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Urban Sustainability Report  | Report on Urban Sustainability: Leading Approaches, Tangible Results |
EKOS has recently completed a benchmarking report summarizing innovations and approaches in Urban Sustainability for the City of Seattle. Based on an extensive review of relevant literature and tangible examples of best practices and lessons learned from leading cities, regions, and public and private organizations worldwide, this report provides a summary of approaches and best practices in urban sustainability. The report emphasizes the importance of cities in influencing our collective future. It reflects on the progress and foundation laid to date, but then outlines the mandate and opportunity inherent in the next era of Seattle's evolution toward becoming a sustainable urban center. - A history, model, and global response to Sustainable Development is presented:
- Outlines the history of the concept of "Sustainable Development,"
- Summarizes briefly the global imperative for sustainable industry and lifestyles,
- Provides a snapshot of the collision course of traditional approaches to economic growth with ecosystems and social fabric in an outline of "State of the World" problems in ecosystems and human systems,
- Presents a model for sustainability at the nexus of Economic, Environmental and Social goals as an emerging source of innovation, value, and competitive advantage, and,
- Reviews global frameworks for Sustainability including Agenda 21 and The Natural Step.
Next, this report describes exemplary programs, policies, and practices, outlines the new worldview and approaches emerging globally, and provides "lessons learned" and a critical analysis of the paradigm shift needed as cities around the globe face the challenge of leading the way to a more sustainable future. Finally, implications regarding Urban Sustainability at the City of Seattle are drawn. Resources and contacts are listed in the Appendices. | |  Email LRowledge [at] ekosi [dot] com to order Copies of  EKOS Report $20.00 US
Download PDF file:
Executive Summary
Report (605K PDF) Email LRowledge [at] ekosi [dot] com to schedule a Presentation on Urban Sustainability  | Chattanooga, Tennessee, went from most polluted US city to hosting their "Living Laboratory of Sustainability" featuring electric powered mass transit, river walks, and urban renewal | |  |
| Curitiba, Brazil has become a model of the urban ecology revolution, with breakthrough successes in public transit, community participation, and almost free open entrance education | | |
| Portland, OR and Boulder, CO meet urban sprawl issues head on, and Santa Monica steps out as the first city to commit to 100% renewable energy | | |
| Tucson's Civano project model joint public-private partnerships in development incorporating environmental and social goals | | |
| Gothenburg, Sweden, is an industrial city where you want to smell the air and walk the streets | | |
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