Taking Sustainable Cities Seriously, second edition Economic Development, the Environment, and Quality of Life in American Cities

Today most major cities have undertaken some form of sustainability initiative. Yetthere have been few systematic comparisons across cities, or theoretically grounded considerationsof what works and what does not, and why. In Taking Sustainable Cities Seriously, Kent Portney addresses this gap, offering a comprehensive overview andanalysis of sustainability programs and policies in American cities. After discussing the conceptualunderpinnings of sustainability, he examines the local aspects of sustainability; considers themeasurement of sustainability and offers an index of "serious" sustainability for thefifty-five largest cities in the country; examines the relationship between sustainability andeconomic growth; and discusses issues of governance, equity, and implementation. He also offersextensive case studies, with separate chapters on large, medium-size, and small cities, and providesan empirically grounded analysis of why some large cities are more ambitious than others in theirsustainability efforts. This second edition has been updated throughout, with new material thatdraws on the latest research. It also offers numerous additional case studies, a new chapter onmanagement and implementation issues, and a greatly expanded comparative analysis of big-citysustainability initiatives. Portney shows how cities use the broad rubric of sustainability toachieve particular political ends, and he dispels the notion that only cities that are politicallyliberal are interested in sustainability. Taking Sustainable Cities Seriouslydraws a roadmap for effective sustainability initiatives.

Kent E. Portney is Professor and Senior Fellow in the Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Texas A&M University. He is the author of Taking Sustainable Cities Seriously (MIT Press).