Ebook: The Economy of Green Cities: A World Compendium on the Green Urban Economy

This volume bridges the gap between the global promotion of the Green Economy and the manifestation of this new development strategy at the urban level. Green cities are an imperative solution, not only in meeting global environmental challenges but also in helping to ensure socio-economic prosperity at the local level.

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Green Economy is a key theme of the June 2012 Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. The inclusive Green Urban Economy approach embodies a challenge to local government leaders and city practitioners to apply existing tools and methods in new ways to develop innovative approaches by engaging economic-environmental considerations and stakeholders in a much more active fashion.

This volume bridges the gap between the global promotion of the Green Economy and the manifestation of this new development strategy at the urban level. Green cities are an imperative solution, not only in meeting global environmental challenges but also in helping to ensure socio-economic prosperity at the local level.

Environmentalists must learn to understand the language and dynamics of the economy, and to combine important economic interests (such as cost savings) with ecological interests (such as saving of resources). Business and economic leaders must also understand and accommodate ecological interests to advance social improvement and sustainable development.

The editors compiled contributions of varying perspectives and practical experiences from the emerging fields of environmental economics, urban development and green cities, along with concrete examples from city governments.

The Economy of Green Cities documents and demonstrates the different layers of knowledge required for a Green Urban Economy. The compendium supports researchers, business thinkers and practitioners to explore, detail and discuss an urban Green Economy agenda.

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Green Economy is a key theme of the June 2012 Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. The inclusive Green Urban Economy approach embodies a challenge to local government leaders and city practitioners to apply existing tools and methods in new ways to develop innovative approaches by engaging economic-environmental considerations and stakeholders in a much more active fashion.

This volume bridges the gap between the global promotion of the Green Economy and the manifestation of this new development strategy at the urban level. Green cities are an imperative solution, not only in meeting global environmental challenges but also in helping to ensure socio-economic prosperity at the local level.

Environmentalists must learn to understand the language and dynamics of the economy, and to combine important economic interests (such as cost savings) with ecological interests (such as saving of resources). Business and economic leaders must also understand and accommodate ecological interests to advance social improvement and sustainable development.

The editors compiled contributions of varying perspectives and practical experiences from the emerging fields of environmental economics, urban development and green cities, along with concrete examples from city governments.

The Economy of Green Cities documents and demonstrates the different layers of knowledge required for a Green Urban Economy. The compendium supports researchers, business thinkers and practitioners to explore, detail and discuss an urban Green Economy agenda.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xxxviii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Green Urban Economy: Agenda Setting for the Urban Future....Pages 3-10
Front Matter....Pages 11-11
Introduction: A Green Economy for Green Cities....Pages 13-16
New Urban Spaces: The Emergence of Green Economies....Pages 17-21
Environmental Discourse and Economic Growth in the Greening of Postindustrial Cities....Pages 23-31
Sustainable Urban Transformation and the Green Urban Economy....Pages 33-43
Green Cities: Benefits of Urban Sustainability....Pages 45-56
Working in Green Cities: Improving the Urban Environment While Creating Jobs and Enhancing Working Conditions....Pages 57-70
Sustainable Development for Cities and Citizens: Green Housing, Employment and Transport....Pages 71-77
Cities and the Green Economy....Pages 79-98
Green Cities into Practice....Pages 99-113
Emerging-Market Cities Could Set a New Standard for Sustainable Development....Pages 115-121
Front Matter....Pages 123-123
Introduction: Joining Forces to Accelerate Action....Pages 125-127
Accelerating Green Urban Growth....Pages 129-147
Linking Green City Politics with Green Business....Pages 149-160
Policy Instruments for Promoting a Green Urban Economy: The Changing Role of the State....Pages 161-174
Local Sustainability: Driving Green Urban Economies Through Public Engagement....Pages 175-190
We Know Enough: Achieving Action Through the Convergence of Sustainable Community Development and the Social Economy....Pages 191-203
Seven Conditions for Effective Green Governance....Pages 205-214
Front Matter....Pages 215-215
Introduction: Strategies and Approaches to Greening Urban Sectors....Pages 217-220
The Economics of Low Carbon Cities: Approaches to a City-Scale Mini-Stern Review....Pages 221-230
Front Matter....Pages 215-215
City Development Strategies and the Transition Towards a Green Urban Economy....Pages 231-240
Low Carbon Enterprise Zones: Towards a Fossil Fuel Free City Economy....Pages 241-248
Green Clusters and the Entrepreneurial Local Government: Portland’s Economic Development Strategy....Pages 249-255
Green Cities Require Green Housing: Advancing the Economic and Environmental Sustainability of Housing and Slum Upgrading in Cities in Developing Countries....Pages 257-284
EcoMobility and Its Benefits in an Urban Context....Pages 285-294
Assessing the Cost of Groundwater Degradation in the Urbanizing Desert Area of Wadi El Natrun....Pages 295-311
Constructed Wetlands for the Treatment of Domestic Grey Water: An Instrument of the Green Economy to Realize the Millennium Development Goals....Pages 313-321
Decentralized Composting in Asian Cities: Lessons Learned and Future Potential in Meeting the Green Urban Economy....Pages 323-335
Biodiversity and Culture, Two Key Ingredients for a Truly Green Urban Economy: Learning from Agriculture and Forestry Policies in Kanazawa City, Japan....Pages 337-349
An Economic Assessment of the Deforestation of Ghana’s Garden City of West Africa....Pages 351-362
Financing a Green Urban Economy: The Potential of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)....Pages 363-368
Front Matter....Pages 369-369
Introduction: Experiences and Examples from City Governments....Pages 371-374
Synergies Between Environment and Economy Within a City Administration – Experiences Made by the City of Hannover, Germany....Pages 375-379
Auckland Council: Creating a Transformational Shift Towards a Sustainable Eco-Economy....Pages 381-390
Sustainable Urban Development Policy in the Region of Flanders....Pages 391-404
Greening the Local Economy Through Municipal Sustainable Procurement Policies: Implementation Challenges and Successes in Western Canada....Pages 405-416
City of Raleigh Office of Sustainability: Green Building Training Program....Pages 417-423
Changing to a Sustainable Socio-Economic System: A Challenge for Kyoto as a Historic City....Pages 425-434
Back Matter....Pages 435-447