Community and Aspects of Sustainability and Livability - Term Paper Example

Everyone belongs to different communities who share geography, religion, ethnicity, ideology as well as intellectual heritage. My community is Columbia district based which has an exceptional system that ensures the sustainability of its inhabitants. The community is rather large and urban with a diversity of the population. Our community has developed infrastructure with convenient access to every corner of the district. The community has various cultures and existence of religion. Every member of our community plays vital roles to ensure the success of our world. Communities have essential impression on human existence that impacts the view of the world. As a result, the aspects of sustainability and livability are essential for the discovery of the goals that affect a community to continuous growth. The paper is a report that will describe Columbia community.

Aspects of sustainability and livability

Sustainability refers to the fact that the environment has an aptitude of providing and meeting the needs of people without compromising the ability of future generations on meeting their own needs. Livability, on the other hand, refers to the essence of quality of life, economic prosperity, social stability and equity, educational opportunity, cultural, entertainment and recreation possibilities of a community. The aspects of sustainability focus on environmental and economic stability that a community provides.

• Sustainability of Columbian community

The environment requires providing ecological conditions that suit human and animal husbandry. The inhabitation of Columbia district is as a result of the suitable environmental conditions (Portney, 2005). Occupation of the district is therefore sustainable for the community. However, because of the industrialization and capitalism, the environment may be altered which may result in changed conditions for future generation sustainability. As a result, the district has rules and regulations that control capitalism and industrialization. The rules are meant to control the release of pollutants into the environment to reduce the consequences of climate change. Climate changes is an aspect of consideration for the Columbia district to determine the occupancy and therefore sustainability.

Sustainability requires maintenance of the natural environment. In Columbia District, forestry is replenishing aspect of the natural environment. The tree plantation and reduced rate of cutting them down, enhance environmental sustainability. The forestry practice is encouraged as a factor of the provision of the long-term basis of sustainability. The urban forestry as well as a method of contributing to improved air quality, increased ground water retention, minimizing runoff and flooding, temperature and the community aesthetics. The practice, therefore, credits the community sustainability. The community of Columbia district under the Urban Forestry Administration ensures that the district has an urban canopy of street trees. The trees create contribute to filtration of storm water, therefore, a resource for the improvement of the environment thus sustainability.

The public spaces in the Columbian district require an improved environment for sustainability of the community. The public space defines how they are looks and feel as well as providing the backdrop for public interactions (Flint, 2013). The district continues to grow and develop therefore it requires standards that achieve the vision of sustainability. A well-balanced urban environment helps shape the identity of a location and ensure that the key elements of sustainability are unified. The environment of Columbia district has the proper mobility that ensures access to needs of the community. The occupancy of the public spaces requires management and preservation for the benefit of the future generation. The interests of the community dramatically rely on a good environment. As a result, the district has the obligation of minimizing the tons of carbon emitted as well as control of pollution for the benefit of the community and the future generation.

The aspect of environmental sustainability results into initiatives of the creation of adaptation and sustainability plan. According to Roseland (2012), managing climate change and the physical needs of the ecological system guarantees a proper response to future contingencies. The community has a capacity of creating plans that would capacitate extreme weather conditions for proper deliveries of economic activity produces. The district has developed assets that are in good states to withstand the strains of extreme weather events. The forestry as an aspect of sustainability reduces the vulnerability of the extreme weather conditions. Additionally, the community water system is an aspect of consideration for sustainability. Water supply in the district is under a proper design that ensures the establishment and consideration of standard public health. As a result, Columbian district occupancy is under proper environment sustainability.

• Livability of Columbian community

Livability requires essence of quality of life, economic prosperity, social stability and equity, educational opportunity, cultural, entertainment and recreation possibilities of a community

• Quality of life

The quality of life in Columbian district community is associated with the negative and positive features of the well-being of the individuals. A research by Bullard, Johnson, Torres, and the American Public Health Association indicate that the rate of employment in Columbia district is fair to ensure that individuals have a quality life (2011). Columbia district has developed healthcare facilities and has average wealth levels. As a result, the perception of the position of Columbian district community in the culture and value system framework is subjected to the well-being of the people (Cohen, Comrov, & Hoffner, 2005). The community enjoys freedom, human rights and happiness, therefore, has good levels of livability.

• Social stability and equity

The principles of sustainability and livability rely on a society that delegates human rights, security, equality and social justice. Fulfilling rights of all people in the community ensures the well-being of every individual and for the benefits of the next generations (Flint, 2013). The livability levels of Columbia district ensure that individuals receive same treatment with an aim of perpetuating economic efficiency, cohesion, and stability as well as reduction of poverty. In addition, the social stability is because of the address and reformation of discriminatory laws, policies, and institutions purposefully for revolution. The community has a payoff of livability because it encompasses commitments that target social stability and equity.

• Educational opportunity

The community of Columbia district has institutional facilities that ensure individuals are provided with education. Creating a generation with the reliance of educational backgrounds is a measure of livability and sustainability (Cohen, Comrov, and Hoffner, 2005). The district has schools that provide knowledge and skills of any age group of the community. The kindergartens, high school, and colleges ensure that individuals learn on the application of skills an educational opportunity is a form of livability of the Columbia district community.

• Cultural, entertainment and recreation provision

The community of Columbia district is comprised of several cultures. Every culture has to exhibit and practice its beliefs. The community exercise freedom for every culture belief practice to facilitate livability of the location. Additionally, entertainment and recreation provision is available that ensure people have to enjoy their leisure. The entertainment and recreation opportunities encourage the individuals from the community to fit in the geographical location. The community, therefore, has higher levels of livability.

Issues the community faces in terms of economy, environment, and social equity

The economy, environment, and social equity are the dynamics of a sustainable community. A sustainable community has its own resources to meet current needs while ensuring that adequate resources are available for the future generation (Bullard, 2007). The sustainability involves long-term plans that rely on economic opportunities and meets the social needs of the individuals. However, the economy becomes an issue of discussion for the management of the resources to meet the needs of the community. Columbia district community faces issues of economic stability. The economy of the community faces exhaustion of the available resources. Capitalism in the community for profiting the individuals forgets about the future generation which becomes an issue for sustainability and livability (Evans, 2002). The measures of the community focus on utilization of the resources which outreaches the sufficiency of sustainability and livability.

The environment requires a proper relationship of the living things. The issues regarding the environment are climate change. The threats of global warming as a result of the greenhouse effect is an issue about the environmental stability (Roseland, 2012). The pollution resulting from industries and factories alters the sustainability and livability levels of the community. Climatic change effects may result in failure of the stable relationships between living things. The failure of a stable ecological relationship of living things will lead to problems that affect production and utilization of the natural resources. Biodiversity requires planning principles which have become an issue in Columbia district community. As a result, degradation of the natural resources reduces the integrity of the ecosystem, therefore, reducing the carrying capacity (Maclaren, 1996). Reducing carrying capacity of the community becomes an issue to sustainability and livability of Columbia district community.

Social equity refers to the integration of people’s rights and freedom. A successful community has social justice and discriminatory laws and policies (Bullard, Johnson, Torres, and the American Public Health Association, 2011). However, social equity in Columbia district community is an issue because of the continued cases of gender inequality. As a result of the mixed cultures, minorities in the community are sometimes discriminated. Companies had inequality in the distribution of the workforces. However, implementing the laws against discrimination and gender inequality have an aim of reducing the chances of social inequality. The inequality is encountered in educational facilities and employment criteria. Social injustices practices reduce sustainability and livability of the area. The well-being of the individuals will attain the short-term goals. The issues listed, therefore, causes difficulty of the population in enjoying their freedom and rights as a community.

Approaches to creating sustainable and livable communities

The indicators of creating a sustainable and livable community are monitoring framework that shows the long-term and short-term situations of a community. Smart growth approach is a concept of public policy that provides answers to the enduring problems of sprawling development and its many adverse consequences (Evans, 2002). The approach promotes urban development pattern characterized by compact and mixed-use development, walkable neighborhoods, preserved green spaces, availability of mass transit to contribute to a sustainable and livable community. The approach, in addition, addresses long-standing environmental, health and economic disparities in low-income as well as minority and tribal communities. The approach has a vision of the provision of environmental justice, equitable development, meaningful involvement and fair treatment of the community. The array of challenges that include polluting facilities, barriers to proper decision-making are addressed by smart growth to support a community to sustainability and livability.

The smart growth approach support cleaning and reinvesting in the existing neighborhoods. According to Bullard 2007, a community with outstanding challenges on environment, economy, and equity requires smart growth as an approach to sustainability. The approach provides housing choices for people of all income levels in a community in every stage of life. As a result of enhancing transits, the approach ensures that transport offering is affordable with reduced pollution and associated health impacts. The residents of the Columbia district community, therefore, benefit from the approach to have improved accessibility to jobs and services created by development and transit accessibility (Flint, 2013). The minority as well have the chances of going along with the strategies that result to improved environmental justice and equitable development approach to design a healthy, sustainable and livable neighborhood.

Relevant indicators for determining the progress of meeting community sustainability and livability goals

The sustainable measures of a community provide a consulting service working on sustainability to meet the goals of environmental justice and equitable treatment. The indicators will provide a framework for community involvement as the driving force behind becoming sustainable with quality life for all members, now and for the future generations (Allison & Peters, 2011). The selection of the relevant indicators will base on goals outlined with a comparison to the principles of smart growth so as to establish their convergence. The methodology will measure a comprehensive connection between sustainable urban planning goals and the respective smart growth policies to assess the development. As a result, the indicators will attempt to measure inter-generational equity and calls of justice to future generations. Additionally, the approach indicators will examine the societal values consisting of the economy, equity, and environment to tackle the challenges of reducing poverty, deprivation and overconsumption.

Steps to select sustainability and livability indicators for the community

The selection of the indicators will involve:

• Selecting sector-based indicators

The development sector will measure the social well-being, economic opportunity, and environmental quality.

• Selection of sustainability-based indicator

The sustainability based indicators the 2nd stage of selecting the indicators. The stage will involve evaluation of the framework of multi-dimensionality. The approach will measure the degree of green, profitable and fair community. As a result, the second stage will determine the property, development and resource conflicts of multi-dimensionality.

• Selection of livability-based indicators

The measure will involve the determination of the following:

• Transportation choices
• Equitable and affordable housing
• Economic competitiveness
• Support for the community
• Coordination and leverage of federal policies and investment
• Community values and neighborhoods

Indicators of sustainability and livability

Dimensions (sector-based)

Elements for sustainable development

• Social well-being

• Health
• Safety
• Local and civic identity
• Access to affordable housing services
• Access to public recreation and public space
• Access to transportation options

• Economic Opportunity

• Diversified and competitiveness of local and regional economy
• Transportation and infrastructure coordination of land use
• Growth plans leveraging the existing assets
• Accessibility to capital and credit
• Accessibility to education, jobs, and training

• Environmental quality

• Efficiency of land use
• Efficiency of resource use
• Waste and pollution minimization and management
• Climate change and natural disaster mitigation
• Carbon efficiency
• Diversity of natural environment

The sector based indicators listed above will work on examining the vision of the equity, environment, and economy. The listed frameworks will provide measurement on information on change of the system of sustainability and livability. Social well-being measures will deal with the interim measurement between baseline s and targets that quantify the strategies that advance on provision and meeting of needs of the community and of the future generation.

The sustainability based indicators will rely on existing databases of measuring dimensionality and the conflicts included. The existing database of sustainability will use environmental quality and health measures as well as the relation of economic opportunity with environmental quality. The examination included will additionally link economic opportunity to the social well-being.

Livability indicators

• Transportation choices

The transportation choice should be reliable, safe and economical to lower costs. As a result, the choice will indicate if the community dependence on oil and improvement of air quality as well as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has an efficiency of providing livability. The indicator will counter for public health concern.

• Housing choices

Expansion of location and energy efficient housing choices for people of all ages, income, race, and ethnicity in the community will ensure equity and increase the chances of mobility, therefore, an indicator for livability on the measure of the established goals.

• Economic competitiveness

Economic competitiveness has reliability and timely accessibility to employment, educational opportunities, services and basic needs accessibility to people. Expansion of business for market access will indicate livability.

• Federal funding strategies

Federal funding strategies support the community. For example, transit oriented activities will measure the efficiency of public works investments and safeguard of rural landscapes thus a measure of livability.

• Accountability and effectiveness of government levels

The government levels ensure coordination and leverage of federal policies and investments. A proper alignment by removal of barriers to collaboration and leverage funding indicate the plans for future growth hence livability.

• Investment in health, safety, and walkability in the neighborhood

The community should enjoy its value and have an access to neighborhoods. The livability indicator will, therefore, measure the health and safety of the individuals in the community.

The measurement of sustainability and livability will rely on the indicators using the framework the data of smart growth developed by several national and municipal governments, NGOs, private organizations, and institutions. According to Rossi, Gastaldi, and Gecchele (2012), the sources of data include:

• Columbia University- 2010 Environmental Performance index
• Urban Ecology Coalition-Neighborhood Sustainability Action plan
• Whistler Monitor Program Sustainable Seattle
• PricewaterhouseCoopers- Cities of opportunity

Ethical issues that Might come up in the selection of indicators

The challenges expected are the conflicts that may lead to dilemmas of choosing the sources of the data for analysis of sustainability and livability. The data collection from a private organization and that from other municipal and national government based may create invariably conflicts of accessibility (Rossi, Gastaldi, & Gecchele, 2012). To balance the options, the address of the issues will involve proper decision-making that will ensure that the access to the materials becomes successful. Additionally, setting the targets and monitoring the progress of the indicators may seem difficult because of the period is taken to affect the research. Additionally, environment measurements will require concepts from metrological experts. The accessibility to the department will bear difficulty in choosing between equally, desirable and undesirable alternatives as well as balancing the options for proper measures of sustainability and livability.

Strengths and limitation of the approach of tracking sustainability and livability in the community

The smart approach provides specificity and therefore tracking sustainability and livability will be clear and simple. The approach is time-based and will, therefore, help monitor the progress of the objectives of making the community sustainable and livable. The realistic and achievable part of the approach ascertains the progress of achieving the specific goals of equity, stable economy and a community that is environmentally friendly. The approach, therefore, provides a proper guideline for measuring both the long-term and short-term goals that are definite in nature to avoid waste of time and resources. However, the approach has a limitation. Smart approach fails to determine the broader issues because of the increased resources insufficiency n measurement of resilience community sustainability. The approach requires the availability of enough data which may only be limited to particularly low-income cities. The approach narrows its attention to the issues more readily and addressing of other broader issues becomes difficult.

Utilization of the strength of the approach to facilitate change

The approach specifically points out the issues that require attention and helps monitor the progress of sustainability and livability. To capitalize on its strength, the research methodology of measuring sustainability and livability will apply the capability of understanding the trends of a particular goal over time (Allison and Peters, 2011). The strength of the approach will help establish measurable data collection on regular intervals to set criteria that will ensure the use of proper decision making. Additionally, the strength will focus on providing a guide to the clarity of responsiveness of the methodology used in measuring sustainability and livability. As a result, the problems associated with ethical issues will have a proper way and ease of comprehension to regularly help track the performances incurred for sustainability and livability. The approach strength utilization will provide a responsiveness to levers of change to take into account the outcome influenced by challenges of measuring sustainability and livability.

How to compensate for the limitations in attempt to bring about change in the community

The limitation compensation in an attempt to bring about change in the community will focus on the clarity and ease of comprehension of the availability progress on tracking sustainability and livability. Time-scale responsiveness requires defined schedules and the ability to demonstrate the clear success of short-term and long-term goals of the community (Portney, 2005). To capitalize on the approach, the compensation will focus on utilization of means of acquiring data. Comprehension of smart approach limitation will rely on establishing baselines that will quantitatively describe existing conditions and the challenges it has. As a result, proper measures of future progress will create an order of developing concerns that the community requires in collecting data which will inform the determined goals. The set targets will ensure utilization of the definite ambition, feasibility, constraints and best estimations of how to handle them to cater community’s priorities.

To sum up, sustainability and livability aspect focuses on the attainment of a stable economy, equity and a friendly environment. The smart approach is the choice for examining the sustainability and livability of the Columbia district community. Indicators of tracking the progress of sustainability and livability include the sector based and the multidimensionality measures. The progress of assessing sustainability and livability has ethical issues and proper decision-making ensures achievement of the long-term and short-term goals. The indicators ensure the well-being of the individuals in the society as well as those of future generation. The smart approach has strengths and limitation. Maximizing on the strengths and compensation of the limit orders for an attempt to ensure that the measurement of sustainability and livability is effective.