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What is a sustainable city?

A sustainable city is one that seeks to achieve a balance between economic, social and environmental development, promoting a better quality of life for its inhabitants, while preserving the environment and natural resources for future generations.

Characteristics of a sustainable city

Among the characteristics of a sustainable city we can find:

• Efficient use of natural resources: such as water, energy, land and air, reducing environmental impact and reducing costs.
• Sustainable transport: promotes efficient and accessible public transport, as well as non-motorized mobility such as the use of bicycles and pedestrianization, reducing dependence on cars and improving air quality.
• Sustainable buildings: promotes the construction of buildings and homes that are energy efficient, that use sustainable materials and that promote the health and well-being of their inhabitants.
• Green Spaces and Biodiversity: drives it in its urban design, improving air quality and reducing the heat island effect.
• Social Inclusion: seeks equity in access to services, spaces and opportunities for all its inhabitants, regardless of their origin or socioeconomic status.

Sustainable city versus smart city

The concept of a sustainable city is often confused with that of a smart city. While both seek to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of a city, the Smart city focuses primarily on the use of technology to improve the efficiency and quality of urban services, such as transportation, security, waste management and energy. On the other hand, the sustainable city focuses on long-term environmental, social and economic sustainability, promoting efficiency in the use of natural resources, social inclusion and sustainable economic development.

Let's look at the example of Rotterdam:

Source: Smart City Expo Latam

Sustainable city and the ESG ranking

The ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ranking evaluates the performance of companies and organizations in terms of environmental, social and corporate governance sustainability. In recent years, the use of the ESG ranking to evaluate the performance of cities in terms of sustainability and their capacity to attract investment and talent has become popular. A sustainable city that performs well in the ESG ranking is seen as an attractive place to live, work and invest, which in turn can promote greater sustainable economic development and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants.

In conclusion, a sustainable city seeks to achieve a balance between economic, social and environmental development, promoting a better quality of life for its inhabitants, while preserving the environment and natural resources for future generations. To achieve this, strategies must be implemented that promote the efficient use of natural resources, sustainable transport, the construction of sustainable buildings, the use of green spaces and biodiversity, and social inclusion.

If you are looking to carry out sustainable projects to promote a sustainable city that meets the ESG ranking, contact us here.