In the run up to the Rio 2012 Earth Summit, Diana Lind examines the concept of "degrowth", a topic that economists and elected officials are likely loathe to discuss, but which may be key to the long-term sustainability of our planet.
Lind has been introduced to the concept of degrowth by Erik Assadourian, who has written on the topic [PDF] in a brief for the Worldwatch Institute's State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity.
"According to Assadourian, 'degrowth is the intentional contraction of overly inflated economies and the dispelling of the myth that perpetual pursuit of growth is good for economies or the societies of which they are a part.' He goes on to say that 'degrowth can be achieved through policies to discourage overconsumption, raising taxes, shortening work hours, and ‘informalizing' certain sectors of the economy.'"
The urgency for increased analysis and debate on degrowth comes from the frightening fact that, "if everyone in the world lived and consumed like Americans, only 1.4 billion people could live on the planet."
Lind sees degrowth as an important new avenue for discussing sustainability. As she observes, "the way that Assadourian has framed it [degrowth] as a way for people to step out of the 'rat race' is smart and an angle that no other environmental trend has fully promoted."
FULL STORY: Sustainability By Any Other Name

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance
The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package
Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane
The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont