A sustainable city is one that uses its environmental resources to support an economy that enables it to remain competitive while also meeting the needs of society. It does this by:
- Maintaining a low ecological footprint
- Efficiently using its land
- Striving to have the lowest possible pollution levels
- Recycling and re-using materials
- Converting waste to energy
Focus Areas
The Sustainable & Resilient Cities Programme of the South African Cities Network (SACN) focuses on:
Studies in this area investigate how to optimally plan, develop, distribute and manage our water resources.
Climate change is about seasonal changes that occur over a long period because of greenhouse gases that are emitted through the use of fossil fuels.
Sustainable energy is power that is derived from wind, water, the sun and other renewable resources that can be replenished and cause no long -term damage to the environment.
Waste management studies examine how to collect, transport, recycle and monitor waste caused by human activity, as well as its effect on our health and the environment.