Toward the sustainable development of urban areas: An overview of global trends in trials and policies

Abstract

Achieving sustainable urban development (SUD) remains one of the most important goals for many countries. Numerous nations have made attempts to attain sustainable development (SD) by fixing one or more of the problems facing urban development, which has resulted in various approaches to SUD. However, a main issue that could help decision-makers deal effectively with SD needs to be emphasized.This study covers 10 topics that have recently become highly relevant to SUD:(1) A balanced approach to SUD, (2) Socio-cultural awareness, (3) Urban sprawl, (4) Economic urban development, (5) Transportation, (6) Urban renewal, (7) Mitigating greenhouse gases (GHG), (8) Urban vegetation, (9) Assessment systems, and (10) City structure and land use. The methodology is based on an overview of these themes via a critical reading of different publications, mostly from the last five years. This study classifies these topics both quantitatively and qualitatively in order to highlight hot-button issues at the domestic and international levels. The publications that were analyzed showed that Asian countries, especially China, are making changes towards SUD more than nations of other continents. The study concludes that transportation is the most prominent challenge in the field of SUD, followed by socio-cultural awareness. The concern of transportation and socio-cultural conscious issues can propel SUD forward and improve other problems related it.