Urban sustainability as strategic planning

Abstract

From its origins in the Brundtland report, sustainable development was projected as an activity that was best generated and most appropriate at the local scale. This localisation of the phenomenon was also central to the thinking behind Local Agenda 21. Despite numerous worldwide initiatives along the lines of LA21, it is clear that local applications in metropolitan areas operating without an overarching city-wide framework oriented towards sustainability are likely to confront serious obstacles. While recognising the value of localised initiatives, it is vital that sustainability is at the core of metropolitan level planning. Specifically, the role of strategic urban planning has considerable overlaps with the pretensions of the sustainability agenda, such as high levels of participation, long time horizons, and integrated rather than sectoral decision-making. This article highlights these overlaps and the potentialities for regarding urban sustainability as a conceptual platform for strategic urban planning. Various metropolitan experiences of strategic planning are considered, particularly the case of Santiago de Chile.