Sustainability is about meeting the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations. A sustainable city is one that offers quality of life to its inhabitants without putting resources at risk.

THE MOST SUSTAINABLE CITIES

Since 1972, at the Stockholm Conference, the collective conscience for the care of the planet became visible. As a result, more and more laws were passed to protect the environment.

Making cities sustainable is the 17th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the United Nations. It is expected that by 2030 there will be a total of 43 large cities and that by 2050 there will be 68% urban centres. Furthermore, the digitisation of these is set to be one of the keys to unlocking sustainable futures for cities.

We can highlight some of the following cities as the most sustainable:

  • Amsterdam: this city stands out for its connectivity, quality of jobs and transport infrastructure. It covers an area of 219 km2 and has already decided to develop a circular economy model a few years ago. In 2009 it was elected as a European smart city.
  • Oslo: For some years now, Oslo has been looking towards a sustainable future with the implementation of a good transport system. Green spaces, use of renewable energies and great opportunities to reduce greenhouse gases. In 2019 it received the European Green Capital
  • Tokyo: is a city highly regarded for its technological influence. In fact, it has launched a national initiative known as Society 5.0, which aims to achieve a data-driven, human-centric, next-generation society using the latest technology such as Artificial Intelligence.
  • London: The British can boast a good transport infrastructure. In addition, the percentage of electric vehicles registered in London is above average. London is the most populous city in the UK and is well positioned in almost all dimensions: it ranks first in human capital and international outreach, second in governance and urban planning, and is in the top ten in the dimensions of mobility and transport and technology.

As we can see, there is no single model for sustainable cities, but each one implements its own solutions, although all measures taken should aim at balancing development and well-being.