Sustainable Development Overview

"Then I say the earth belongs to each . . . generation during its course, fully and in its own right, no generation can contract debts greater than may be paid during the course of its own existence." -- Thomas Jefferson, September 6, 1789

"Sustainability refers to the ability of a society, ecosystem, or any such ongoing system to continue functioning into the indefinite future without being forced into decline through exhaustion. . . of key resources." -- Robert Gilman, President of Context Institute

• Articles
• Top Links

Operation Fresh Start is a U.S. Department of Energy initiative that aims to help communities apply the principles of sustainable development when recovering from natural disasters, as well as to use sustainable planning techniques in pre-disaster development. This section provides background information to help you understand sustainable development and how this vibrant principle can be applied to strengthen your community's future.

Sustainable development is a strategy by which communities seek economic development approaches that also benefit the local environment and quality of life. It has become an important guide to many communities that have discovered the traditional approaches to planning and development are creating, rather than solving, societal and environmental problems. Where traditional approaches can lead to congestion, sprawl, pollution, and resource overconsumption, sustainable development offers real, lasting solutions that will strengthen our future.

Below are a selection of articles that present good overviews of sustainable development, as well as a list of top Web sites that offer additional information and resources.

Articles

"Developing Sustainable Communities: The Future Is Now"
Discusses the importance of sustainable development in optimizing our future.

"Changing Direction Toward Sustainable Culture"
Explores the concept of sustainability and its importance, and offers recommendations for achieving sustainability.

"Conserving Communities"
Examines the challenges of rural communities and their economies, and offers a set of recommendations for how a sustainable community might function.

"Sense & Sustainability: Charting Paths for the Future"

"What are sustainable communities?"
Introduces the concept of sustainability and offers six basic strategies communities can implement to achieve sustainable economic development.

Top Links

Smart Communities Network
The Smart Communities Network helps communities design and implement innovative strategies that enhance the local economy as well as the local environment and quality of life. Created by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, this comprehensive Web site offers an entire spectrum of information and resources related to sustainable community development, including articles; publications and manuals; model codes and ordinances; success stories; sustainable development bibliography; and a searchable database of some 1,000 organizations, agencies, and companies that work in the sustainable development arena.

Sustainable Communities Network (SCN)
Developed by the Sustainable Communities Network Partnership, this site encourages the exchange of information to help make communities more livable and increases the visibility of successful community projects. A wide range of issues related to community sustainability are addressed, including: creating communities, smart growth, growing a sustainable economy, protecting natural resources, living sustainably, and governing community. Within these topics, you can locate case studies, resources, related Web sites, links to databases, events calendars, and suggested reading lists for specific subtopics.

DOE Office of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
There is no shortage of useful information at this site, which is the home page of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The site, which is searchable by keyword, provides links to information on the whole spectrum of energy-efficiency and renewable energy topics, as well as a list of key contacts and a list of hot topics (the federal budget or Mideast oil, for example). EREN offers access to DOE's national laboratory data bases on a host of topics, such as solar access and wind regimes. There is even a form to submit energy-related questions and lists of discussion groups on various energy-related topics.

Sustainable Communities Information
Sustainable Communities Information is a project of the Nova Scotia Environment and Development Coalition. At this site, you'll find useful information, tools, and resources on sustainable communities. The Sustainable Communities Information Databank, for example, offers organizational profiles as well as information on topics related to sustainability. Each topic includes tools, success stories, articles and other information. You can also access Sustainable Maritimes Town Hall, an ongoing Internet discussion about sustainable communities.

Florida Internet Center for Understanding Sustainability (FICUS)
A joint effort between the Florida Center for Community Design and the University of South Florida's School of Architecture and Community Design, this comprehensive resource offers a large amount of high-quality information on sustainable communities. You can find information on what constitutes a sustainability community, on transportation and sustainability, on population and resource use, on Florida's energy and ecosystems, and on environmental education. The "Reference Library" offers on-line publications related to sustainability, as well as a bibliography of literature that relates to FICUS's issues. In addition, you can find information on member organizations and other organizations related to sustainability and the environment.

Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR)
LSR is a nonprofit education and research organization that provides information and assistance on topics related to sustainable development. For more than 20 years, ILSR has worked with citizen groups, governments, and private companies to develop sustainable development policies. Visit this Web site and you'll find information about ILSR's activities, such as its Carbohydrate Energy Program and its work with Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a coalition of organizations striving for a sustainable energy policy in Minnesota. You'll also find information on a technical and educational reports on a variety of topics, including sustainable development and sustainable energy policy.

International Institute for Sustainable Development
IISD, a Canadian non-government organization, believes that sustainable development occurs where environmental integrity, economic efficiency, and the well-being of people meet. From this standpoint, its Web site discusses many issues related to sustainable development including the concept of sustainability, presents a chronology of sustainable development, and offers sustainable development principles from the perspectives of different groups. You'll also find a wide variety of additional information, such as calendar of events, information sources, and "Hot Topics," which features timely sustainable development-related information (and it's archived so you can access past months).