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Title
Abstract
Figures
Case Study: Melbourne, Australia
Case Study: New Delhi, India
Judging the Value of Any Method
Case Study: Valletta and Paola, Malta
Social Life Questionnaire
Quantitative Data and Policy Documents
Case Study: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Towards a Comprehensive Assessment Method
An Overview of the Defi Nition Phase
Correlate with Other Data and Analyse
Overview: Process Pathway
Local-Global Database
Case Study: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Developing the Social Life Questionnaire
Overcoming Methodological Limitations
Conducting a Peer Review 1
Building on the Strengths of Peer Review
Phases in the Peer-Review Process
Objectives Compatibility Matrix
Case Study: Johannesburg, South Africa
Setting Objectives for Adaptation
Risk Assessment Methods
Vulnerability Assessment Methods
Objectives and Methods
Strengths and Limitations
Projecting Alternative Futures 1
Simulating Future Trends 1
View Result Per Capita
Simulating the Future?
References
All Topics
Environmental Science
Sustainability Science

Urban Sustainability in Theory and Practice: Circles of Sustainability (2015)

Profile image of Liam MageeLiam MageeProfile image of Paul JamesPaul JamesProfile image of Andy ScerriAndy Scerri

2015

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315765747
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283 pages

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Abstract

Urban Sustainability in Theory and Practice responds to the crises of sustainability in the world today by going back to basics. It makes four major contributions to thinking about and acting upon cities. It provides a means of reflexivity learning about urban sustainability in the process of working practically for positive social development and projected change. It challenges the usually taken-for-granted nature of sustainability practices while providing tools for modifying those practices. It emphasizes the necessity of a holistic and integrated understanding of urban life. Finally it rewrites existing dominant understandings of the social whole such as the triple-bottom line approach that reduces environmental questions to externalities and social questions to background issues. The book is a much-needed practical and conceptual guide for rethinking urban engagement.

Figures (33)
FIGURE 0.1 Circles of Sustainability: Urban Profile Process
FIGURE 0.1 Circles of Sustainability: Urban Profile Process
TABLE 2.1 Core Conditions for Engaging in Social Life
TABLE 2.1 Core Conditions for Engaging in Social Life
FIGURE 2.1 Urban Sustainability Profile of Delhi, 2012 Located in the north-west of India, the metropolis of Delhi is part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, adjacent to the Punjab region. The greater sprawl of metropolitan Delhi consumes an area of 1,438 square kilometres, an expanse flanked by the rocky hills of the Aravalli Range and the Yamuna River. Neighboured by the territories of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, Delhi is a largely dry zone, with significantly hot summers, transitioning into a monsoon season with the most of the city’s annual rainfall recorded before winter begins. With climate change, seasonal change seems to be becoming more variable. For example in 2013, the monsoon rains came early, causing flooding problems in the city and agricultural crises in rural India (see Figure 2.1). Delhi was ranked the tenth-largest city in the world in 2011 with about 17 mil-
FIGURE 2.1 Urban Sustainability Profile of Delhi, 2012 Located in the north-west of India, the metropolis of Delhi is part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, adjacent to the Punjab region. The greater sprawl of metropolitan Delhi consumes an area of 1,438 square kilometres, an expanse flanked by the rocky hills of the Aravalli Range and the Yamuna River. Neighboured by the territories of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, Delhi is a largely dry zone, with significantly hot summers, transitioning into a monsoon season with the most of the city’s annual rainfall recorded before winter begins. With climate change, seasonal change seems to be becoming more variable. For example in 2013, the monsoon rains came early, causing flooding problems in the city and agricultural crises in rural India (see Figure 2.1). Delhi was ranked the tenth-largest city in the world in 2011 with about 17 mil-
FIGURE 3.1 Different Ways of Representing the Triple Bottom Line Approach The dominant global paradigm today is the Triple Bottom Line approach which sets out a three-domain model — economic, environmental and social (Hendriques & Richardson 2004).This model uses the category of ‘the social’ to incorporate all of those facets of social relations not tied to the primacy of the economic (qualified by the environmental). For all its good intentions this tends to blind sustainability reporting in relation to the fact that existing structures of power and narratives of meaning might themselves be contributing to unsustainable development. For example a deeply illegitimate polity or deeply xenophobic culture may not be con- ducive to sustainable development, even if all externalities are internalized into the cost of production and the over-exploitation of non-renewable natural resources is minimized. It also tends to blind its proponents to the ideological assumptions built into the approach. For example, the Triple Bottom Line approach tends to lead to what some critics have argued are incoherent practices such as the drive to growth in a world that is currently threatened by the ecological consequences of a growth machine. This goes back to the usefulness test — the question of outcomes and to what ends a method tends to lead? (see Figure 3.1) The problem with the nested circles version of the Triple Bottom Line approach ie that it centres economics and otves it 4 HNrominence that threatens to expand to
FIGURE 3.1 Different Ways of Representing the Triple Bottom Line Approach The dominant global paradigm today is the Triple Bottom Line approach which sets out a three-domain model — economic, environmental and social (Hendriques & Richardson 2004).This model uses the category of ‘the social’ to incorporate all of those facets of social relations not tied to the primacy of the economic (qualified by the environmental). For all its good intentions this tends to blind sustainability reporting in relation to the fact that existing structures of power and narratives of meaning might themselves be contributing to unsustainable development. For example a deeply illegitimate polity or deeply xenophobic culture may not be con- ducive to sustainable development, even if all externalities are internalized into the cost of production and the over-exploitation of non-renewable natural resources is minimized. It also tends to blind its proponents to the ideological assumptions built into the approach. For example, the Triple Bottom Line approach tends to lead to what some critics have argued are incoherent practices such as the drive to growth in a world that is currently threatened by the ecological consequences of a growth machine. This goes back to the usefulness test — the question of outcomes and to what ends a method tends to lead? (see Figure 3.1) The problem with the nested circles version of the Triple Bottom Line approach ie that it centres economics and otves it 4 HNrominence that threatens to expand to
FIGURE 3.2 Circles of Sustainability
FIGURE 3.2 Circles of Sustainability
TABLE 3.2 Summary of the Matrix of Domains, Perspectives and Aspects
TABLE 3.2 Summary of the Matrix of Domains, Perspectives and Aspects
the area of education, and this has repercussions for losing young people
the area of education, and this has repercussions for losing young people
TABLE 4.1 Social Themes in Relation to Domains and Dominant Ideologies Note: Distinguishing different domains of the social requires moving across different levels of analysis, but once having defined those domains, for the purpose of a particular project the analysis returns to the empirical task of collecting data about practices and meanings relevant to the project.
TABLE 4.1 Social Themes in Relation to Domains and Dominant Ideologies Note: Distinguishing different domains of the social requires moving across different levels of analysis, but once having defined those domains, for the purpose of a particular project the analysis returns to the empirical task of collecting data about practices and meanings relevant to the project.
TABLE 4.3 Ontological Formations in Relation to Dominant Imaginaries a taken-for-granted conception of ‘the modern’. The modern is counterposec against other ways of life that are defined in the negative as ‘the pre-modern’. Ir other words, those persons living as members of pre-modern communities do not have their dominant formations named except in the negative or in relation to the higher order held in place by the prefix pre—. By inference, pre-moderns become those who are on an inevitable or anticipated civilizational climb. They are definec as peoples but are treated as those who are yet come to a modern realization o: their past identities and future potentialities. The political implications here are sc important that we need to take an uncomfortable dive into the depths of socia theory for a few paragraphs.
TABLE 4.3 Ontological Formations in Relation to Dominant Imaginaries a taken-for-granted conception of ‘the modern’. The modern is counterposec against other ways of life that are defined in the negative as ‘the pre-modern’. Ir other words, those persons living as members of pre-modern communities do not have their dominant formations named except in the negative or in relation to the higher order held in place by the prefix pre—. By inference, pre-moderns become those who are on an inevitable or anticipated civilizational climb. They are definec as peoples but are treated as those who are yet come to a modern realization o: their past identities and future potentialities. The political implications here are sc important that we need to take an uncomfortable dive into the depths of socia theory for a few paragraphs.
FIGURE 4.1 Urban Sustainability Profile of Port Moresby, 2013
FIGURE 4.1 Urban Sustainability Profile of Port Moresby, 2013
FIGURE 6.1 Process Pathway: Circles of Practice
FIGURE 6.1 Process Pathway: Circles of Practice
FIGURE 6.2 Elaborated Process Pathway for Sustainable Development - These stages can be elaborated into increasingly detailed phases. When laid ot n relation to the various phases, activities and tools through a process pathway tk ull method can be seen in one image. It is has a possible starting point and a logic et of steps, but it has no set end and no single, defined mandatory pathway. It is a terative process that once begun will ideally spiral through the circle of sustainab: levelopment a few times. Moving through the process can be fast or slow; it ca kip steps the first time and come back to them the second time around with mo: ntense focus; and it can either be done with minimal or maximum engagement, « omewhere in between. Other tools can be added to the process pathway, and wo1 ready done can be assessed in terms of the process pathway and incorporated int he mix.
FIGURE 6.2 Elaborated Process Pathway for Sustainable Development - These stages can be elaborated into increasingly detailed phases. When laid ot n relation to the various phases, activities and tools through a process pathway tk ull method can be seen in one image. It is has a possible starting point and a logic et of steps, but it has no set end and no single, defined mandatory pathway. It is a terative process that once begun will ideally spiral through the circle of sustainab: levelopment a few times. Moving through the process can be fast or slow; it ca kip steps the first time and come back to them the second time around with mo: ntense focus; and it can either be done with minimal or maximum engagement, « omewhere in between. Other tools can be added to the process pathway, and wo1 ready done can be assessed in terms of the process pathway and incorporated int he mix.
TABLE 6.1 Process Stages in Relation to the Tools
TABLE 6.1 Process Stages in Relation to the Tools
TABLE 8.1 Composite Variable Mean Comparison
TABLE 8.1 Composite Variable Mean Comparison
Throughout the entire questionnaire please mark one box only, unless indicated otherwise. If you make a mistake and mark more than one box, please indicate your final answer by crossing out the others.
Throughout the entire questionnaire please mark one box only, unless indicated otherwise. If you make a mistake and mark more than one box, please indicate your final answer by crossing out the others.
Thinking about your own life and personal circumstances, how do you respond to the following questions?
Thinking about your own life and personal circumstances, how do you respond to the following questions?
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
To what extent are you concerned that the following issues might impact negatively on the people living in your locality?
To what extent are you concerned that the following issues might impact negatively on the people living in your locality?
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Background notes for researchers
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements? Background notes for researchers
TABLE 10.1 Examples of Ecological Forces, Events and Critical Issues through the Lens of a Hazards Approach?
TABLE 10.1 Examples of Ecological Forces, Events and Critical Issues through the Lens of a Hazards Approach?
See, aa SE SE ae SE ee Se As part of establishing the context for climate risk-management, the guide rec- ommends carrying out a scoping exercise, which includes setting clear objectives, identifying key stakeholders, setting success criteria to be used for evaluating the outcomes of the risk-management process, as well as identifying key elements at risk and choosing one or several climate scenarios that will inform the process.'To ensure the validity of the process and its outcomes, it is critical that a diverse group of key stakeholders participates in the process. Part of the initial scoping process is also developing context-specific scales that define different levels of risk likelihood and consequence. These likelihood and consequence scales are to be developed based on strategic organizational objectives (referring back to the understanding
See, aa SE SE ae SE ee Se As part of establishing the context for climate risk-management, the guide rec- ommends carrying out a scoping exercise, which includes setting clear objectives, identifying key stakeholders, setting success criteria to be used for evaluating the outcomes of the risk-management process, as well as identifying key elements at risk and choosing one or several climate scenarios that will inform the process.'To ensure the validity of the process and its outcomes, it is critical that a diverse group of key stakeholders participates in the process. Part of the initial scoping process is also developing context-specific scales that define different levels of risk likelihood and consequence. These likelihood and consequence scales are to be developed based on strategic organizational objectives (referring back to the understanding
FIGURE 10.2 Seven-Stage Model for Global Climate Change Response Assessment 2 a ng a a || ke: Our alternative extended approach, to adaptation planning brings both risk and vulnerability assessment together with stronger community engagement in assessing their own capacities for resilience and adaptation. It puts greater empha- sis on qualitative aspects and the need for embedding vulnerability assessment as 1 bottom-up process in local knowledge and ‘wisdom’. Stage 3 in the seven-step model outlined in Figure 10.2 therefore emphasizes the need for getting to know
FIGURE 10.2 Seven-Stage Model for Global Climate Change Response Assessment 2 a ng a a || ke: Our alternative extended approach, to adaptation planning brings both risk and vulnerability assessment together with stronger community engagement in assessing their own capacities for resilience and adaptation. It puts greater empha- sis on qualitative aspects and the need for embedding vulnerability assessment as 1 bottom-up process in local knowledge and ‘wisdom’. Stage 3 in the seven-step model outlined in Figure 10.2 therefore emphasizes the need for getting to know

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