Cities as sustainable ecosystems
Our home city, Perth, situated on the ancient island continent of Australia, stretches out along the Swan River that flows from the hills to the Indian Ocean, and up and down the Swan Coastal Plain. There is much to be grateful for here: clean running water and good sanitation systems, relatively clean air, abundant fresh food, clean beaches, and the wide blue Swan River winding its way to the sea at Fremantle where we both live. We also enjoy the benefits of a diverse community, including rich ethnic traditions and indigenous culture. This place is home to the Nyungar, Aboriginal peoples who represent one of
the oldest living cultures on Earth. It is located in one of the biodiversity hot spots of the world, where you can find hundreds of species in a small piece of remnant bush. Yet there are signs of strain: algal blooms in rivers and wetlands, concerns about water scarcity and climate change, urban decay, car dependence and the related issues of smog and traffic congestion, sprawling urbanization, declining affordability of housing, and health problems such as rising obesity rates and mental health conditions, especially among the young. These issues are not unique. This picture could be true of most cities in the world to some extent, and many bigger cities, especially those in the developing world, are struggling to an even greater degree. The impact from our urban ways of living is being felt not just here. In a globalizing economy, our patterns of living increasingly have repercussions well beyond our city boundaries, reaching out across the planet.
Cities are the defining ecological phenomenon of the twenty-first century. From a minor part of the global economy one hundred years ago, they have become the principal engines of economic growth and the places where most of humanity dwells. Cities are growing faster than ever before. As Lois Sweet notes, “With the advent of the 21st century, for the first time in human history, half the world’s population of more than six billion will be living in cities. The ways in which the urban need for food, water, shelter
and social organization are met will not only determine the course of human civilization, but the very future of this planet.
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