A Systems Approach to Sustainable Urban Development

The focus of this book is to show the need for urban planning to increase its potential for sustainable development through applied systems thinking. By incorporating a systems approach that includes enhanced information gathering and comprehensive social and environmental metrics, the planner can engage stakeholders with foresight to assist in better decision-making. A conceptual model is included to show the intersection of an explicit information system designed for sustainable development indicators and a tacit stakeholder engagement approach. A systems approach to urban development is not simply about eco-efficiency but a new way of seeing our planning obligations toward a vision and strategy inclusive of the diversity of people and ecosystems.