The Sustainable Cities: PLUS Planning Cycle

2008 Biennial Conference

Durban South Africa
Dr. Nola-Kate Seymoar
Sustainable Cities (ICSC)
September 2008

Context
The Sustainable Cities: PLUS Planning Cycle is:
A generic summary of principles and stages
Drafted by Secretariat and Steering Committee
Discussed/revised at several peer exchanges in 2007,
2008
The framework for Durban Biennial Conference 2008

Questions
Ground truthing: Have we got it right?

Is the cycle relevant in the North and the South?

Can it apply to small and large cities and communities?
Is it broad enough to encompass most frameworks?
Can it be translated into different languages and cultural
contexts?
Is it valuable: is it worthy of our efforts to refine and
develop a manual and support documents?
Who else might value this work and finance it?
How will you make use of it?

Six Principles
1.

Adopting a long-term lens

Vision 50 to 100 years, requires

backcasting not forecasting from
current trends
Strategy 20-30 years, requires
collaboration
Plan(s) 5 years, requires aligning
budgets, workplans and mandates

Vision

Strategy

Plans

Six Principles
2. The City as A Complex System
Organic Metaphor
Roots - sustainability (four)
Stem - governance (stability)
Leaves -transformation
Petals direct/show change
Centre sustainability
Pollinators transfer knowledge
Is this a valuable metaphor?
Would you use it?

Six Principles
3. Integrated and Comprehensive
Wastewater

Natural Gas

Water

Solid Waste

Transport

Six Principles
4. Adaptive Management and Collective Learning

Resiliency anticipate
change
Learning
sharing experience
the good and the bad

Six Principles

5. Considers bioregion, ecological

footprint and neighbours

Impact of decisions beyond

political jurisdictions
Ecological footprint area of land &
water to produce, consume & absorb
citys waste
Neighbours First Nations

Six Principles
6. Participatory Engagement
Multi-sectoral
Multi-stakeholder
Multi-disciplinary

Different approaches for different purposes

Six Stages
The Sustainable Cities: Planning Cycle

Six Stages
Not linear
Adaptive
Learning Spiral

Six Stages
1.

Awareness and Scoping

Fear and hope (why)

Key decisions:
who
where
what
when
how

Six Stages
2. Visioning
Two approaches

Large scale public participation

Multi-sectoral teams

Complementary not exclusive

Six Stages
3. Establishing Baselines and Exploring Options

Where are we now?

Where do we want to be?
(targets and timeframes)
What are the options?
(what have others done)
Does this preclude future
options?

4. Develop Strategies

Become Net
Contributors

Multi-use spaces and

convertible structures

Plan Short Loops &

Integrated Infrastructure

Protect and connect blue

ribbons and green webs

Experiment and
Learn as we go

Create Shock
Resilient Cells

Green and Clean the

Import & Export
Chains

Enhance the
Diversity of Choices

Six Stages
6. Implementation
Who will do what
When
Decision Matrix

Six Stages
6. Monitoring and
Reporting
Measuring Progress
Revising Plans
Celebrating Success

The Sustainable Cities: Planning Cycle

Six Stages
1.

Awareness and Scoping

Fear and hope (why)

Key decisions:
who
where
what
when
how