The Key to Sustainable Cities: Meeting Human Needs, Transforming Community Systems

by Gwendolyn Hallsmith

Most of the world’s population now live in cities, but despite wide agreement on the core values of sustainable societies, municipalities are so busy solving current problems, they don’t have the time or resources to plan effective action for sustainability. The Key to Sustainable Cities uses the principles of system dynamics to demonstrate how today’s problems were yesterday’s solutions. The book points to a new approach to city planning that builds on assets as a starting point for cities to develop healthy social, governance, economic, and environmental systems. Gwendolyn Hallsmith has worked to build sustainable communities for over twenty years as a municipal manager, a regional planning director, and with the Institute for Sustainable Communities. She lives in Marshfield, Vermont.

Genres: Politics

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[Diaamadkour · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that explains sustainability in a deep level... Based on communities needs and supply, and upon system thinking. A must read for those seeking to understand how communities can be sustainable and integrated to produce a happy city.

[Colin Bruce Anthes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can only give this book 3 stars because, despite the implications of the title, the author explores a freakishly wide range of lenses to consider sustainability from, some of which are more useful than others. Yet there are parts that are truly excellent. If she made an edit of the best 40% of this book, it would be a very useful addition for citizen activists and city councils alike.

[Chris Brimmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the future people, pay attention.