Four dimensional spatial sustainability (4DSS): a revolutionary approach toward utopian sustainability

Raed Najjar1
1Vice President for Academic Affairs and Planning, Washington University of Health and Science - Palestine Campus, San Pedro, Belize

Tóm tắt

Abstract

This research paper is composed of several interrelated sections that present thought-provoking concepts and debates concerning sustainability. Substantially, it argues the failure of the classical definition of sustainability and underlines serious worldwide challenges that face the planet and mankind due to the questionable current modes of development. Understanding the importance of adopting more comprehensive definition that ensures integrating critical missing aspects; mainly the cultural-historical and temporal analysis, as well as, rethinking the approach when applying that concept is more urgent than ever. In this sense, the author theorizes new ground-breaking definition for sustainability; namely the four dimensional spatial sustainability, and so, develops innovative approaches that effectively facilitate adopting a set of philosophical models pertaining to this revolutionary definition on different temporal scales. The social aspect has far-reaching impacts upon the different models, hence it is considered as chief factor that democratically supports, controls and enhances the other dimensions, i.e. economic, environmental, and cultural-historical. Basically, these models catalyze generating socially-driven synergy that fosters change in key systems, and creates therefore, spatial participative sustainability leading, on the long run, to standardized spatial sustainability featuring what the author calls ‘utopian sustainability’ on global scale.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

Almazroui M, Saeed F, Saeed S, Ismail M, Ehsan M, Islam M, Abid M, O’Brien E, Kamil S, Rashid I, Nadeem I. Projected Changes in Climate Extremes Using CMIP6 Simulations Over SREX Regions. Earth Syst Environ. 2021;5:481–97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-021-00250-5.

Le Hir P. Biodiversity: One million species in danger of extinction (in French). In: Le Monde. 2019. https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2019/05/06/un-million-d-especes-en-danger-d-extinction_5458785_3244.html. (Accessed 18 Jan 2021).

Forum for the Future. Driving systems change in turbulent times. In: The Future of Sustainability. 2019. https://www.forumforthefuture.org/driving-systems-change-in-turbulent-times. (Accessed 20 Feb 2021).

Vojnovic I. Urban Sustainability: A Global Perspective. Michigan State University Press; 2013.

Yokohari M, Takeuchi K, Watanabe T, Yokota S. Beyond greenbelts and zoning: a new planning concept for the environment of Asian mega-cities. Landscape Urban Plann. 2000;47:159–71.

Haughton G, Hunter C. Sustainable Cities. Regional Policy and Development; 1996.

Botkin D, Beveridge C. Cities as Environment. Urban Ecosyst. 1997;1:3–19.

Agenda 21. United Nations Conference on Environment & Development. 1992. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Agenda21.pdf

Pfister T, Schweighofer M, Reichel A. Sustainability. Routledge; 2016.

D’Alisa G. Dimensions of sustainable development: a proposal of systematization of sustainable approaches. University of Foggia; 2007. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23692978_Dimensions_of_sustainable_development_a_proposal_of_systematization_of_sustainable_approaches (Accessed 23 Feb 2021).

Pugh C, editor. Sustainability, the environment and urbanisation. Routledge; 1996.

Report of the secretary general of the UN General Assembly. UN; 2010.

Heather M, Zachary A. Sustainability: If It's Everything, Is It Nothing? Routledge; 2020.

McGranaham G, Songsire J, Kjellén M. Sustainability, Poverty and Urban Environmental Transitions. In Pugh C, editor. Sustainability, the environment and urbanisation. Routledge; 1996.

Brandon P, Lombardi P, Bentivegna V, editors. Evaluation of the Built Environment for Sustainability. Taylor and Francis; 1997.

Polèse M, Stern R. The Social Sustainability of Cities, Diversity and the Management of Change. Toronto: Univesity of Toronto Press; 2000.

Santolaria N. Black Friday or the shame of shopping (in French). In: Le Monde; 2019. https://www.lemonde.fr/m-perso/article/2019/11/26/black-friday-ou-la-honte-du-shopping_6020615_4497916.html (Accessed 5 May 2021).

Vitousek P, Mooney H, Lubchenco J, Melillo J. Human domination of the Earth’s ecosystems. Science, New Series. 2007;277(5325):494–9.

Stearns P. The Industrial Revolution in World History. Boulder: Westview Press; 1993.

Grubler A. Managing the global environment. Environ Sci Technol. 2000;34:184A-187A.

Adams W. Green development–Environment and sustainability in the third world. Routledge; 1990.

Naess P. Urban planning and sustainable development. Eur Plan Stud. 2001;9(4):503–24.

Watson R, Dixon J, Hamburg S, Janetos A, Moss R. Protecting Our Planet, Securing Our Future. UN Environment Programme, Nairobi; 1998.

Kates R, Clark W, Corell R, Hall J, Taeger C, Lowe I, McCarthy J, Schellnhuber H, Bolin B, Dickson N, Faucheux S, Gallopin G, Grübler A, Huntley B, Jäger J, Jodha N, Kasperson R, Mabogunje A, Matson P, Mooney H, Moore B, O'Riordan T, Svedin U. Sustainability Science. KSG Working Paper No. 00–018; 2000. https://www.albany.edu/gogreen/files/files/documents/faculty%20forum/Kates.pdf.

Najjar R. Planning, Power, and Politics (3P): Critical Review of the Hidden Role of Spatial Planning in Conflict Areas. In: Luís Carlos Loures, editor. Land use-assessing the past, envisioning the future. IntechOpen; 2019. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.78779

Campbell S. Green Cities, Growing Cities, Just Cities? Urban Planning and the Contradictions of Sustainable Development. Journal of the American Planning Association, University of Michigan: Urban and Regional Planning Program; 1996.

Bergh J, Mooij R. An assessment of growth debate. In: Bergh J, editor. Handbook of Environmental and Resource Economics. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham; 1996.

Najjar R. Spatial planning, urban land management, and political architecture in the conflict areas-Jerusalem case study [thesis]. Dortmund. 2013. https://doi.org/10.17877/DE290R-5370.

Spoelstra S. Sustainability research: Organizational challenge for intermediary research institutes. NJAS-Wageninge J Life Sci. 2013;66:75–8.

James P. Urban Sustainability in Theory and Practice. Routledge; 2007.

McNeill J. Something New Under the Sun: An Environmental History of the 20th Century World. New York: Norton; 2000.