July 26, 2012
Americans
face a unique challenge in solving the climate crisis. Unlike other
Western countries and Japan, where population is projected to be
relatively constant, the U.S. population is set to grow by at least 100
million—and likely 150 million—people by 2050. Where and under what
conditions these people live present serious challenges to
sustainability planning. American cities today are so spatially and
economically unstable that anything beyond superficial sustainability
planning is impossible.
Alternatively, we can radically change existing community and regional planning strategies to more sustainably house and serve the growing population. Fortunately, emerging approaches are capable of helping with this shift. One involves building local economies that anchor capital in place through community, worker, or public forms of ownership—so-called green community wealth strategies. By linking such stabilizing forms of economic organization to democratic forms of local, regional, and national planning, cities can regain the capacity to target jobs and investment to specific locations.
Alternatively, we can radically change existing community and regional planning strategies to more sustainably house and serve the growing population. Fortunately, emerging approaches are capable of helping with this shift. One involves building local economies that anchor capital in place through community, worker, or public forms of ownership—so-called green community wealth strategies. By linking such stabilizing forms of economic organization to democratic forms of local, regional, and national planning, cities can regain the capacity to target jobs and investment to specific locations.
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