Sustainable urban development policies and practices in the United States

Abstract

Sustainability approaches have a special significance in terms of ensuring a long-term and balanced multi-dimensional urban development. The purpose of the study is to reveal and describe the main features of sustainable urban development in the United States in terms of urban policymaking and practical implementation. In the theoretical part of the paper, various interpretations of sustainable urban development and sustainable cities were discussed and summarized. Meanwhile, a brief description of the current state of global urbanization processes was given. Through secondary data analysis (governmental reports, descriptions of missions and target activities, legislative acts, etc.), comparison and generalization, the main actors (governmental bodies at federal level) and priorities of the U.S. urban policy with a special focus on sustainability were identified and discussed. In addition, the framework of the U.S. sustainable urban development policymaking was suggested and generalized. Different city rankings (based on sustainable development goals, green development, etc.) reveal the leading role of Pacific Coast urban areas, Washington D.C., Boston and New York City in terms of urban sustainability practices. Various urban innovations are implemented in the same and other urban areas, promoting the further development of smart sustainable city concept in the United States.