Sustainable urban development

• Sustainability

  (sustainable urban development)

  This is urban development which meets the needs of the present without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

  It must consider 4 different dimensions of sustainability: natural, physical, social and economic.
• Natural sustainability

  This is about how the environment, resources and waste are managed.
• Physical sustainability

  This is about how well a city is able to support the people living there.
• Social sustainability

  This is about maintaining economic growth without causing long term negative effects e.g., environmental damage, social inequality.
• Carbon neutral

  Carbon neutrality, or having a net zero carbon footprint, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount offset, or buying enough carbon credits to make up the difference.
• Eco city

  A city that aims to provide a healthy environment for its inhabitants without using more resources than it replaces.
• Ecological footprint

  This is a measure of the demands we place on the ecosystems which support us. It is the amount of biologically productive land that is used to produce the resources we consume and to absorb the waste we generate.
• Liveability

  A measure of how good living conditions in an area are.

  It is a simple concept. It refers to the locations which provide the best and worst living conditions globally.
• Economic sustainability

  This is about maintaining economic growth without causing long term negative effects e.g., environmental damage, social inequality.