Small City Sustainability

Literature Review
Tom Waldichuk
Geography 4810
Andrew ill
10011!"41
#ecember $
nd
$01$
1
Table of Contents
%ntroduction &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&'
(conomic Sustainability&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&4
#rake )anding Solar Community&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&4
Cittaslow mo*ements &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&4
(conomic gardening&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&"
Social Sustainability&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&+
,achenoeki &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&+
Creati*e City &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&-
(n*ironmental Sustainability &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&8
Satoyama &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&8
(co city mo*ement&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&!
.roblems with small city sustainability &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&!
Conclusion&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&10
/igure&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&11
1&0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&11
0e1erences &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&11
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Introduction
As our society mo*ed through the industrial re*olution and on to the in1ormation age2
small cities ha*e continued to get smaller and smaller& %n Canada it is estimated that 80&- 3 o1
the country4s residents li*e in urban areas 5Waldichuk2 $01$6&This e7ceeds the global a*erage2 as
it is estimated that in $0112 "$3 o1 the worlds population li*ed in urban areas 5Waldichuk2
$01$6& This has lead to many o1 the en*ironmental problems that we now approach as
geographers& As people continue to migrate 1rom rural areas to large urban centres2 sprawl2
destruction o1 1armland2 and destruction o1 ecosystems surrounding urban areas will become
e*en more pre*alent& Small cities may actually guide the way to sustainability2 as local
ecosystem based approaches can be used to properly 1it each small city& According to the 89
website2 The :rundtland Commission;s report de1ines sustainable de*elopment as <de*elopment
which meets the needs o1 current generations without compromising the ability o1 1uture
generations to meet their own needs<589(C(2 $00"6&=This paper compiles some o1 the literature
that re1lects three aspects o1 sustainability2 social2 economic2 and en*ironmental sustainability
5See 1igure 1&06&
Small cities ha*e the ability to promote sustainable economic de*elopment through local
community based action such as local agriculture2 economic gardening2 or large energy pro>ects&
Small cities are also able to promote sustainable social de*elopment2 though community based
action2 such as the ,achinoeki in ?apan2 or the creati*e city pro>ect in Albania& /inally2 small
cities are able to promote en*ironmental sustainability allowing 1or such things as Satoyama in
?apan2 and Sweden;s (co city mo*ement& All o1 these e7amples will be outlined in this literature
re*iew2 as it attempts to summari@e some o1 the literature on the sustainability o1 small cities&
'
Economic Sustainability
Ane o1 the issues that gets brought up when discussing sustainability2 is the issue o1
economics& ,ost critics o1 sustainable de*elopment2 claim that it would be impossible to grow
the local economy when shi1ting the idea o1 progress away 1rom it;s traditional de1inition& This
paper will pro*ide three e7amples o1 small town economic sustainability2 each with their own
uniBue solution to economic sustainability& %n a changing world these small towns are leaders&
Drake Landing Solar Community
/unny to think that the #rake )anding Solar Community is in Canada;s most
unsustainable pro*ince2 but it is& This system allow 1or !03 o1 each homes space heating
reBuirements to come 1rom solar energy& At the moment this pro>ect is only eBuipped in "$
homes within the community o1 Akotoks Alberta& :ut the concept o1 reducing consumption is
widespread throughout Akotoks& According to Aline Corn1ord C Akotoks is stri*ing to reduce its
greenhouse gas emissions 1rom municipal sources by $0 per cent2 per capita waste generation by
'0 per cent2 the number o1 commuters 1rom +0 to 40 per cent2 and per capita water use to less
than $"0 litres per day=5Con1ord2 pg 16& This town has capped its population at '02000 people2 to
help with the goals& Akotoks Alberta is located only 18 kilometers away 1rom Calgary2 one o1
Canada;s 1astest growing cities2 by capping their population they send a strong message to the
city ;we do not want your commuters or sprawl;&
Cittaslow movements
The slow 1ood mo*ement began in the motherland o1 good 1ood2 %taly& %t has since spread
internationally2 as many small towns attempt to gain Cittaslow recognition to support their local
economy& The Slow /ood mo*ement is a local mo*ement that attempts to Ccounteract 1ast 1ood
4
and 1ast li1e2 the disappearance o1 local 1ood traditions and people4s dwindling interest in the
1ood they eat2 where it comes 1rom2 how it tastes and how our 1ood choices a11ect the rest o1 the
world=5Dno7 and ,eyer2 pg 1""$6& This mo*ement 1osters local economic de*elopment2 since it
relies on local bakers2 butchers2 and 1armers to showcase their regions uniBueness& This
mo*ement has spread worldwide2 as it is *ery respected in the culinary scene& The mo*ement has
the ability to connect rural small town 1armers who ha*e uniBue2 well grown produce2 with
surrounding che1;s and restaurants who highlight those uniBue ingredients 5Dno7 and ,eyer2
$0106& The Slow /ood mo*ement has created some *ery uniBue restaurants in *ery uniBue
locations2 no longer are the ;chic; high class restaurants only in large urban centres2 this has
caused many restaurants who speciali@e in local ingredients to mo*e into small towns in order
1or them to work directly with the 1armers2 to share the regional uniBueness o1 many small towns
internationally&
Economic gardening
According to ,eyer and Dno72 economic gardening C1ocuses on de*eloping businesses
1rom within the community rather than trying to attract them 1rom the outside=5,eyer and Dno72
pg 1"+06& This in*ol*es the local business de*elopment to stop looking 1or outside in*estment in
their town& This shi1ts the perspecti*e o1 the chamber o1 commerce to create a conduci*e
en*ironment 1or the local entrepreneurial spirit to thri*e and sur*i*e& ,eyer and Dno7 describe
the need 1or so1t assets such as education and cultural amenities to be pro*ided instead o1 the >ust
the bricks and mortar5,eyer and Dno72 $0106& This ;inside out; strategy is a long term strategy
that 1osters local business& %n the long run these strategies are much more sustainable2 as they are
not dependent on large multinationals 1or their towns sur*i*al 5,cDasey2 $01$6& %nstead local
"
entrepreneurs create startEup companies that are deep rooted in the community2 these startEups
ultimately gi*e back 1ar more to the small town than a multinational e*er would2 due to their
deep rooted local connections& This small town grassEroots idea has gained popularity o*er time2
and continues to grow as small towns look 1or other ways to grow their local economy&
Social Sustainability
Social sustainability is hard to de1ine without using a *ery broad de1inition& According to
Falance et al&2 social sustainability has three separate competing de1initions G C 5a6 Hde*elopment
sustainability4 addressing basic needs2 the creation o1 social capital2 >ustice2 eBuity and so onG 5b6
Hbridge sustainability4 concerning changes in beha*iour so as to achie*e bioEphysical
en*ironmental goalsG and c6 Hmaintenance sustainability4 re1erring to the preser*ation I or what
can be sustained= 5Falance et al2 pg '4$6& This paper will pro*ide small town e7amples
demonstrating the ability o1 a small town to pro*ide this social ;de*elopment; sustainability to its
residents2 and *isitors& This section will look at the e11ect o1 ,achenoeki;s in ?apan2 and the
.ogradec4s creati*e city pro>ect&
Machenoeki
Teshima et al2 describe a new 1orm o1 community re*itali@ation known as a ,achinoeki&
The name ,achinoeki directly means ;CommunityEStation& The ,achinoeki in their inception
began as community centers that were run by the public sector& )ately2 the distribution has
shi1ted to the pri*ate sector2 as more ;mom J pop; stores begin to o11er the ser*ices o1 a
,achinoeki& The basic reBuirements o1 a ,achinoeki are C16 /ree resting places and toilets2 $6 a
common signage with the same logo throughout ?apan2 '6 local in1ormation and resident guides2
and 46 Csmiles= with the ser*ice o1 hospitality C 5Teshema et al2 pg "6&
+
The ,achinoeki 1unctions as a guide to the local area2 some areas ha*e many
,achinoeki;s as they cluster together in certain shopping districts& This allows locals to
communicate local knowledge about the ser*ices and 1unctions o1 an area2 to outsiders& While
also allowing the locals to operate their primary businesses& This results in a more engaged 1orm
o1 shopping2 and ultimately a stronger ;sense o1 place; 1or both the local and tourist alike& As the
local takes pride in pro*iding knowledge and the ser*ices o1 their store2 and the tourist learns
directly 1rom local actors in the community& The ,achinoeki has helped to preser*e struggling
shopping districts in small cities within ?apan& :y connecting the local community with the
shoppers2 the districts began to once again 1lourish2 as community was preser*ed and maintained
5Teshima et al&2 $00+6&
Creative City
.ogradec is a small city in Albania that has attempted to reE*itali@e it;s artistic elements&
The Creati*e City pro>ect was led by a group o1 citi@ens looking to change and respond to
problems such as social and urban decline& The community built on local and natural assets such
as .ogradec4s 1lowers and beauti1ul lake setting2 the 1irst act was to begin a street beauti1ication
pro>ect and a 1lower 1esti*al 5,eyer and Dno72 $0106& According to ,eyer et al Cthese *oluntary
e11orts 1unctioned as creati*e triggers and e*en led the local go*ernment to repair the main street
and to beauti1y the area some more= 5,eyer and Dno72 pg 1"+$6& Secondly2 A library has
opened and now has multiple community 1unctions2 a tourist in1ormation and literary centre&
)ocal artists ha*e also reno*ated a traditional 1ountain which has become a meeting place 1or
others&
-
According to ,eyer et al& Cthese small creati*e e11orts ha*e brought about *isible changes in the
townscape= 5,eyer and Dno72 pg 1"+$6& The creati*ity and culture e7pressed in public goods
such as the 1lower and street beauti1ication2 and the trans1ormation o1 the library into a place 1or
cultural 1esti*als show how community in*ol*ement ha*e the potential to create social
trans1ormation and change&
Environmental Sustainability
(n*ironmental sustainability is ultimately one o1 the most important aspects to take into
consideration& Since i1 we are le1t with no suitable en*ironment2 all other 1orms o1 sustainability
would be obsolete& 8ltimately the other two aspects o1 sustainability social and economic are
dependent on the en*ironment& This section will outline two e7amples o1 en*ironmental
sustainability2 Satoyama districts in ?apan2 and Sweden;s (co Cities&
Satoyama
%n the article written by ;Dobori and .rimrack; Satoyama areas are de1ined asG Cthe entire
landscape consisting o1 community 1orests2 rice paddy 1ields2 grasslands2 wetlands2 and
remaining agricultural landscape used to supply the needs o1 an entire community= 5Dobori et al2
pg '086&The Satoyama2 they e7plain has helped maintain rich biodi*ersity in the ?apanese
countryside& The Satoyama;s are dispersed in a mosiac like pattern2 many species migrate 1rom
Satoyama to Satoyama& These migration patterns ha*e helped maintain a rich biodi*ersity2
supporting much more wildli1e compared to the unEmanaged laurel 1orests& They conclude the
section by acknowledging the Satoyama;s help in preser*ing wetlands due to the agricultural
acti*ities related to water management and growing rice 5Dobori et al2 $00'6&
8
Eco city movement
Sweden is a leader in sustainability2 and part o1 it is due to the number o1 (co cities that
ha*e been e11ected by the (co city mo*ement& According to ,eyer and Dno72 the mo*ement
encompasses -1 municipalities o1 *arious si@es2 and each municipality works too wards a
sustainable 1uture along with collaborating with other sustainable cities 1or support and ideas
5,eyer and Dno72 $0106& The (co city mo*ement is committed to the 9atural Step 1ramework2
which according to Dno7 and ,eyer encourages Ca system based approach to sustainability that
is based on consensus building and dialogue=5,eyer and Dno72 1""-6& This mo*ement has been
*ery success1ul2 helping Sweden;s municipalities drastically reduce their carbon 1ootprint& The
mo*ement has been so success1ul according to Dnow and ,eyer that it has spread
internationally2 now being adopted in many 8S municipalities 2 as well as in ?apan2 %reland2
A1rica 2 and 9ew Kealand 5,eyer and Dno72 $0106&
Problems with small city sustainability
8n1ortunately2 due to the urban system hierarchy small cities usually are dependent on
large urban cores2 1or goods and speciali@ed ser*ices 5Simmons and ,cCann2 $00+6& This
interconnection o1 the urban system hierarchy outlines how dependent small cities are to large
metropolitan centres& This does not make it easy to disconnect the small city 1rom the
unsustainable grasp o1 large urban areas& %n most cases the 1ranchise o11ices o1 many o1 the
businesses that make up a small city e7ist in large urban centres2 along with the warehouses that
supply them with products& This means that whene*er small cities need speciali@ed resources2
they most likely need to be shipped 1rom large urban cores& This also e7tends to speciali@ed
!
ser*ices2 such as speciali@ed hospital ser*ices& This interconnection to large urban cores2 does
not allow the small urban area to be sustainable by themsel*es& This restricts the sustainability o1
the small urban area by connecting it to the sustainability problems that are present within these
large urban systems&
Conclusion
A1ter re*iewing the literature and case studies 1rom se*eral di11erent sources one can
draw the conclusion that small cities ha*e the ability to 1oster all three aspects o1 sustainability2
economic2 social2 and en*ironmental& #ue to the smaller si@e o1 the city2 it is easier 1or planners
to pass bills and regulations with the goal o1 sustainability in mind& %n a guest lecture )isa
.erodi2an urban planner 1rom the City o1 Damloops mentionedG there is Cless ;red tape; in small
towns= 5.erodi2 $01$6& Small cities ha*e the potential to be *ery sustainable in Canada2 in
Saskatchewan the town o1 St& Walburg won the )i*Com sustainability award in $00- 1or a
population bracket o1 under $02000 people 5Sask town2 $00-6& These are *ery achie*able goals
1or Canadian small cities as in Canada especially we ha*e many things that are taken 1or granted&
10
Figure
1.0

Sustainable Damloops& 5n&d&6& City of Kamloops& 0etrie*ed 9o*ember 1!2 $01$2 1rom
www&city&kamloops&bc&caLsustainableLinde7&shtml
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accountidO14'14
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11
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1$