Issues of empowerment and participation within sustainable urban development strategies (421)

Theme Track: Environment and Sustainability - Programs and Strategies

Author:
Ruggiero, Luca

The city has a central role within sustainable development strategies. It represents an ecosystem that has a very high grade of artificiality and it is the area where most of the world population tends to concentrate and live. A sustainable urban environment can thus have a significant impact on the reduction of global unsustainability. As city environmental problems become more urgent the need for a better and more sustainable urban environment increases. However, an observation of the more recent trends in the field of urban development does not show a strong involvement in subverting those tendencies which are responsible for the unsustainability of urban areas. For instance, it does not seem like local authorities are able to give a real input to undermine the logic on which modern urban development has been established. In the present paper I will discuss how empowerment and participation can represent tools to create a more sustainable urban environment and society. I will also examine a number of recent projects and approaches adopted mainly within Italian cities and will evaluate their contribution to urban sustainability.

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