Future Forecast 2020: Sustainability

摘要

Sustainability requires municipalities to balance economic growth and environmental issues, while at the same time ensuring a pleasant place to live and work. While approaches to sustainability differ depending on the size and structure of individual cities, organizations such as ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability and the National League of Cities (NLC) provide a larger perspective on the challenges and opportunities cities face as they work to become more sustainable. Consulting firm ARCADIS recently compiled the results of research on sustainable cities conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). Fifty cities from 31 countries, chosen for their variety of characteristics, were ranked across a range of indicators. One of these cities was Los Angeles, Calif., which ranked 28th out of 50 for overall sustainability. Labeled "the prototype of the future metropolis," Los Angeles was lauded for its recent appointment of a Chief Sustainability Officer, Matt Petersen. At the time of his appointment, Petersen told Southern California Public Radio, "Cities are on the front lines of solutions to climate change and creating a clean energy economy."