Sustainable development and sustainability

Sustainable development and sustainability influence today's urban planners. Some planners say that modern lifestyles use too many natural resources, polluting or destroying ecosystems, increasing social inequality overheating urban heat islands, and causing climate changes. Many urban planners therefore advocate sustainable cities.

However, sustainable development is a recent, controversial concept. Wheeler, in his 1998 article, defines sustainable urban development to be "development that improves the long-term social and ecological health of cities and towns." He then sketches a 'sustainable' city's features. These include compact, efficient land use, less automobile use yet with better access, efficient resource use, less pollution and waste, the restoration of natural systems, good housing and living environments, a healthy social ecology, a sustainable economy, community participation and involvement and preservation of local culture and wisdom.

As they always have, urban planners try to implement widely accepted social policies and programs. Sustainability must be widely supported by society before planning can realistically modify actual institutions and regions. Real implementations are often complex compromises.