URBAN SUSTAINABILITY AND URBAN FORM METRICS

A significant milestone was recently passed, with the majority of humankind now living in cities. For the first time in the history of our species, the immediate human environment will primarily be the built environment. Accelerating urbanization does not change the fact, however, that human beings ultimately remain dependent on the environment. Cities and their growth will necessarily become major drivers of environmental and ecological change, and global sustainable development will therefore be inextricably tied to the development of cities. As a global term, ‘sustainability’ attempts to balance myriad social, economic, and environmental factors, and is so complex in its application that a simple directive is useful to condense the discussion. As Wheeler succinctly describes it, sustainable urban development ‘improves the long term social and ecological health of cities and towns.’ 1 As cities are the major consumers of natural resources and the major producers of pollution and waste, it f...