MYP Individuals & Societies Sustainable Planning Notes

What's The Point of Sustainable Development?

1. By now you should know to see cities as a system of inputs, processes, outputs, and feedback.
2. Sustainable planning is therefore the attempt to shape these flows so the system delivers a high quality of life with a smaller environmental footprint and fewer social inequalities.

What Are The Three Pillars of Sustainability?

1. A city cannot be described as "sustainable" if it performs well in only one area.
2. Sustainable planning aims to balance three pillars of sustainability:
   1. Environmental sustainability (protecting ecosystems and reducing pollution)
   2. Economic sustainability (long-term, fair economic opportunity without destructive debt or corruption)
   3. Social sustainability (inclusive well-being, rights, safety, access to services, and respect for cultures)

What Is The Role of Feedback In Sustainable Planning?

1. Sustainable planning improves when a city learns from its own performance.
2. Monitoring data (air quality, traffic speeds, energy use), community feedback, and political accountability create feedback loops.
3. These loops help planners adjust policies when conditions change, for example during rapid population growth, economic shocks, or climate hazards.

What Are Some Frameworks for Planning and Evaluation?

1. Because sustainability is multi-dimensional, planners use tools to structure decision-making.
2. Two useful frameworks would be the Egan Wheel and SDG 11.

The Egan Wheel

1. The Egan Wheel (introduced in 2004 by Sir John Egan in the UK) suggests eight components that together describe a sustainable community:
   1. Governance
   2. Transport and Connectivity
   3. Services
   4. Environmental
   5. Equity
   6. Economy