MASTER (1) Aménagement et Urbanisme

Module : Anglais

Sustainable development is a development process that reconciles

ecological, economic and social and establishes a virtuous circle
between these three poles. It is a development, respectful of natural
resources and ecosystems, support of life on Earth, which guarantees
 economic efficiency but without lose sight of the social aims of
combating poverty, against inequalities, against exclusion and the
search for equity. A strategy of sustainable development must be a
winning strategy from this triple point of view, economic, social and
ecological. At least two of the three dimensions must be taken into
account, this is called a “double dividend” policy or strategy.
Development does not mean growth. Growth is a process
quantitative by which the increase in wealth created by trade is
measured merchants. Development is a qualitative process induced
by growth but which refers to a transformation of the structures of
society capable of improving human well-being. If, the growth
economic creates social exclusion, enculturation and destruction of
the natural environment, there is no development.

The ecosystem approach invites us to read the city as an ecosystem

which, in order to live, grow, regenerate, adapt, draws on the natural
environment, assimilates inputs which once used, transformed,
consumed are released into the environment. In the prospect of
sustainable development applied to the city, it is important, on the
one hand, to withdraw as little as possible, at least within the limits
of the capacity renewal of resources, if they are renewable resources,
or their replacement capacity in the case of non-renewable resources
and on the other hand to reduce rejects as much as possible, so as
not to exceed the assimilation capacity ecosystems. This can only be
made possible by avoiding all waste and trying to complete the
product cycle through recycling or reuse of waste. Five
complementary paths appear:
 Limit energy consumption in cities because it is expensive and
that it contributes to air pollution. In this area, local authorities
can already act through urban planning, promoting
densification of their agglomeration source of energy saving,
and through the policy of transport, by curbing the use of the
automobile.
 Sanitation of rainwater and wastewater and take measures to
save or recycle this scarce resource: of the techniques such as
the constitution of a separation network for water treatment
rainwater and wastewater, recycling gray water, which can be
used for secondary uses, lagooning as a natural purification
system retention of rainwater in natural basins can be
preferred. Citizen information and awareness is also a action
lever.
 Reduce, as far as possible, the production of waste and
encourage their use as resources: There are in particular
alternatives to Incineration: selective collection, sorting at
source, individual composting or still producing biogas.
Communities have full responsibility for their choices
 Involve the building and construction sector in efforts to
promote looping ecological cycles this sector indeed generates
direct debits material and waste in large quantities, waste that
 can be recycled. Construction sites are also sources of nuisance
such as noise or truck traffic.
 Manage natural spaces: Urbanization must know limits at the
very heart cities and do not occupy all available spaces. Natural
spaces are in the guarantors of an ecological balance within
cities, a balance which must be preserved. They also allow city
dwellers to come into contact with nature, the presence risks
disappearing in the absence of any regulation