Sustainable Urban and Regional Planning

Sustainability is not an idealistic goal far off in the distance. It is not some outlandish belief held up by the environmentalist demonizing the monstrosities befalling our planet at the hands of the economic tyrants of our age. Sustainability is more than that. Sustainability is about perpetuating the human existence and not growing beyond our means. Much like how one can loose their house and become bankrupt if they do not manage their budget effectively, when can degrade our environment, cause famine and diminish our natural resources if we do not carefully consider the effects of our current collective lifestyles on our future persistence. The goal of sustainable urban or regional plan is not to curtail economic development, nor to blindly promote environmental protection or social equity. The goal of the sustainable planner is to balance the needs of the three paradigms and concoct efforts that positively effect all three. Because, in reality all requires the benefits of the other for a sustainable system.

Scott Campbell from the University of Michigan published an article in the Journal of the American Planning Association in 1996 talking about finding the balance between economic development, environmental protection and social equity when planning. He developed what he calls the “planner’s triangle” that discusses the three paradigms and the conflicts that arise between them.

Sustainability, Campbell argues, comes about when all three collaborate and work together. You cannot have social equity without the generation of wealth from economic development. Without jobs the people wouldn’t be able to afford even affordable housing. But without the workforce, no one would work in newly developed factories. Similarly without environmental protection, many industries would run out of the natural resources required to do business. Poor environments riddled with pollution also effect the quality of life for the people that live in the effected areas which tend to be those in the lower ends of the socio-economic demographic. To achieve sustainability, we may need to slow down economic growth and balance it with measures designed to protect our environment and natural resources while providing for the well-being of our working and middle classes as well.

Sustainable Planning is a growing field in academia. Universities in the European Union and in the Association of Southeast Asian Countries are collaborating in a University Network Program focused on training students to be Sustainable Planners for the world’s cities (Lehman and Fryd, 2007). They use a “UniverCITY” approach where they have students work directly with city government as plans are developed and implemented in the different countries affiliated with the program. The program focuses on developing policies and programs that focus on “[b]alancing economic, social and environmental interests as well as private and public considerations,” that when collaborating together lead “to sustainable solutions” (Lehmann and Fryd, 2007).

If sustainability is a balance then an imbalance, or focusing too much on one area would be a threat to the system as a whole. When the growth of Globalization, the system has focused too much on economic development, and concerns for social equity and environmental protection have been pushed to the wayside. This is not to say the Globalization is a bad thing, it has benefits too. Globalization has created jobs, improved living standards and introduced a wider variety of cheaper consumer goods into the economy (Preble, 2010). It has also, however, created greater income inequality and neglected the impact rapid industrialization has had on the environment. Globalization’s focus has been too economic-oriented and in result the poor haven’t gotten poorer in comparison to their bosses and the atmosphere is rife with climate changing greenhouse gasses.

Calling for an end to the expansion of economic development is not a solution. The economy needs to grow in order to support our planet’s growing human population or else everyone will be living in poverty and the disparity between social groups will be even greater. It is not unreasonable though to require that regulations are put in place to reduce pollution and conserve natural resources. Nor would it be unreasonable to put in place policies that protect the welfare of the working and lower classes and distribute the wealth created more evenly to benefit the population as a whole. Globalization in its current form however has created a “global race to the bottom” as companies flock to the countries with the lowest environmental protection requirements and cheaper labor markets in an effort to increase their profit margins. These practices to not promote sustainability in the system. Steps must be taken by policy makers and planners to ensure that the system does not collapse and that balance is found between all three paradigms.

Cities are a key player in addressing these global concerns. They are the economic and population centers of the world, and also the effectors in our environment. Cities consume the vast majority of global energy and in effect are major contributors to the planet’s pollution problem. Kamal-Chaoui and Robert (2009) call for more “climate-conscious” urban planning and management. Cities can take initiatives to achieve national climate goals and can take steps to “minimize trade-offs between environmental and economic priorities.” The balance will have to be achieved on the local level to address the global problem, and urban and regional planners will be key players for the solution.

Its hard however to achieve change in a cities whose culture and policies are already entrenched. Many new communities are trying to address sustainability at the outset, but they too have their problems. Planners of new developments in the United Kingdom have realized the “importance of creating a sustainable community, and of addressing deprivation and poor services” at the outset (Boyko, Cooper, Davey and Wootton, 2006). They run into trouble however as they try to solicit private sector investment - a critical component to initial development. Collaboration and compromise must be used in order to negotiate consensus amongst the three paradigms and their representative in order to achieve sustainable balance between them all.

Sustainability will not be easy to achieve. Like in any balancing act, planners will have to tread carefully and ponder over the effects of each action and decision they will make. One must take into account points of view from the perspectives of those working for economic development, those protecting the environment, and those working toward social equity. Focusing too much in one area or too little in another will create an imbalance that would threaten everything. Success depends therefore on everyone working together. After all, sustainability it about protecting and sustaining the environment and well-being for everyone.

References

Boyko, C. T., Cooper, R., Davey, C. L., & Wootton, A. B. (2006). Addressing sustainability early in the urban design process. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 17:6, 689-706.

Campbell, S. (1996). Green cities, growing cities, just cities? Urban planning and the contradictions of sustainable development. Journal of the American Planning Association. Retrieved from http://www-personal.umich.edu/~sdcamp/Ecoeco/greencities.html.

Kamal-Chaoui, L., & Robert, R. (2009). Competitive cities and climate change. OECD Regional Development Working Papers, 2009:2, 1-167.

Lehman, M., & Fryd, O. (2008). Urban quality development and management: Capacity development and continued education for the sustainable city. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19:1, 21-38.

Preble, J. F. (2010). Toward a framework for achieving a sustainable globalization. Business and Society Review, 115:3, 329-366.