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growing the global urban population by 28%, from 4 billion to 5.1 billion (UN
2015b). Sustainable urban development requires integration and extensive coordination between all local and national authorities, including land use planning, urban
agriculture, water resource management, energy-related authorities, employment
opportunities, technology, transportation infrastructure development, waste management, etc. (Al Zubi and Radovic 2018).
Cities occupy approximately only 2% of the total land. Nevertheless, while producing 70% GDP, they manage to spend over 60% of global energy consumption
and are responsible for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions and 70% global waste
(UN 2017). Although urbanisation has the potential to make cities more prosperous
and countries more developed, many cities worldwide are grossly unprepared for
the multidimensional challenges associated with urbanisation (UN 2015b).
Decision-makers too often only focus on the technical aspects of sustainable city
development, such as energy reduction and efficiency, sustainable building materials, or compact settlement structures, without acknowledging the importance of
building social capital or social networks (Mössner 2016; UN 2015b). Therefore,
Environmental Citizenship becomes recognised as an important factor in sustainable developments and community plans. Environmental Citizens are able to identify the underlying structural causes of environmental degradation and environmental
problems and have the willingness and the competencies for critical and active
engagement and civic participation to address those structural causes, acting individually and collectively within democratic means and taking into account interand intra-generation justice (ENEC 2018).
While broadly adopted by many countries, notably in the EU where the active
contribution is reported regionally and the trends and territorial considerations
nationally, one cannot but ask how come territory – in its many differences, needs,
and offers – has been left aside from the big focus on urbanisation. Moreover, territories are usually relegated as either beautiful touristic scenery or restricted sites
of wealth due to resources, which are so often exploited ignoring the impacts on the
global sustainable future of them as complex, whole, and unique units.
The development of cities depends on different economic, social, and environmental factors, as well as the position of the city in the more complex urban and
transport system. In this case, the geographic position is pivotal (e.g. harbour cities,
urban settlements along critical commercial lines, such as the silk route).
Geomorphology and hydrography restrain or shape a specific city or town making
it unique.
The interdependence between urbs and rus (Latin etymology, in the origin of
urban and rustic, respectively) has always signalled a close relationship between
town and country. Furthermore, it was agriculture that led to the creation of the
foundations of cities, from the first human settlements, holding a fertile land that
would be able to feed and protect some community-liberated humans from everlasting nomadic life.
Until the nineteenth century (specifically the beginning of WWI, 1914), the
direct link between the rural estates that provided for food and other resources and
4 Societal Issues and Environmental Citizenship
growing the global urban population by 28%, from 4 billion to 5.1 billion (UN
2015b). Sustainable urban development requires integration and extensive coordination between all local and national authorities, including land use planning, urban
agriculture, water resource management, energy-related authorities, employment
opportunities, technology, transportation infrastructure development, waste management, etc. (Al Zubi and Radovic 2018).
Cities occupy approximately only 2% of the total land. Nevertheless, while producing 70% GDP, they manage to spend over 60% of global energy consumption
and are responsible for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions and 70% global waste
(UN 2017). Although urbanisation has the potential to make cities more prosperous
and countries more developed, many cities worldwide are grossly unprepared for
the multidimensional challenges associated with urbanisation (UN 2015b).
Decision-makers too often only focus on the technical aspects of sustainable city
development, such as energy reduction and efficiency, sustainable building materials, or compact settlement structures, without acknowledging the importance of
building social capital or social networks (Mössner 2016; UN 2015b). Therefore,
Environmental Citizenship becomes recognised as an important factor in sustainable developments and community plans. Environmental Citizens are able to identify the underlying structural causes of environmental degradation and environmental
problems and have the willingness and the competencies for critical and active
engagement and civic participation to address those structural causes, acting individually and collectively within democratic means and taking into account interand intra-generation justice (ENEC 2018).
While broadly adopted by many countries, notably in the EU where the active
contribution is reported regionally and the trends and territorial considerations
nationally, one cannot but ask how come territory – in its many differences, needs,
and offers – has been left aside from the big focus on urbanisation. Moreover, territories are usually relegated as either beautiful touristic scenery or restricted sites
of wealth due to resources, which are so often exploited ignoring the impacts on the
global sustainable future of them as complex, whole, and unique units.
The development of cities depends on different economic, social, and environmental factors, as well as the position of the city in the more complex urban and
transport system. In this case, the geographic position is pivotal (e.g. harbour cities,
urban settlements along critical commercial lines, such as the silk route).
Geomorphology and hydrography restrain or shape a specific city or town making
it unique.
The interdependence between urbs and rus (Latin etymology, in the origin of
urban and rustic, respectively) has always signalled a close relationship between
town and country. Furthermore, it was agriculture that led to the creation of the
foundations of cities, from the first human settlements, holding a fertile land that
would be able to feed and protect some community-liberated humans from everlasting nomadic life.
Until the nineteenth century (specifically the beginning of WWI, 1914), the
direct link between the rural estates that provided for food and other resources and
4 Societal Issues and Environmental Citizenship