Sustainability and the Built Environment: The Role of Durability

A sustainable city combines stable long-term economic growth with a resilient ecological system. It is also a region of social sustainability with low levels of spatial segregation of different socio-economic groups. Spatial inclusion primarily involves provision of equalized city-wide access to ter...

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Main Authors: David Emanuel Andersson, Åke E. Andersson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-09-01
Series:Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/18/4926
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spelling doaj-d94635ffe21849fc8ec73f0e5bce797b2020-11-25T02:03:26ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502019-09-011118492610.3390/su11184926su11184926Sustainability and the Built Environment: The Role of DurabilityDavid Emanuel Andersson0Åke E. Andersson1College of Management, National Sun Yat-sen University, 70 Lianhai Road, Kaohsiung 80424, TaiwanDepartment of Economics, Finance and Statistics, Jönköping International Business School, Jönköping University, Gjuterigatan 5, 55111 Jönköping, SwedenA sustainable city combines stable long-term economic growth with a resilient ecological system. It is also a region of social sustainability with low levels of spatial segregation of different socio-economic groups. Spatial inclusion primarily involves provision of equalized city-wide access to territorial public goods. High durability of physical networks and buildings facilitates economic, environmental and social sustainability. This study shows that durability varies considerably between Asian, European and North American cities, with mean life expectancies of buildings that range from below 20 years in Chinese cities to over 100 years in European cities such as Paris. Urban planning principles that focus on the slow and steady expansion of accessibility and density within a durable built environment are consistent with general economic equilibria, while avoiding the pitfalls of political planning of the markets for private goods.https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/18/4926durabilitybuilt environmentinfrastructuresustainability
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author David Emanuel Andersson
Åke E. Andersson
spellingShingle David Emanuel Andersson
Åke E. Andersson
Sustainability and the Built Environment: The Role of Durability
Sustainability
durability
built environment
infrastructure
sustainability
author_facet David Emanuel Andersson
Åke E. Andersson
author_sort David Emanuel Andersson
title Sustainability and the Built Environment: The Role of Durability
title_short Sustainability and the Built Environment: The Role of Durability
title_full Sustainability and the Built Environment: The Role of Durability
title_fullStr Sustainability and the Built Environment: The Role of Durability
title_full_unstemmed Sustainability and the Built Environment: The Role of Durability
title_sort sustainability and the built environment: the role of durability
publisher MDPI AG
series Sustainability
issn 2071-1050
publishDate 2019-09-01
description A sustainable city combines stable long-term economic growth with a resilient ecological system. It is also a region of social sustainability with low levels of spatial segregation of different socio-economic groups. Spatial inclusion primarily involves provision of equalized city-wide access to territorial public goods. High durability of physical networks and buildings facilitates economic, environmental and social sustainability. This study shows that durability varies considerably between Asian, European and North American cities, with mean life expectancies of buildings that range from below 20 years in Chinese cities to over 100 years in European cities such as Paris. Urban planning principles that focus on the slow and steady expansion of accessibility and density within a durable built environment are consistent with general economic equilibria, while avoiding the pitfalls of political planning of the markets for private goods.
topic durability
built environment
infrastructure
sustainability
url https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/18/4926
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