Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems (CASE): Principles and Practices by Peter Newman and Isabella Jennings (Island Press 2008)

Cities are the defining ecological phenomenon of the 21st century.

“With the advent of the 21st century, for the first time in human history, half the world’s population of more than six billion will be living in cities.1 The ways in which the urban need for food, water, shelter, and social organization are met will not only determine the course of human civilization, but the very future of this planet.” (Lois Sweet, International Development Research Center)

Sustainability can only be achieved when cities are approached as systems and components of nested systems in ecological balance with each other. (United Nations University/Institute of Advanced Studies 2003)

The 10 Melbourne Principles for Sustainable Cities (2002):1. Vision: Provide a long-term vision for cities, based on sustainability,

intergenerational social, economic, and political equity, and each city’s individuality;

2. Economy and Society: Achieve long-term economic and social security;3. Biodiversity: Recognize the intrinsic value of biodiversity and natural

ecosystems, and protect and restore them;4. Ecological Footprints: Enable communities to minimize their ecological

footprints;5. Model Cities on Ecosystems: Build on the characteristics of ecosystems in

the development and nurturing of sustainable cities;6. Sense of Place: Recognize and build on the distinctive characteristics of

cities, including their human and cultural values, history, and natural systems;7. Empowerment: Empower people and foster participation;8. Partnerships: Expand and enable cooperative networks to work toward a

common, sustainable future;9. Sustainable Production and Consumption: Promote sustainable production

and consumption through appropriate use of environmentally sound technologies and effective demand management; and

10. Governance and Hope: Enable continual improvement based on accountability, transparency, and good governance.

SOME SPECIFIC POINTS OF DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MELBOURNE PRINCIPLES:

Although economic globalization trends are driving the rapid growth of cities, they will become increasingly unsustainable unless they learn to incorporate social and environmental values that focus on the importance of communities and bioregions. Cities work best at the bioregional and community scales, not just at the global scale where much of the economy is taking them.

1 By 2030, the urban population is expected to be 5 billion out of a projected total 8 billion people.

SOME SPECIFIC POINTS OF DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MELBOURNE PRINCIPLES continued:

Reducing urban resource use (ecological footprints) is vital to reducing biodiversity loss beyond the city boundaries.

Fostering a sense of place among city dwellers is vital to psychological fulfillment and developing connections that support more sustainable lifestyles. Cities that reflect a sense of place protect their natural and cultural assets, make historical and natural processes visible by designing with them instead of against them, restore and reflect the bioregional context and linkages, and have strong cultural and artistic practices that celebrate and inform their sense of place.

Effective governance facilitates genuine participation and democracy, and is underpinned by the political power to implement the necessary changes for sustainability,

The key to realizing the vision of Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems (CASE) is the capacity of cities to synthesize the Ten Melbourne Principles with the wisdom to apply them in each individual city’s own unique way. The path to sustainability is a shared one, based on informed citizens and effective city governance, joined together in a global compact to ensure that urban humanity and all planetary life can coexist and thrive.

The wealthy cities of the world must lead the way. We could not expect poorer cities to use resources more carefully, if wealthy cities were to continue along the path of unsustainability.

The core idea of CASE is that cities need to be seen as ecosystems integrated within their wider context – communities nested within bioregions and the global biosphere.

Sustainability is not a fixed, perfect state. It is an evolution that responds to changes in ecological processes, as well as changes in human culture and institutions.

Vision:o A vision needs to be developed through an inclusive and

participatory community visioning process that brings people together from across the community, and empowers marginalized groups to contribute.

o Diversity of ideas and ownership over the vision provide the basis for genuine sustainability.

o Asking good questions is important. People cannot necessarily be forced to change, but asking people salient questions can begin a process that can lead to positive change.

o When communities plan for their future in a rigorous and serious way, they often end up doing the right thing.

SOME SPECIFIC POINTS OF DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MELBOURNE PRINCIPLES; Vision continued:

o The Oregon 4 stage visioning process asks the following key questions:

1. Where are we now?2. Where are we going?3. Where do we want to be?4. How do we get there?

The following elements are important to an effective visioning process: Involve key institutions in the community, including government and

private sector groups Attract the support of key opinion leaders Formulate key goals and objectives for the process Allocate sufficient resources Engage people authentically

The following factors may contribute to an ineffective visioning process:o Communities fragmented by conflicto Resistant political leadershipo A poorly designed or managed processo Insufficient resourceso Lack of an implementation plan or a commitment to carrying it out

The vision should clarify (reinvent?) Detroit as o a world-class, sustainable city o vibrant, more compact and accessibleo with its own unique sense of placeo strong local communities (a city of villages)o a clean and green cityo an urban growth boundaryo a connected and multi-centered cityo reduced car dependence and better public transport (especially rail)o better local biking and walking optionso integrated transport and land use (transit-oriented development)o Housing diversity (more options)o Access to city services for all

Effective visioning depends on people working together well. The process must be based on mutual respect, whole systems understanding, peaceful conflict resolution, and openness to new mindsets and paradigms. The quality of communication, listening and learning will be reflected in the outcomes. A good place to start is with an inventory of the community’s positive qualities, assets,

and the ways that needs are met. By starting with our assets, it is easier to create a collective vision of how we can meet needs with less impact.

SOME SPECIFIC POINTS OF DISCUSSION REGARDING THE MELBOURNE PRINCIPLES; Vision continued:

In formulating a vision, the following questions should be considered:1. What do we value? How do we define human progress?2. What are human needs?3. What are our ethics? How should we treat each other and the natural

world?4. What is the role of technology?5. What is the role of place in sustainability?

Perceptions of progress and development differ according to people’s worldviews. Clarifying our worldviews, values, and ethics of all participants helps to make discussions clearer and more fruitful. It allows genuine differences and common ground to be identified.

Sustainable development is an integrated spiritual, cultural, economic, social, political, territorial, and philosophical process.

VISIONING AND HUMAN NEEDS: “Living in an era of ubiquitous environmental degradation is depressing to sensitive organic systems. Humans are no exception. … We no longer know what a depth of sensory awareness is. … The rhythms and patterns of the earth slip away. … We become lonely, hungering for a sense of belonging. … We lose the whole picture, and a sense of wholeness. We drink and drug in a mad search for satiation. It makes us sick, our souls so unsatisfied. Ultimately, we lose our health, our own wholeness.” (L. Sewall, “Sight and Sensibility: The Ecopsychology of Perception 1999) What is being lost in modern cities is not just natural resources and processes that support life (as critical as that is), but experiences of the more-than-human world that are important to our spiritual, psychological and physical health. People in cities live longer and healthier lives if their streets are tree-lined and they have a park within easy walking distance. Parks and gardens should not be treated merely as cosmetic. Green space should be given greater priority as planners prepare cities for an aging population. No matter what a person’s social or economic status, half of the factors which will determine how long they live are associated with ready access to a green environment.

VISIONING AND ETHICS: Achieving sustainability is largely a matter of asking ethical questions, and essentially taking on a new ethic of living. It does not mean that humans should never harm anything, but rather that actions should be directed toward meeting vital needs.

VISIONING AND TECHNOLOGY: Technology is crucial to many considerations of sustainability. Technology is also entangled with issues of (both physical and political) power.

VISIONING AND PLACE: Each place has something special to give. A city should emphasize local cultures and distinctiveness, but (and) be open to the outside world. A city should foster its ethos of civic creativity, imaginative problem-solving applied

to the objectives of the public good, arising from the identity and the environment of the place.

Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems (CASE): Principles and Practices continued

The Earth Charter (2002); A shared vision of basic values:1. Respect and care for the community of life

Respect Earth and life in all its diversity Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion

and love Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable

and peaceful Secure Earth’s bounty and beauty for present and future

generations2. Ecological integrity

Protect and restore the integrity of Earth’s ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life

Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach

Adopt patterns of production, consumption and reproduction that safeguard Earth’s regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being

Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge required

3. Social and economic justice Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social and environmental

imperative Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels

promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner

Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development, and ensure universal access to education, health care and economic opportunity

Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment that supports human dignity, bodily health and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities

4. Democracy, nonviolence and peace Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide

transparency and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision making, and access to justice

Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values and skills needed for a sustainable way of life

Treat all living beings with respect and consideration Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence and peace

Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems (CASE): Principles and Practices continued

The World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Cities Movement qualities of a healthy city: A clean, safe physical environment of a high quality (including housing quality) An ecosystem that is stable now, and sustainable in the long term A strong, mutually supportive, and non-exploitative community A high degree of participation and control by the public over the decisions

affecting their lives, health and well-being Meeting basic needs (food, water, shelter, income, safety and work) for all the

city’s people Access to a wide variety of experiences and resources, with the chance for a wide

variety of contacts, interactions and communications A diverse, vital and innovative city economy Encouraging connectedness with the past, with the city’s cultural and biological

heritage, and with other groups and individuals Forms that are compatible with, and that enhance these characteristics Optimum levels of appropriate public health and sickness care services, accessible

to all High health status (including both high levels of positive health, and low levels of

disease)

We should adopt a new vocabulary to describe the region. The old vocabulary describes an urban core, competing against new suburbs and outer counties. The new vocabulary describes a network of high density centers – urban cores, edge cities, small- and medium-sized towns – existing in balance with open space and rural areas.

ECONOMY AND SOCIETY: Long-term economic and social security are prerequisites for beneficial change,

and are dependent on environmentally sound, sustainable development. Through fair allocation of resources, economic strategies should seek to meet basic needs in a just and equitable manner.

Western society has fallen into the trap of making the economy into an end, rather than a means of providing for our needs. This has created an alienated society engaged in a productivity race that lacks any sense at all.

Once basic needs have been met, human development is mainly “about being more, not having more.” (Earth Charter)

Cities that have failed to integrate their social values and their economies into a sustainability framework have collapsed or declined. Cities face a range of fundamental challenges – including climate change, water supply, peak oil, regional environmental damage, and loss of biodiversity – that require development of a new kind of clean, green economy.

Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems (CASE): Principles and Practices; ECONOMY AND SOCIETY continued

The opportunities and innovations created by cities in the past include some of the most important aspects of the common good that are now considered critical to sustainability:

Law and market regulations for commerce Educational institutions, libraries, theaters and hospitals Pluralism and social and cultural diversity

The world’s urban population has multiplied by twenty times since 1900, compared to a fourfold increase in totals world population.

Two critical energy-related issues – climate change and oil depletion – will be forces shaping the future of cities. A key response will be developing stronger local and bioregional economies. Local needs can be met with much less travel, if a city and its bioregion provide most local goods and services. Vibrant communities offering diverse local economic, social, and cultural opportunities will enable people to live with less need for transport energy. In the oil-constrained future, structural issues associated with public transit, cycling and walking will also become a higher priority.

The devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina2 has come to symbolize the climate-induced urban problems that face the world’s cities.

Cities are causing most of the damage resulting in climate change, as they account for 75% of the world’s fossil fuel consumption, and cities will be the places most affected if they do not change this. In cities, economic change can bring about the greatest reductions in greenhouse gases.

Oil is fundamental to virtually every important function of modern life. It fuels 95% of land, sea and air transport, so the efficient movement of raw materials and goods, as well as personal mobility, is almost entirely oil-dependent. The era of cheap, plentiful oil is at an end, requiring fundamental restructuring of the world’s urban energy systems.

Economic and social security will arise from creating human communities and institutions that are equitable, resilient, psychologically fulfilling, flexible, and ecologically minded.

2 Or what Paul Street calls “Tropical Storm and Societal Failure Katrina.” From Detroit’s perspective, the heart of the Great Lakes bioregion’s location, in a relatively low-risk climate zone with abundant water, should be more widely appreciated as an incalculable long-term development asset. As the Brookings Institution described it, supra: “It is a virtually “hazard-free,” third “freshwater” coast of the continent, that with the right mix of policies can support economic and population growth other parts of the continent and the planet cannot.”

Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems (CASE): Principles and Practices; ECONOMY AND SOCIETY continued A conservation economy is one in which economic arrangements are transformed to

restore rather than degrade natural and social capital. Fundamental needs and ecosystem services that sustain them are seen as the starting point for a different kind of economic prosperity that can endure for generations.

The most significant thing for local government to do is stop paying huge subsidies to big out-of-town corporations that undermine local and bioregional economies. (Wal-Mart “wreckonomics”)

Necessary reforms include: Developing technologies like photovoltaics, solar water and air heaters Energy-efficiency improvements in buildings, transport and industry Stop spending money on highways and prioritize sustainable transit3

Transit-oriented development, to save energy and bring much more money into the local economy

Walking and cycling paths lacing through the City A decentralized network of compact urban ecovillages, with (autotrophic) energy

systems that capture sufficient energy for their needs Local and distributed water systems Waste prevention and recycling systems Reuse and recycling of products Urban agriculture, permaculture and community gardens4

Food policy councils to develop comprehensive, coordinated programs for providing healthy and sustainable food for all, and promote local food systems

No physical infrastructure can work unless it is part of a social infrastructure that is committed to development of the local and bioregional economies. Cities’ social wealth depends on their social capital: networks of trust, mutual interest and support – the strength of their communities’ social connections.

Restoring bioregional and local economies is an opportunity to combine the best of various indigenous, traditional and modern ingenuity.

Life is a collective enterprise, and our survival and prosperity are based on cooperative interactions.

3 Car-dependent cities spend 15-20% of their wealth just on getting around. Transit-oriented cities spend only 5-8%. Those with strong rail systems are 43% wealthier. Cars take 2,500 people per hour down one lane. Trains can take, 50,000; 20 times the space efficiency.4 Detroit already has hundreds of urban gardens, and has much more open space than most big cities to develop even more of them. There are 800 million urban farmers globally.