20
The major contradiction that humanity is facing is that by building an urban future, the current
form of urbanisation is the very threat of destruction for humanity and the natural world. The scale of
this problem is clearly demonstrated by The Millennium Project, where their 2015–2016 report: The
State of The Future (Glenn & Floresçu, 2015) raises 15 global challenges that includes sustainable
development and climate change, water and sanitation, population and resources, democratisation,
global foresight and decision making, governance and ICT, rich-poor gap, health issues, education
and learning, peace and conflict, status of woman, transnational organised crime, energy, science and
technology, and global ethics. The report sketches a gloomy global scenario, whereby it reflecting
back on the factors listed in the previous 2008 report, the new one identifies that the situation unfortunately has worsened over the years:
Half the world is vulnerable to social instability and violence due to rising food and energy prices, failing states,
falling water tables, climate change, decreasing water-food-energy supply per person, desertification, and
increasing migrations due to political, environmental, and economic conditions – 2008 State of the Future cited
in 2015-2016 State of The Future (Glenn & Floresçu, 2015, p. 2).
2.3 The Need for Change
In a modernised world we take a mechanical, industrial and linear approach to doing things. Our
global cities are large engines that consume resources and dispose of what is not needed. The modern
world has effectively become a disposable world, and humanity has been using natural resources as if
there were no tomorrow (Girardet & Mendonça, 2009). Cities are in essence linear systems that produce waste. Lyle (1994) describe these as energy flows of the Industrial Society, where the entire
process is a throughput system, from inputs of large quantities of non-renewable resources, through
processing, to outputs as ‘sinks’ that include solid and liquid waste, smog, acid precipitation and large
quantities of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere (Lyle, 1994, p. 52). This linear system, which
started in times of the industrial revolution and continues up to the current day, produces outputs that
have resulted in the Anthropocene-induced global warming and rapid climate change. Lyle and other
environmentalists acknowledged in the mid- to late 1990s that there needs to be a change. Lyle proposed that the linear system of resource use must be replaced by a regenerative, closed- loop system to
be able to address this major global issue. Even though the awareness of ‘sustainability’ gains the
majority of the interest, Lyle urges that we need to move beyond the concept of sustainable development practice, and he published his thinking in Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development
(Lyle, 1994). Unfortunately, the focus on a human-centric sustainability worldview took centre stage,
and 33 years onwards from the United Nations declaration for the need of sustainable development
(1987), the world is still grasping at straws, striving to achieve sustainable goals. What is desperately
needed is a renewable world, a world view that sustainable development is not the end goal, but only
a small part of a regenerative design paradigm that aims to achieve a holistic, all- encompassing,
renewable and resilient world.
2.4 Sustainable Development Goals
Globally there is an acknowledgement that the inclusion of sustainability in our day-to-day operations
is necessary. Many governments as well as private and corporate organisations adopted and pledged
to sustainability goals and values. Various frameworks are used to achieve sustainability in the building sector, including manufacturing, resource use, as well as day-to- day business processes. Voluntary
organisations manage and promote rating tools for green buildings and sustainable developments; an
2 The Importance of a Sustainable Future
The major contradiction that humanity is facing is that by building an urban future, the current
form of urbanisation is the very threat of destruction for humanity and the natural world. The scale of
this problem is clearly demonstrated by The Millennium Project, where their 2015–2016 report: The
State of The Future (Glenn & Floresçu, 2015) raises 15 global challenges that includes sustainable
development and climate change, water and sanitation, population and resources, democratisation,
global foresight and decision making, governance and ICT, rich-poor gap, health issues, education
and learning, peace and conflict, status of woman, transnational organised crime, energy, science and
technology, and global ethics. The report sketches a gloomy global scenario, whereby it reflecting
back on the factors listed in the previous 2008 report, the new one identifies that the situation unfortunately has worsened over the years:
Half the world is vulnerable to social instability and violence due to rising food and energy prices, failing states,
falling water tables, climate change, decreasing water-food-energy supply per person, desertification, and
increasing migrations due to political, environmental, and economic conditions – 2008 State of the Future cited
in 2015-2016 State of The Future (Glenn & Floresçu, 2015, p. 2).
2.3 The Need for Change
In a modernised world we take a mechanical, industrial and linear approach to doing things. Our
global cities are large engines that consume resources and dispose of what is not needed. The modern
world has effectively become a disposable world, and humanity has been using natural resources as if
there were no tomorrow (Girardet & Mendonça, 2009). Cities are in essence linear systems that produce waste. Lyle (1994) describe these as energy flows of the Industrial Society, where the entire
process is a throughput system, from inputs of large quantities of non-renewable resources, through
processing, to outputs as ‘sinks’ that include solid and liquid waste, smog, acid precipitation and large
quantities of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere (Lyle, 1994, p. 52). This linear system, which
started in times of the industrial revolution and continues up to the current day, produces outputs that
have resulted in the Anthropocene-induced global warming and rapid climate change. Lyle and other
environmentalists acknowledged in the mid- to late 1990s that there needs to be a change. Lyle proposed that the linear system of resource use must be replaced by a regenerative, closed- loop system to
be able to address this major global issue. Even though the awareness of ‘sustainability’ gains the
majority of the interest, Lyle urges that we need to move beyond the concept of sustainable development practice, and he published his thinking in Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development
(Lyle, 1994). Unfortunately, the focus on a human-centric sustainability worldview took centre stage,
and 33 years onwards from the United Nations declaration for the need of sustainable development
(1987), the world is still grasping at straws, striving to achieve sustainable goals. What is desperately
needed is a renewable world, a world view that sustainable development is not the end goal, but only
a small part of a regenerative design paradigm that aims to achieve a holistic, all- encompassing,
renewable and resilient world.
2.4 Sustainable Development Goals
Globally there is an acknowledgement that the inclusion of sustainability in our day-to-day operations
is necessary. Many governments as well as private and corporate organisations adopted and pledged
to sustainability goals and values. Various frameworks are used to achieve sustainability in the building sector, including manufacturing, resource use, as well as day-to- day business processes. Voluntary
organisations manage and promote rating tools for green buildings and sustainable developments; an
2 The Importance of a Sustainable Future