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What is a Sustainable City/Community

This can be complicated. Essentially we like the broad definitions provided by the Institute for Sustainable Cities definition. "A sustainable community is one that is economically, environmentally, and socially healthy and resilient. It meets challenges through integrated solutions rather than through fragmented approaches that meet one of the goals at the expense of the others. This requires a long term perspective. One that is focused on both the present and future, beyond the next budget or election cycle."

Sustainable communities manage human, natural and financial resources to meet current needs while ensuring that adequate resources are equitably available for future generations. 

A sustainable community seeks: 
-A better quality of life for the whole community without compromising the wellbeing of other communities.
-Healthy ecosystems
-Effective governance supported by meaningful and broad-based citizen participation.
-Economic security

For more of the definition provided by the ISC CLICK HERE

Ultimately the bottom line in any sustainable city, region, or hemisphere, is the environment.

URBAN NATURE: How to Foster Biodiversity in World's Cities
YALE environment 360 January 06, 2014

The Biological Basis of RESILIENT CITIES
The Ecologist January 25, 2014

Beyond all of this, many people argue that sustainable development is an oxymoron and some of the links on this page may prove that, but take a look, become informed, become a critical thinker that can help to make a future that works. If you have links that you would like to add to this page contact the publisher at email: lscampaign@aol.com
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Sustainable Cities Initiatives
The Melbourne Principles
Melbourne Wikipedia
The Johannesburg Declaration
Curatiba, Brazil

The Five Most Sustainable Cities in the World (Ecoimagination)

Paul Hawken on Sustainable Cities

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From-Sustainlane.com


For most of the 19th and 20th century, cities, despite the hardships and suffering experienced in ghetto, were seen as places where culture an intelligence concentrated and evolved. In the latter part of the 20th century, urban decay, environmentl problem, and ethnic riots created a rush for the exits and rampant urban sprawl.  MORE


Organizational Links

ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability
Founded in 1990 ICLEI, originally called the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives was established at the World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future at the United Nations. Today ICLEI is one of the most influential and far reaching resources for Sustainable City development.

The UK Sustainable Cities Initiative
Addressing design and management of cities across the UK



Latin and South America


IDB Inter-American Development Bank-Emerging Sustainable Cities Platform Latin America and Caribean

US State Department Blog
Building Sustainable Cities in the Americas

Curiitiba Brazil-Designing a Sustainable City

Curitiba Wikipedia

Europe

Regional Environmental Center (REC)


Sustainable Cities Links

Wikipedia- Sustainable City

Sustainable Cities Net

The Institute for Sustainable Cities CUNY

The Institute for Sustainable Communities

Sustainable Cities Institute

Sustainable Cities Initiative, U of Oregon

Salem Oregon

U.S. Mayors Speak

Sustain Lane- 2008 US Cities Rankings

The City Fix A World Resources Institute website

Sustainable Cities International- Vancouver

Sustainable Cities Collective

BEST PRACTICES
Sierra Club- Best Practices for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency-Austin-chicago-Fort Collins-Portland

Smarter Cities- Natural Resources Defense Council

MEDIA
In Oregon, Students Seek Key to a Sustainable City
New York times August 23, 2010

Two Exhibits show cities can be Sustainable-The Financial 

Buffalo Makes Way for Rust Belt Localism- Amy Kedron-Next American City

Is this the World's Greenest Neighborhood? NRDC Blog Kaid Benfield

Richard Florida's 10 Best Neighborhoods in the USA

the 15 Most Sustainable US Cities-Grist Magazine