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At the UN Habitat II Conference in Istanbul last June, WACLA (the World Assembly of Cities and Local Authorities) prepared a Local Government Declaration which recognised cities were "the pivotal human settlement around which and within which economic growth and sustainable development; the well-being and social cohesion of the majority of people; the capacity for technical, social, cultural and political innovation; the invention of the future; and a renewed vision for the progress of humanity will be determined."
Cities and city-regions are rightly viewed as vital components of national economies and the best scale at which to drive forward many of the ideas of sustainability. They present many of the problems of poorly planned, unsustainable development but also offer solutions. Concentrations of population can enable efficient and popular public transit systems; economic use of resources; and the potential to recreate the mixed urban communities so damaged by urban sprawl, peripheral estates and edge of town development. Put simply, with 80% of our population living in urban areas, if we get cities right, we are a long way towards getting everything right.
Edinburgh has recently begun a unique project which over the next 12 months will examine how best to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural vitality of Scotlandís capital. With a long tradition of innovative, holistic thinking on urban development stretching back to Patrick Geddes and beyond, a Commission on Sustainable Development for the city has been established by the Lord Provost. The 14 Commissioners are drawn from business, academia, non-governmental organisations, trade unions, community groups and local government.
The Commissioners have identified 6 issues as being priority areas for action : Poverty and Social Exclusion, Energy and Global Climate Change, Waste Management and Resource Use, Quality of the Neighbourhood, Transport and Air Pollution and Land Use Management and Planning. So often there is an interconnectedness between these issues, leading to ëwin/win/winí solutions to problems. Tackling fuel poverty in the city not only creates jobs and improves the health of the disadvantaged, it helps the city reduce its unsustainable levels of CO2 production.
The Commissionís work is already well underway. Central to the evidence gathering process will be a series of 6 Public Hearings, where representatives of all the Major Groups required to make sustainable development a reality will be called before the Commission and cross-examined on their internal and external policies.
Two Public Hearings have already been held, on NGOs and Education. Others, on Community, Business and industry, Local Government and National Government will take place over the coming months. A major public consultation exercise has been launched, with 600 local community organisations around Edinburgh asked for their views. Other innovative means of consultation will be employed to ensure that as many voices as possible are heard as the Commission prepare their conclusions.
At the end of the year a report on policies for a sustainable Edinburgh will be published, with specific recommendations for action by all key players. The report will highlight what can be achieved by examining and emulating best practice; also what is wrong with many current policies. We will expect all major agencies in the city to respond publicly to the recommendations made.
It is worth stressing that the process of sustainable urban development will come to all cities sooner or later. Those that are ahead of the game put themselves in a strong position economically and socially in the future. As one of the witnesses called before the first on the Commissionís Public Hearings pointed out, the German city of Freiburg, which has developed along more sustainable lines, has weathered the recession far better than car-based Stuttgart.
Edinburgh will re-establish itself as Scotlandís capital city within the next few years. By being at the forefront of innovative thinking and practice, Edinburgh can improve the lives of its citizens and truly become a model capital city for the 21st century.
If you would like to submit any comments or evidence to the Commission,
or just like to know more about the project, please write to:
Lord Provostís Commission on Sustainable Development,
PO Box 12491,
Edinburgh
EH1 1ZD
Tel:(0131)469-3831 Fax:(0131)469-3604
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