Today at least twenty-five major U.S. cities have pursued some form of                  sustainability initiative. Although many case studies and "how-to" manuals have been                  published, there has been little systematic comparison of these cities' programs and                  initiatives. In this book Kent Portney lays the theoretical groundwork for research                  on what works and what does not, and why.Distinguishing cities on the basis of                  population characteristics and region for his analysis, Portney shows how cities use                  the broad rubric of sustainability to achieve particular political ends. Cities that                  take sustainability seriously, such as Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle, use                  broad definitions that go well beyond concern for the physical environment or                  creating jobs. They pursue sustainability at many levels and integrate concern for                  economic development, the environment, and quality of life across all activities of                  city government. Cities that take sustainability less seriously, such as Cleveland,                  Boston, and Orlando, confine it to such issues as solid waste disposal, brownfields,                  redevelopment, and neighborhood beautification. Still other cities, such as New                  Haven, Brownsville, and Milwaukee, do considerably less to work toward                  sustainability.Portney begins by reviewing the conceptual underpinnings of                  sustainable development and sustainable communities. The comparisons that follow                  provide a foundation for assessing the range of what is possible and desirable for                  sustainability initiatives. In the book's conclusion, Portney assesses the extent to                  which cities can use the pursuit of sustainability either to foster change in public                  values or merely to reinforce values that are already reflected in systems of                  governance.

Taking Sustainable Cities Seriously: Economic Development, the Environment, and Quality of Life in American Cities (American and Comparative Environmental Policy)

Taking Sustainable Cities Seriously: Economic Development, the Environment, and Quality of Life in American Cities (American and Comparative Environmental Policy) PDF

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