A review of urban sustainability criteria under global warming stress

Abstract

Due to high energy requirements, cities are major contributors to climate change affecting global warming and quality of life. Environmental changes, accounting for changes in quality of life and reducing thermal degradation by moving towards more sustainable energy sources, are needed. A comprehensive system of environmental indicators, as an effective tool to reduce climate change impacts and to increase cities' sustainability approaches, is presented. The proposed system constitutes a cohesive set of indicators intergrading spatial and communication factors, expressed as connectivity, completion, cohesion, etc. and process modifications emphasising dematerialisation, energy type and savings. It incorporates environmental impact and state level response indicators into 'a cause and effect' meta model, as the OECD DIPSIR one. A logic decision scheme connects response indicators and activities, so that the model becomes a tool for self-knowledge, more efficiency and better target orientation by city authorities with respect to sustainable city practices.