Ecocities Now

This volume gathers a curated set of papers from the International Ecocity World Summit, which took place in Vancouver from October 7 to 11, 2019. Its aim is to speed the sharing of knowledge on building ecocities. The chapters examine what an ecocity actually is, how cities across the globe are pursuing one, and what Vancouver is doing as it moves toward that model. A further focus is how educational programs can prepare the people who will lead future ecocity work.

The contents follow the Summit's central theme and its supporting sub-themes. The International Ecocity Standards run through the book as a diagnostic tool that lets cities measure how far they have progressed toward ecocity status. The authors also show how communities are using these Standards to chart local routes toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The book is organized into four parts. The first concerns building a bridge toward socially just and ecologically sustainable cities. The remaining three cover climate action, the circular economy, and informal solutions for sustainable development. Each chapter group opens with a short introduction that identifies the relevant Ecocity Standards and other background that makes the material relevant to readers in any country.

Across the selected papers, a recurring argument is that ecocity change depends on engaging residents where they live. The authors also highlight affordable and accessible technologies that can help cities build the capacity to carry out ecocity initiatives.