Social Sustainability
- Social sustainability is the need for economic and environmental factors to be managed so that people can have a better quality of life
- In the past, city planners did not take into account the impact of future growth on the health and stability of their towns and cities
- Any inner city regeneration/rebranding or urban fringe development need to consider sustainable urban living
- The challenge is for towns and cities to reduce their ecological footprint whilst also tackling social inequalities
- There are several activities that any urban region can attempt:
- Reduce the reliance on fossil fuels through the use of renewable
- Energy efficient goods in public buildings, homes, offices and shops
- Use public rather than private transport to reduce pollution
- Provide green spaces (greening the city) for families to use
- Recycle water to conserve supplies
- Conserve cultural/historical buildings and environmental sites for future generations
- Minimise the use of greenfield sites and use brownfield sites instead
- Involve local communities and provide a range of employment
- This last method of social inclusion can be seen through the practice of urban agriculture
- It is of particular benefit to women, and the urban poor, and adds to the 'greening' of the city along with reusing urban waste
- Migrant women can feel isolated, either through cultural or religious reasons or language barriers
- Urban agriculture allows for a safe space for families to meet and exchange knowledge and stories
- It also contributes to the local economy and helps reduce poverty whilst improving the health of the community
- It is relatively cheap, easy to set up and maintain
- In Sierra Leone, Freetown has zoned all wetlands and low-lying valleys for urban agriculture to increase water infiltration, reduce flooding, keep the flood zones free from informal settlements and promote urban agriculture production for food supply and job creation
- Brisbane, Australia includes both urban agriculture and green roofs in their action plan to meet predicted global climate change challenges
- For places such as Kibera, and Nairobi, urban agriculture can be a lifesaver and a way for mothers to introduce nutritional foods to their families, all of which improves social sustainability in a sprawling city