Are Cities More Sustainable?
Is urbanization the key to a sustainable future? If not, what is?
Apparently, the pandemic is over now, and since the end of quarantine, people have been steadily making their way back into cities like Londoners after the Blitz. Despite all the talk of cities emptying out during the Covid era, the exodus of affluent city-dwellers to less-crowded places did not stem the tide of rapid urbanization all over the world.
For many, this is a reason to rejoice. As we’re often told, cities are more sustainable. It’s an idea eco-conscious city dwellers love to repeat: suburban and rural life lead to much higher carbon footprints, while urban life is more sustainable.
Is this true, though?
The short answer is… yes and no. In an industrialized country like U.S., high-density urban areas have some important features that lead to lower per capita carbon emissions when compared to other, less-dense settings. But — the realities of urbanization as a whole paint a much less pretty picture.
The phrasing of the question also obscures a more important discussion. Climate change is not going to pass over anyone just because they live more sustainably in a city than they would in the suburbs. The important question is not, “Are cities more sustainable than suburbs?” but…
