bridging the gaps between theory and practice sustain indicators

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment Sustainable Development Sust. Dev. 16, 329–340 (2008) Published online 31 October 2007 in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI: 10.1002/sd.349 Bridging the Gaps Between Theory and Practice: a Service Niche Approach to Urban Sustainability Indicators James Keirstead 1 * and Matt Leach 2 1 Energy Futures Lab, Imperial College London, London, UK 2 Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, London, UK ABSTRACT Urban sustainability indicators play an important role in helping policy-makers ensure the continued success of their cities. However, a review of current practice suggests that prior- ity is often given to the measurabilit y and policy relevance of these metrics. Their analytical validity – i.e. their ability to act as meaningful representations of the urban system and thus inform appropriate policy responses – is less certain. An examination of London’s USIs confirms this gap between theory and practice and identifies vague definitions of urban sustainability as part of the problem. A ‘service niche’ approach to indicator selection is therefore outlined, using pervasive goal-oriented urban services such as energy or water systems to guide the selection of policy-relevant interconnected metrics. Strategies for expanding such niches to wider assessments of urban sustainability are also discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. Received 26 June 2007; revised 13 August 2007; accepted 17 August 2007 Keywords: urban sustainability; indicators; niche management; energy systems; London Introduction S USTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS A MAJOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLICY ISSUE. HIGH-LEVEL DECLARATIONS from the UN Earth Summits have outlined a broad vision of global sustainability (UNDESA, 1992, 2002) and regional and national efforts have helped to move these aspirations towards a framework for action (see, e.g., EU, 2006; SDC, 2006). However, with approxima tely 50% of the world’s population now living in cities (UN, 2006), the sustainability of urban environments is of increasing concern. Cities can deliver signifi- cant quality of life improvements as centres of economic and cultural activity, but to maintain these benefits environmen tal impacts as well as social and economic inequalities must be addressed (Starke, 2007). Urban areas are also integral to global sustainability, as noted by Satterthwaite (1999, p. 6): ‘the key issue is not really “sustainable cities” but cities whose built form, government structure, production systems, consumption patterns and waste generation and management systems are compatible with sustainable development goals for the city, its wider region and the whole biosphere’. * Correspondence to: James Keirstead, Energy Futures Lab, 101 Skempton Building, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK. E-mail: [email protected] c.uk

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