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The Unsustainable City

Author

Listed:
  • Matthias Berger

    (Future Cities Laboratory, Singapore-ETH Centre, 1 CREATE Way, #06-01 CREATE Tower, Singapore 138602, Singapore
    Information Architecture, Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland)

Abstract

“Make cities more sustainable” is an omnipresent slogan in architecture and urban planning. This article is a discussion on theoretical and practical boundaries of using the expression “sustainability” with respect to the scientific community, therefore avoiding sustainability becoming a euphemism for “doing good”. By definition, it can be concluded, cities developed as counterparts to the hinterland and, therefore, they axiomatically should be and are as a matter of fact unsustainable. Furthermore, sustainability is a binary, not a gradual concept. Something is either sustainable or not. Aiming to increase the sustainability is consequently a sham battle. It would be necessary to change our perception to acknowledge that cities should be unsustainable in order to become efficient, seen from a global perspective including the hinterland.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias Berger, 2014. "The Unsustainable City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-10, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:1:p:365-374:d:32108
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tomaz Ponce Dentinho, 2011. "Unsustainable cities, a tragedy of urban infrastructure," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(3), pages 231-247, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ana Nikezić & Dragan Marković, 2015. "Place-Based Education in the Architectural Design Studio: Agrarian Landscape as a Resource for Sustainable Urban Lifestyle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-23, July.
    2. Marcelo Gomes Miguez & Aline Pires Veról & Matheus Martins De Sousa & Osvaldo Moura Rezende, 2015. "Urban Floods in Lowlands—Levee Systems, Unplanned Urban Growth and River Restoration Alternative: A Case Study in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-30, August.
    3. Yue, Xianghua & Peng, Michael Yao-Ping & Anser, Muhammad Khalid & Nassani, Abdelmohsen A. & Haffar, Mohamed & Zaman, Khalid, 2022. "The role of carbon taxes, clean fuels, and renewable energy in promoting sustainable development: How green is nuclear energy?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 193(C), pages 167-178.

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