53
sustainability policies and practices in communities. We posit that a predominantly bottom- up or
“community-up” approach is crucial for the
SDGs to gain wide traction, engage citizens and
other stakeholders, and ultimately succeed in
turning sustainability into the new modus operandi globally, within this century.
5.2.1 Developing Sustainable
Communities
Our research is situated in the field of sustainable
development in local communities, with particular focus on urban areas, which are projected to
be home to at least 68% of the world’s population
by 2050 (UN DESA 2018). For our research purposes, a community refers to “a group of people
bound by geography and with a shared destiny,
such as a municipality or a town,” and is considered as a complex, adaptive, and interconnected
system requiring interdisciplinary study (Uphoff
2014; Roseland 2012). An urban area is “a human
settlement characterized – ecologically, economically, politically and culturally – by a significant
infrastructural base; a high density of population,
whether it be as denizens, working people, or
transitory visitors; and what is perceived to be a
large proportion of constructed surface area relative to the rest of the region” (James 2015).
Cities occupy 3–4% of the world’s land surface, use ~80% of resources, and discharge most
global waste while being increasingly vulnerable
to climate change and health challenges linked to
high economic and environmental costs (Kanuri
et al. 2016; (Girardet 2015). The latest global
urbanization projections for 2050 and the accumulation of challenges in cities prove the urgency
of developing local solutions to global (or “glocal”) issues. Cities have enormous productivity
potential in terms not only of economic and labor
productivity (diverse and inclusive economy, fostering innovation) but also of social productivity
(hubs of research, learning, and sharing) and ecological productivity (ecological function regeneration and efficient use of resources) (Roseland
and Spiliotopoulou 2017).
The full set of the SDGs is relevant to local
communities even though the UN Global Agenda
for 2030 includes a goal specifically for cities:
goal 11 for inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements (Kanie et al.
2014). Achieving long-term sustainability locally
requires a focus on all goals, not just goal 11, in
order for societal change through collaborative
decision-making and community engagement to
occur, as the principles of sustainable community
development (SCD) so urge (Clarke 2012;
Hermans et al. 2011). SCD is a holistic approach
that integrates social, environmental, and economic considerations into the dynamic processes
toward community sustainability, while providing for current and future generations (Berke and
Conroy 2000; Roseland 2012).
SD and SCD have been influenced by a number of theories and have matured over the last few
decades in academic, professional, and popular
discourse. While SCD may be a fairly new paradigm for local development, it is rooted in such
intellectual traditions of the previous two centuries as social ecology, bioregionalism, native
worldviews, ecological modernization, selfreliance, eco-localism, environmental justice,
etc. (Roseland 2000; Roseland and Spiliotopoulou
2016). More recently, SCD has embraced strong
sustainability principles which acknowledge the
Earth’s regenerative limits and the need for socioecological and economic resilience “across temporal and spatial scales” (Meerow et al. 2016;
Daly 2005; Rockström et al. 2009).
Under the strong sustainability model, social
and ecological considerations are increasingly
being included in community analysis and policymaking through collaborative and systemic processes. Several parallels can thus be drawn
between this comprehensive paradigm for local
development and the UN 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. These include the
long-term and whole-systems perspective, the
recognition of the dynamic nature of socioecological systems, and the potential to reveal
opportunities for synergies and indirect positive
impact among the various dimensions and goals
for sustainability.
5 Making the SDGs Relevant for Cities: Using the Community Capital Tool in British Columbia
sustainability policies and practices in communities. We posit that a predominantly bottom- up or
“community-up” approach is crucial for the
SDGs to gain wide traction, engage citizens and
other stakeholders, and ultimately succeed in
turning sustainability into the new modus operandi globally, within this century.
5.2.1 Developing Sustainable
Communities
Our research is situated in the field of sustainable
development in local communities, with particular focus on urban areas, which are projected to
be home to at least 68% of the world’s population
by 2050 (UN DESA 2018). For our research purposes, a community refers to “a group of people
bound by geography and with a shared destiny,
such as a municipality or a town,” and is considered as a complex, adaptive, and interconnected
system requiring interdisciplinary study (Uphoff
2014; Roseland 2012). An urban area is “a human
settlement characterized – ecologically, economically, politically and culturally – by a significant
infrastructural base; a high density of population,
whether it be as denizens, working people, or
transitory visitors; and what is perceived to be a
large proportion of constructed surface area relative to the rest of the region” (James 2015).
Cities occupy 3–4% of the world’s land surface, use ~80% of resources, and discharge most
global waste while being increasingly vulnerable
to climate change and health challenges linked to
high economic and environmental costs (Kanuri
et al. 2016; (Girardet 2015). The latest global
urbanization projections for 2050 and the accumulation of challenges in cities prove the urgency
of developing local solutions to global (or “glocal”) issues. Cities have enormous productivity
potential in terms not only of economic and labor
productivity (diverse and inclusive economy, fostering innovation) but also of social productivity
(hubs of research, learning, and sharing) and ecological productivity (ecological function regeneration and efficient use of resources) (Roseland
and Spiliotopoulou 2017).
The full set of the SDGs is relevant to local
communities even though the UN Global Agenda
for 2030 includes a goal specifically for cities:
goal 11 for inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements (Kanie et al.
2014). Achieving long-term sustainability locally
requires a focus on all goals, not just goal 11, in
order for societal change through collaborative
decision-making and community engagement to
occur, as the principles of sustainable community
development (SCD) so urge (Clarke 2012;
Hermans et al. 2011). SCD is a holistic approach
that integrates social, environmental, and economic considerations into the dynamic processes
toward community sustainability, while providing for current and future generations (Berke and
Conroy 2000; Roseland 2012).
SD and SCD have been influenced by a number of theories and have matured over the last few
decades in academic, professional, and popular
discourse. While SCD may be a fairly new paradigm for local development, it is rooted in such
intellectual traditions of the previous two centuries as social ecology, bioregionalism, native
worldviews, ecological modernization, selfreliance, eco-localism, environmental justice,
etc. (Roseland 2000; Roseland and Spiliotopoulou
2016). More recently, SCD has embraced strong
sustainability principles which acknowledge the
Earth’s regenerative limits and the need for socioecological and economic resilience “across temporal and spatial scales” (Meerow et al. 2016;
Daly 2005; Rockström et al. 2009).
Under the strong sustainability model, social
and ecological considerations are increasingly
being included in community analysis and policymaking through collaborative and systemic processes. Several parallels can thus be drawn
between this comprehensive paradigm for local
development and the UN 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. These include the
long-term and whole-systems perspective, the
recognition of the dynamic nature of socioecological systems, and the potential to reveal
opportunities for synergies and indirect positive
impact among the various dimensions and goals
for sustainability.
5 Making the SDGs Relevant for Cities: Using the Community Capital Tool in British Columbia