Visualization of a City Sustainability Index (CSI): Towards Transdisciplinary Approaches Involving Multiple Stakeholders

Koichiro Mori, Toyonobu Fujii, Tsuguta Yamashita, Yutaka Mimura, Yuta Uchiyama and Kengo Hayashi
Additional contact information
Koichiro Mori: International Center, Shiga University, 1-1-1 Banba, Hikone, Shiga 522-8522, Japan
Toyonobu Fujii: Oceanlab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Main Street, Newburgh, Aberdeenshire AB41 6AA, UK
Tsuguta Yamashita: Department of Sociology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters, Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Yutaka Mimura: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan
Yuta Uchiyama: Institute of Human and Social Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
Kengo Hayashi: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan

Sustainability, 2015, vol. 7, issue 9, 1-23

Abstract: We have developed a visualized 3-D model of a City Sustainability Index (CSI) based on our original concept of city sustainability in which a sustainable city is defined as one that maximizes socio-economic benefits while meeting constraint conditions of the environment and socio-economic equity on a permanent basis. The CSI is based on constraint and maximization indicators. Constraint indicators assess whether a city meets the necessary minimum conditions for city sustainability. Maximization indicators measure the benefits that a city generates in socio-economic aspects. When used in the policy-making process, the choice of constraint indicators should be implemented using a top-down approach. In contrast, a bottom-up approach is more suitable for defining maximization indicators because this technique involves multiple stakeholders (in a transdisciplinary approach). Using different materials of various colors, shapes, sizes, we designed and constructed the visualized physical model of the CSI to help people evaluate and compare the performance of different cities in terms of sustainability. The visualized model of the CSI can convey complicated information in a simple and straightforward manner to diverse stakeholders so that the sustainability analysis can be understood intuitively by ordinary citizens as well as experts. Thus, the CSI model helps stakeholders to develop critical thinking about city sustainability and enables policymakers to make informed decisions for sustainability through a transdisciplinary approach.

Keywords: indicator; stakeholder; megacity; co-design; co-production; bottom-up; anthropogenic impact; environmental threshold (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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