Sustainable States

“Asks difficult questions and offers bold, provocative answers . . . These pages open our eyes to some of the most urgent problemss facing humanity. A must-read.” —Moisés Naím, author of The Revenge of Power The free-market, limited-government development model has been an ecological and social disaster for the developing world. Sustainable and equitable development is only possible with the active involvement of a strong central state that can guide the economy, protect the environment, and prioritize meeting people’s basic needs. In this sure-to-be-controversial book, Chandran Nair shows that the market-dominated model followed by the industrialized West is simply not scalable. The US alone, with less than five percent of the world population, consumes nearly a quarter of its resources. If Asian countries, where sixty percent of the world lives, follow the Western lead, the results will be calamitous. Instead, Nair argues that development must be directed by a state that is willing and able to intervene in the economy. Corporations, which by design demand ever-expanding consumption, need to be directed toward meeting societal needs or otherwise restrained, not unleashed. Development has to be oriented towards the greatest good—clean drinking water for the many has to take precedence over swimming pools for the few. He provides three compelling case studies demonstrating the benefits of such strong state governance and the findings of weak state governance. This will mean rethinking the meaning of concepts like “prosperity,” “freedom,” and “rights,” and whether democracy is always the best way to ensure responsive government—as Nair writes, “A democracy that cannot work to improve the life of its citizens is not better than a non-democracy that can actually improve quality of life.” Many people will find these to be challenging ideas, but what Nair offers is a model suited to the realities of the developing world, not the assumptions of the dominant culture.

This volume first puts our current moment in context, tracing cities in the arc of human history. It also examines the basic structural elements of every city: materials and fuels; people and economics; and biodiversity. In part two, professionals working on some of the world's most inventive urban sustainability projects share their first-hand experience. Success stories come from places as diverse as Ahmedabad, India; Freiburg, Germany; and Shanghai, China. In many cases, local people are acting to improve their cities, even when national efforts are stalled. Parts three and four examine cross-cutting issues that affect the success of all cities. Topics range from the nitty-gritty of handling waste and developing public transportation to civic participation and navigating dysfunctional government. Throughout, readers discover the most pressing challenges facing communities and the most promising solutions currently being developed. The result is a snapshot of cities today and a vision for global urban sustainability tomorrow.

Education for sustainable development (ESD) presents an intriguing challenge in developed countries. The very notion of sustainable development may appear to be at cross-purposes with the social and political aims of large industrial economies. Yet, arguably, the residents of wealthy countries may be most in need of new ways of thinking and behaving on an increasingly more fragile and crowded planet. This book presents a collection of essays that capture the depth and diversity of education for sustainable development (ESD) work in formal education in Canada and the United States. Many of the authors are pioneers in the field of ESD, not only in their own countries but internationally. In this book, they share their expertise, lessons learned, and insights into the ongoing success of their work. The essays reflect leading edge practice, innovation, and depth of experience and provide clear models and strategies for expanding the application and influence of ESD in wealthy countries. The ESD programs described in the book are relevant and culturally appropriate for the specific locally contexts in which they are found but also in the larger context of ESD writ large as a planetary endeavour.

This book argues for a broader approach to sustainable growth in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Small island states such as those in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and South Pacific face significant and growing threats from climate change, increasing political and social volatility, and rapidly evolving global trends in technology and tourism. Based on ten years of research, this book looks beyond the Blue Economy of tourism and fisheries and provides a model of how creative industries, innovation networks, creative clusters and digital transformation can give SIDS the foundation for a strong sustainable future. The book provides not only insights into how these emerging digital-creative sectors can drive developing economies but also actionable tools for policy makers, entrepreneurs and academics to deliver increased performance on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and, ultimately, growth and sustainability. This book will be of great interest to scholars and practitioners of economic geography, sustainable development, development studies and the creative industries.

The importance of environmentally sustainable public utilities in the Middle East is an improbable topic for a Washington think tank study. Yet, many countries in the Middle East face serious challenges providing utilities in any manner to their populations, and the failure to do so is an increasing flashpoint for public dissatisfaction. This study finds that providing more environmentally sustainable services in the Middle East would be an effective way to address many citizens’ grievances which go beyond the reliability of those services. It would also help ameliorate deep dissatisfaction with the quality of governance and help build trust between citizens and their governments. This study examines three sectors—power, water and sanitation, and solid waste—in Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia. While the three countries are different in many ways, each faces increasing challenges providing services to their citizens. Providing these services in an environmentally sustainable way would also crucially increase each country’s resilience and diminish their vulnerability in a chronically unstable region.

National Urban Policy (NUP) is a key instrument to achieve sustainable urban development in a shared responsibility across countries, regions and cities. The scale and urgency of the current urban challenges has given prominence to NUPs. The COVID-19 crisis has amplified the potential of NUPs in shaping more resilient, green and inclusive cities as part of countries recovery packages.

In this work, the authors offer a unified, transdisciplinary approach for achieving sustainable development in industrialized nations. They present an insightful analysis of the ways in which industrial states are unsustainable and how economic and social welfare are related to the environment, public health and safety.

Designing an Innovative Pedagogy for Sustainable Development in Higher Education This book develops a "green pedagogy" and an innovation mindset in higher education by using approaches based on innovative design thinking, arts-based practices, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship for sustainable development. New pedagogical methods and educational solutions are developed throughout this book to offer pedagogical support to both students and university/college-level instructors. This book leads students as well as their instructors, through an artful and experimental way of thinking and doing, to take the ownership of the co-creation process. This is the basis for increasing social responsibility, motivation and commitment, and fostering creativity and innovation. An educational toolkit, including human-centric design methods, digital tools, creative and arts-based practices, innovation-related skills, and nascent and social entrepreneurship competencies, is provided for higher education instructors. This method kit will help instructors support students in the process of creating new knowledge for addressing real-world problems and enhance their societal involvement, foster entrepreneurial spirit, and reach opportunities for a sustainable future. Features Discusses arts-based education and entrepreneurship-based skills. Presents digital transformation and innovation-related skills for sustainable development. Proposes an experimental culture of thinking and doing. Provides agile and collaborative development methodology. Leads students to be much more creative and innovative. Offers a method kit for instructors to respond to 21st-century requirements in the field of higher education.