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Operationalization and contextualization of sustainability at the local level
Author(s) -
Hartmuth Gerhard,
Huber Katja,
Rink Dieter
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
sustainable development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.115
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1099-1719
pISSN - 0968-0802
DOI - 10.1002/sd.377
Subject(s) - operationalization , sustainability , conceptualization , contextualization , sustainable development , sustainability organizations , norm (philosophy) , business , environmental resource management , environmental economics , computer science , environmental planning , economics , political science , geography , ecology , philosophy , epistemology , artificial intelligence , law , interpretation (philosophy) , biology , programming language
Due to its fuzziness, the model of sustainable development has to be particularized and contextualized before it can be used as a yardstick. A local indicator system for two German cities has been developed to meet these requirements using a new conceptualization of sustainability. Initially, local problem areas were identified in a bottom‐up approach by local authority personnel. These problem areas were contrasted with a set of sustainability rules, which had been systematically derived from a basic sustainability norm that gives minimum requirements for sustainable development. Indicators were specified at the interface between local problem areas and sustainability rules. The indicators are expected to provide information on whether the city is over time becoming closer to or farther removed from the respective sustainability goals in its problem areas. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.