant, and spend your day at
What methods might I use to scratch
a new work environment amongst
beyond the surface and uncover the
colleagues. In the evening, you may meet
underlying causes?
up with a friend, go for a walk in the park, and watch a movie. As you go about your daily life, you may start to pick up some details about what you see: your housing may be a six-story walkup, perhaps built around the turn of the 20th century and surrounded by restaurants, grocery stores, and a large park. You know this because you picked the place for these conveniences. You may be walking to work the next day and notice a large crowd of protesters. Or you may journey from one side of the city to another,
For all of us who find ourselves in a new urban environment, the Four Pillars of Sustainability serves as a framework and field guide to navigate your urban surroundings. We draw upon the existing literature to define the four pillars of sustainability as environmental protection, economic vitality, social equity, and cultural continuity. We describe each of the four pillars and provide guiding questions to identify, observe, and measure urban phenomena in cities through these four
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lenses. In doing so, we provide a broader explanation for why The Four Pillars of Sustainability serves as a framework and field guide to navigate your urban surroundings.
it has become increasingly necessary to examine the 21stcentury city through a holistic framework of sustainability. Remember that there is no single way to use this field guide, and we encourage you to experiment and refine these methods. We oer two possible applications for the Four Pillars of Sustainability: I. As lenses to view the city: Theory is often seen as separate and irrelevant from real life; theory vs. practice is often the dichotomy that pitted against one another. But theory, when it is most helpful, can also help you to frame an understanding of the world around you. We introduce the Four Pillars of Sustainability as a framework to
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provide a common vocabulary with descriptors and metrics to What does a sustainable city look like, and how would we identify this?
describe what you see in front of you, and as a means to achieve a greater depth of understanding and critical analysis of your urban environment. What does a sustainable city look like, and how would we identify this? We would like you to consider why certain things appear the way they do, how they became this way, and ultimately who they affect. The next time that you are walking to work, or walking home, you can put on your “Environmental Protection” lens. What do you notice when you are focused on using the language of environmental protection to describe your city? Would you say that this city is particularly strong or lacking in aspects of environmental protection? What are the factors that contributed to what you see? Who is impacted by these decisions?
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II. As a way to evaluate sustainability: Theory can also compel you towards action. Most likely you have chosen your fellowship site to learn something new, refine your skills set, and perhaps improve a situation in order to ultimately make the world a better place. You are here because you have a sense of the type of city or world you would like to live in, and you may often describe that city as What actions could we take to achieve a more sustainable city?
sustainable, equitable, vibrant, livable, resilient, smart, and so forth. Many of these words have been used within a positive context and therefore we assume that is the outcome and language to describe our perfect city. In order to work towards that ideal, we need to be able to measure our progress. This framework is intended to provide that sense of progress by probing for answers to these questions: What actions could we take in order to achieve a more sustainable city? How far do we have to go before we achieve a truly sustainable city?
Our hope is that you will find the Four Pillars of Sustainability helpful in your future endeavors long after you depart from your fellowship site. Feel free to share this widely with friends and colleagues who may find themselves in similar situations. Good luck and happy exploring, urbanists!
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1 Introduction
Sustainability is a term that is often used, but difficult to grasp due to wide variations in interpretation and practice. In the context of urban development and cities, sustainable development was conceptualized in the 1987 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development of the United Nations, which defined sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (p. 43). This definition left many unanswered questions, such as for whom development should serve, the definition of needs, and the actors who should undertake this work, and sparked the basis of much future debate. In the mid-1990s, John Elkington in Cannibals with Forks refined the framework and defined the triple bottom line of sustainable development as the 3E’s: environmental protection, economic vitality, and social equity. Drawing from prior writings such as the Limits to Growth (1972), Elkington wrote in response to the practices of large corporation and infrastructure banks that have been pushing economic practices and forms of restructuring that caused widespread environmental degradation was well as destroyed existing communities’ livelihoods and way of life. His book advocated for a new type of corporate social responsibility— not just for the benefit of the communities where the companies operated— but ultimately serving the interest of the companies themselves. In effect, he argued that if companies cared about people and the planet in addition to profit (e.g., the 3P’s), this approach would ultimately be better off for businesses and their longterm economic growth.
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Sometimes definitions have to evolve in part because they are tested against new situations and circumstances. In recent decades, we have seen waves of rural-to-urban migration and rapid urbanization in countries such as China, India, and Nigeria. In the U.S., people are moving back to revitalized inner cities once depopulated by suburban flight in a wave defined by urban historian Richard Fishman as the "fifth migration”. Meanwhile, some European cities are shrinking or Given the diversity of urban challenges in the 21st-century, the “one size fits all” approach has not worked well.
experiencing a new kind of unprecedented demographic shift such as an increase in aging populations. Given the diversity of urban challenges in the 21st-century, the “one size fits all” approach has not worked well. To give a brief taste of the evidence: eco-cities are being built around the world that remain empty of residents because nobody wants to live there; or developments that claim to be “green” because they have large amounts of greenery on the buildings— yet you still have to travel by car to get anywhere. We see projects in historical districts that tear down historical landmarks and displace thousands of people, only to rebuild new construction in the antique style, with museums and upscale restaurants that are not frequented by the former residents themselves. And all of this— for better or worse, can be justified under the framework of “sustainability”. Given this empirical evidence, sustainability as a theoretical triangle— people, profit, and planet— is inadequate. Clearly, we need another framework of evaluation, one that allows us to pick through the projects above like a fine-toothed comb so we can get a little closer to what sustainability should really look like.
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It turns out that many others have been searching for a refined framework: one that ultimately adds a fourth pillar to sustainability. In 2004, the World Secretariat of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) endorsed an "Agenda 21 for culture”, which adopted culture as one of the four pillars of sustainable development along with the environment, economy, and social development. Examining this further, we believe that evaluating culture would help to close, perhaps As a global community of scholars and practitioners, we are at the forefront of developing and refining a more comprehensive view of sustainability.
not all, some of loopholes that create bad “sustainability” projects. As a global community of scholars and practitioners, we are at the forefront of developing and refining a more comprehensive view of sustainability. Pioneers and explorers are sometimes wrong, misled, and go off on tangents. And yet, this discussion remains an important one that demands your participation and involvement so we can create more rigorous ways to evaluate ultimately how we are to achieve a sustainable city. For those of us who so desperately believe in and want to see a better world— starting with changing our patterns of development in a way that respects the Earth’s limited resources and reduces human suffering— it is clear that we need to do more. How do we start? Doing more starts with understanding where we have been, and ultimately where we need to go.
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2 Environmental Protection
“What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” – Henry David Thoreau
Environmental Protection
The pillar of environmental protection refers to the earth’s biophysical environment. It is concerned with issues of air and water quality, wildlife protection and conservation, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy usage. This issue is especially relevant in areas where the conversion of agricultural land into urban development coincides with the rapid depletion of natural resources. In the United States, definitions of environment sustainability first emerged in the 1960s during a particular time of heightened awareness of human impact on Earth’s carrying capacity and our ecological footprint. The energy crisis in the 1970s, caused by the oil embargo, further highlighted our vulnerability and dependence on
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nonrenewable resources. Several important works, such Prior to the passing of environmental regulations federal programs such as Operation Plowshare used nuclear explosion for excavation purposes without public consultation (see photo above).
as Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and E.F. Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful resulted in an intense period of federal government intervention in the form of regulation. ThenPresident Richard Nixon signed the Clean Air and Water Act in 1969 and 1970 respectively, which led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1971. During this period of time, the emphasis was largely on environmental regulation and curbing detrimental human activity on the earth’s limited natural resources or carrying capacity. During this time, we witnessed the passing of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) on January 1, 1970, which created the framework for state-level environmental regulations such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) nine months later.
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The passing of these legislations are important for two reasons: 1) the establishment of several regulatory bodies, such as the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) at the national level and the California Office of Planning and Research (OPR) paved the way for developing standards and processes for enforcing the laws, and 2) an entire generation now had at their disposal a transparent process Environmental protection refers to the earth’s biophysical environment.
of accountability in which the public could learn about proposed developments and potential impacts on the environment. While these laws were not intended to halt development all together, they were revolutionary in the sense that they provided a consistent and clear process in which the public could learn about potential impacts and in which project developers could then identify clear steps to mitigate and reduce risks to the environment.
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Field Guide to Environmental Protection
Metrics of Evaluation
Field Guide
Water efficiency and alternative water
1. Does the general population have
sources: rainwater harvesting, gray water reuse, wastewater technologies; Energy and atmosphere: renewable energy supply, on-site renewable energy, demand response strategies; Waste management: recycling, source reduction, reuse, wasteto-energy; Air quality: indoor and outdoor pollutants greenhouse gas emissions; Biodiversity: species diversification, wildlife protection and conservation.
access to clean and drinkable water? 2. Can you easily take care of all your daily needs within walking or biking distance? 3. Are there alternatives to petroleumbased mobility, such as electric vehicles, protected bike pathways and pedestrian infrastructure? Are these alternatives relatively feasible, affordable, and easy to use? 4. Does being outdoors or being exposed to the natural elements threaten your sense of health? 5. Do you have access to attractive green spaces and parks? Are there areas are maintained as natural habitats to protect biodiversity? 6. After spending an entire day walking around, have you developed a cough? When you blow your nose into a tissue, do you notice black dust?
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7. You just finished eating lunch. Do you have adequate facilities to dispose of your waste? Is there access to recycling facilities? 8. Are there attractive buildings and landscapes that make use of green building technologies, energy-saving features, and stormwater management techniques?
Further Reading Brower, D. (1990). For Earth's Sake. Peregrine Smith Books. Carson, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade & Reference Publishers. Duvall, B. (1985). Deep Ecology. Gibbs Smith. Ehrlich, A., Ehrlich, P. & Holdren, J. (1977). Ecoscience: Population, Resources, and Environment. W.H. Freeman. Ehrlich, P. (1970). The Population Bomb. Ballantine Books. Schumacher, E.F. (1975). Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. Harper & Row. World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Our Common Future. United Nations.
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3 Economic Vitality
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Economic Vitality
Economic vitality as a pillar of sustainability consists of monetary wealth and value through the exchange of goods and services. Economically vibrant places do more than provide for basic necessities for the general population— they also create healthy ecosystems that can withstand the shocks and cycles of volatile markets. This pillar requires both physical infrastructure— roads, communication networks, etc.— to enable the production and distribution of goods, as well as human capital development to encourage higher value production through knowledge creation and research development.
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Since the beginning of human civilization, cities represent the convergence of the marketplace, trade, and economic opportunity. This resulted in the birth of cities along crucial trade routes and the organic formation of ancient cities centered around the agora (Greek for gathering or assembly place), which often served as the marketplace for the sale and trade of goods, people, and services. Half of the world’s population lives in cities, which collectively generates more than 80% of the global gross domestic product (GDP).
Theories of economic development and free market principles have existed since the 18th century, with Adam Smith’s Wealth of Invisible Nations and others having profound impact and shaping of urban economies and industry in cities globally. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, half of the world’s population lives in cities, which collectively generates more than 80% of the global gross domestic product (GDP). Considering that cities account for just 2% of the earth’s surface, cities have become incredibly powerful and productive economic drivers. This pattern of economic development has only intensified with globalization in which a vast amount of economic wealth remains concentrated in just a handful of elite cities— New York, London, Hong Kong— that often have more in common with one another despite being oceans apart than with cities of closer proximity in the same country. It is important to note that economic growth remains deeply uneven across the world and within developed regions. Pockets of invisible poverty exist in highly developed areas— for example, the Bay Area is one of the wealthiest regions in one of the wealthiest nations in the 17
world, yet certain neighborhoods exhibit patterns of infant Economic growth remains uneven across the world and within developed regions.
mortality rates that closely resemble that of developing countries in Africa. Current measures of economic vitality are largely skewed toward formal and state-approved channels. Informal and unregulated forms of livelihoods can co-exist with formal economic channels and provide opportunities for members of the population who may be excluded from participation in these formal pathways.
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Field Guide to Economic Vitality
Metrics of evaluation
Field Guide
Monetary growth as measured by gross
1. Walking around the city, do you see
domestic product (GDP), import and
many empty storefronts? Are there
export production, employment levels,
abandoned buildings, broken windows,
property values, income and wage levels,
and empty downtowns?
purchasing power, development of physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, shipping facilities, fiber optic connections, levels of educational attainment, published patent applications.
2. Is there a diversification of industries? Or is the entire city built around one industry (or company) and therefore lacks economic resiliency? 3. Is there a high unemployment rate or high percentage of people who are subsist below the oďŹƒcial poverty line? 4. Do you see people walking around who represent all ages? Or have the young people left and gone somewhere else to seek their fortunes? 5. Does the city oer technical assistance to people who are starting their own businesses? 6. Is there a local grocery store? Or do you have drive 40 miles just to buy a clove of garlic? Is that grocery store owned by a local and operated by a local resident
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who then purchases good and services in the city, or is it owned by a multinational corporation with headquarters outside the city? 7. Are there high quality schools and libraries? Is there a focus on nurturing human capital and offering pathways of upward mobility and economic selfsufficiency? 8. Are people buying and selling things? Is there value being generated through exchange? Does this exchange lead to positive outcomes for the general population?
Further Reading Elkington, J. (1998). Cannibals with forks: the triple bottom line of 21st century. New Society Publishers. Glaeser, E. (2011). Triumph of the city: How our greatest invention makes us richer, smarter, greener, healthier, and happier. Penguin. Knight, H. (2014). Income inequality on par with developing nations. San Francisco Chronicle (Link). McKinsey Global Institute (2011). Urban world: Mapping the economic power of cities (Link). Smith, N. (1996). The new urban frontier: gentrification and the revanchist city. Psychology Press.
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4 Social Equity
“In thinking about the future, we need to think about the relevant forces that should drive design. We need to involve everyone who is inhabiting, but also building, cities and territories worldwide. This is what sustainability means.� – Eva Franch i Gilabert
Social Equity
The social equity pillar refers to tangible outcomes and access for all members of society to achieve a high quality of life regardless of their place in society. An equitable society ensures that people can satisfy all their needs— whether basic needs such as shelter, food, and health— as well as the ability to achieve higherorder needs such as belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. The social equity pillar can trace its roots to the late 19th century given schools of thought Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx, which brought a spotlight on class inequity and the redistribution of wealth. The rise of the Progressive Era from the 1890s to 1920a brought about significant changes and social betterment, including the 22
expansion of universal surage to women, passing of child labor laws, public health codes, and zoning law. ThenPresident Franklin Roosevelt, who signed the New Deal in 1935 thereby creating the Social Security system, and the War on Poverty in the 1960s declared by President Lyndon B. Johnson, all emerged from this notion of serving the public interest through a philosophy of human rights and Within the context of cities, social equity is often tied to placement of land use and the distribution of resources and negative impacts.
social welfare. Some manifestations of social inequity are as follows: a low-income community of color has unusually high rates of cancer because residential neighborhoods are located next to an oil refinery (e.g. Richmond) or trash incinerator (e.g. East Palo Alto) that regularly releases toxins into the air. A city does not provide adequate transportation service to a low-income and minority neighborhood, making it diďŹƒcult to access quality jobs and thereby requiring residents to drive two hour commutes in their single occupancy vehicles. A city deliberately bans certain members of an ethnic group from owning property in the city, or tries to bulldoze the entire neighborhood after a major earthquake and re-locate businesses and residents to the south-east of the City (e.g., San Francisco Chinatown). Within the context of cities, social equity is often tied to placement of land use and the distribution of resources and negative impacts. It often has environment and economic consequences, not just for the impacted community, but for the entire region as a whole. Countries that have high incidences of social inequality see limits to 23
economic growth; and environmental solutions that excludes large swaths of the population are limited in impact and effectiveness. A major component of social equity is the quality of citizen participation and social inclusion. Citizens who have a voice and place at at the decision-making table can effectively advocate for their needs and shape their Citizens who have a voice and place at at the decision-making table can effectively advocate for their needs and shape their collective futures.
collective futures. However, not all types of participation are equal. Arnstein’s Citizen Ladder of Participation (1969) provides a guiding framework for the different rungs of citizen participation which range from tokenism to true participation, which may involve appointing a member of one’s own group to represent them and make critical decisions that affect real outcomes, to the control of budget and distribution of monetary resources according to community priorities.
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Field Guide to Social Equity
Metrics of evaluation
Field Guide
Equal distribution and access to benefits
1. Does your community have access to
such as affordable and safe housing,
the same quality of life in other
public spaces for recreation and leisure,
neighboring communities that share a
healthy and nutritional food choices,
public tax base?
reliable and efficient public transportation, living wage jobs. Reduced impacts of negative burdens on all communities, such as exposure to environmental pollutants, pedestrian and traffic casualties, preventable respiratory and pulmonary diseases.
2. What is the median home price in the area, and the median per capita income? Does the cost of housing exceed 30% of the average citizen’s income in that it becomes an unreasonable financial burden as defined by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards? 3. Is there a large presence of polluting industrial uses in certain neighborhoods that are primarily home to low-income, minority, and ethnic communities that did not have a choice in deciding the location of these uses? 4. Are residents putting up signs of “We won’t go” and “We’re being evicted!” in their apartment windows? Are you regularly hearing about stories of senior citizens being displaced from their
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homes or nuns getting priced out from their food pantry service? 5. Are public health outcomes, such as life expectancy, obesity, and other epidemic diseases— equally distributed across all populations? Or are they concentrated amongst marginalized populations? 6. If two babies were born in different neighborhoods in the same metropolitan area, would they have access to the same quality of life and life chances? 7. Does the public transportation system equally serve all areas of the city, providing safe and frequent service to the communities that have particular need to access transportation? 8. Are poor and minority communities more likely to be hit by cars or injured in traffic casualties due to the lack of safe pedestrian crossings and greater exposure to potential hazards (such as four-lane highway running through a residential neighborhood)?
Further Reading Agyeman, J. (2012). Just sustainabilities: Development in an unequal world. Earthscan. Arnstein, S. R. (1969). A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 35(4), 216-224. Bullard, R. D. (2008). Dumping in Dixie: Race, class, and environmental quality (Vol. 3). Westview Press. Davidoff, P. (1965). Advocacy and pluralism in planning. Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 31(4), 331-338. Harvey, D. (2012). Rebel cities: From the right to the city to the urban revolution. Verso Books. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2015). In It Together: Why Less Inequality Benefits All. OECD Publishing (Link).
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5 Cultural Continuity
“Sustainability is not only about technological adaptation; it’s also about enhancing social fabric, the patient extension and augmentation of our mutual connections, and our ability to function as a society.” – Damon Rich
Cultural Continuity
The pillar of cultural continuity recognizes that we all come from human communities that inform how we interact with the physical environment. The manifestations of cultural continuity include spoken and written language, types of building materials and construction, rules governing social behavior and activity, dietary preferences and practices of food consumption, oral traditions and folklore passed down from past generations, and a sense of identity, place, and belonging.John Hawkes in Culture as a Fourth Pillar of Sustainability refers to the fourth pillar of culture vitality as creativity, diversity, and innovation. He identifies culture as encompassing three aspects: 1) Our values and aspirations; 2) The processes and mediums through
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which we develop, receive and transmit these values and aspirations; and, 3) The tangible and intangible manifestations of these values and aspirations in the real world (p.4). In the past decade, there has been growing international attention to adding culture as a fourth pillar of sustainability. In 2004, the World Secretariat of United In the past decade, there has been growing international attention to adding culture as a fourth pillar of sustainability.
Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) endorsed an "Agenda 21 for culture” that provided the framework for many cities around the world to adopt aspects of culture in their urban policies. In preparation for the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, UCLG prepared and issued a policy statement “Culture: Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development” in 2010 that explicitly advocated for cultural policy to be embedded within Agenda 21. That effort, however, was largely unsuccessful. The United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) organized the International Congress, Culture: Key to Sustainable Development, in Hangzhou (China) in 2013, attended by 400 people from various United Nation agencies, government representatives, and civil society organizations who later adopted the Hangzhou Declaration: "Placing Culture at the Heart of Sustainable Development Policies”. While these acts have been largely symbolic, they suggest increasing attention to culture as a key aspect of sustainability and discussions of pathways that would enable cities to consider aspects of culture, to protect and assert the
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cultural rights of citizens, and to guide urban development One way to use this pillar is to examine how cultural values manifest in the physical design of our cities.
through the lens of a cultural policy. Perhaps one of the reasons why culture has been so difficult to push is the need to develop stronger theoretical frameworks and metrics. One way to use this pillar is to examine how cultural values manifest in the physical design of our cities. Several authors have focused on how communities develop collective memory of places and grow attached to the tangible physical elements of our cities (Halbwachs & Coser, 1992; Hayden 1997). Other authors have focused on the agents of culture and in particular, the contributions of cultural workers in shaping cities. Richard Florida (2002) and Sharon Zukin (1989) have offered valuable contributions to characterize the “creative
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class� and how their actions have resulted in the spatial impact on cities largely through cultural shifts and economic forces. Since the pillar of cultural continuity is still new compared to the other pillars, there is ample opportunity to develop more rigorous methodologies. This pillar has currently been limited to narrow discussions of physical structures or capturing economic value through cultural tourism and historic districts. Cultural continuity goes much deeper than assessing aesthetic value or evaluating the importance of physical things. Rather, this pillar also recognizes the intangible contributions of people in shaping value, aspirations, and definitions concerning for whom a city should serve. In order for the cultural continuity pillar to be useful, it should examine the processes by which communities participate in the making of their cities through innovation, creativity, and expression of diversity. Cultural continuity involves more than preserving the facade of a building or creating a museum that memorializes the past; instead, it should involve a process of participation, buy-in, and concern for preserving and leveraging social networks and cultural experiences that will involve present and future generations. Future areas of research should focus on expanding our understanding beyond theory and towards practice, and growing the field to understand concrete processes for measuring and sustaining cultural continuity beyond the physical manifestations of culture.
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Field Guide to Cultural Continuity
Metrics of evaluation
Field Guide
Preservation of historical buildings and
1. Does your community have cultural
architectural landmarks of cultural
facilities and infrastructure such as
significance; Investment in cultural
museums, performing centers, and
heritage practices; Development of cultural
organizations that promote cultural
infrastructure and facilities; Official
awareness and difference? Are these
recognition and protection of local
programs operated and maintained by
languages and dialects; Considerations of
government and ciivl society
minorities, gender, youth, and indigenous
organizations and invite participation
peoples in policymaking; Awareness and
from a broad spectrum of stakeholders?
teaching of traditional skills and knowledge in education programs; Encouragement of civil society that promotes freedom of expression and tolerance for difference; Education and civic programs that encourage creativity and innovation; Trade agreements and investments that safeguard the right for cultures to co-exist; Culturally-aware and inclusive practices of tourism; Legal mechanisms to safeguard traditional knowledges and protection from discrimination, physical and verbal abuse or trauma due to association with particular groups.
2. Does the community offer legal protection for different groups to express themselves; safeguard from discrimination, physical, verbal abuse, or trauma in association with particular groups? 3. What types of legal and economic frameworks allow the preservation of historical buildings and architectural landmarks? Is the process of preservation inclusive and intended to benefit existing stakeholders, as well as potential future beneficiaries? 4. Do local schools teach and recognize different histories? Are there programs
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that teach and preserve traditional skills, knowledge, and local languages and dialects? Are these programs taught with the consent and participation of the communities possessing this knowledge? 5. Is there legal protection for minorities, gender, youth, and indigenous peoples, and consideration of their needs and practices in policy making? 6. Is freedom of expression and tolerance for difference guaranteed by the law and a judicial process? Does this process offer adequate protection for different groups to express themselves without discrimination, physical and verbal abuse, or trauma? 7. Does the city promote economic practices that recognize a variety of
Further Reading Florida, R. L. (2002). The rise of the creative class: and how it's transforming work, leisure, community and everyday life. Basic Books. Halbwachs, M., & Coser, L. A. (1992). On collective memory. University of Chicago Press. Hawkes, J. (2001). The fourth pillar of sustainability: culture's essential role in public planning. Common Ground. Hayden, D. (1997). The power of place: Urban landscapes as public history. MIT Press. United Cities and Local Governments (2010). Culture: Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development (Link).
human values beyond GDP? Are there
United Cities and Local Governments
pathways that allow communities to
(2015). List of cities, local governments
pursue these livelihoods?
and organizations (Link).
8. Do you feel safe to express yourself,
Zukin, S. (1989). Loft living: culture and
your values, and your identity in this
capital in urban change. Rutgers University
city?
Press.
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6 Conclusion: Towards a Holistic Framework of Sustainability We have provided the Four Pillars of
the joy of being human in that we allow
Sustainability as a framework and field
these experiences to inform our work, so
guide to understand your urban context.
that we enable ourselves to build cities for
We have also explained why it is
people, by people. The alternative option
increasingly necessary to examine the
is that we strip away our humanity and
21st-century city through a holistic
reduce ourselves to technocrats who
framework of sustainability.
practice a false “science” of objectivity
Our training teaches us that cities are closed systems in which we have a
while failing to serve the public interest, or worse, doing a disservice to the public.
complete understanding of all its inputs,
Through this process, it becomes self-
and as such, it would be relatively
evident that a sustainability plan that
straightforward to predict and measure its
accounts for only the environment and
outputs. In actuality, those of us who work
economy is missing half of the picture.
on urban problems are essentially working
Sustainability should be accountable to
on “wicked problems” that are difficult to
existing communities, and in doing so,
solve given its complexity and scope
respect the local context through
(Rittel and Webber, 1969).
awareness of social equity and cultural
We would benefit greatly as researchers
continuity.
and practitioners if we recognize upfront that all of our work is inherently valuebased, as those of us who practice in this
We invite you to try out these these
field are influenced by our prior
tools and join us in pursuing the 21st-
experiences and cultural biases. Such is
century sustainable city.
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