Sustainability is a broad term and encompasses equity, economic and environmental concerns. The concept of sustain-able cities juxtaposes this against the backdrop of rapidly increasing urban populations, evidenced by the fact that in 2005, half of the world’s population was urban.

There are many paths to creating a sustainable city, taking into account local situations, local needs and local challenges. Urban governance pioneer Datuk Anwar Fazal identified five characteristics of a sustainable city – it is ecologically sustainable, socially just, economically productive, culturally vibrant and politically participatory. Kuala Lumpur’s urban landscape undeniably manifests the toll that pursuing economic gain (and economic gain alone) has taken on the quality of life and on the ecosystem that supports this quality of life. In KL, the management of water, air, waste, traffic, rivers, hills, parks, green areas, etc. is simply not on par with world standards.

It must be in recognition of this lack that creating a sustainable city is a key thrust in the Draft KL City Plan and as many as six chapters (out of 10) in the first volume of the plan are dedicated to it. I am sure many would welcome this emphasis on sustainability and embrace the opportunity to refine these aspects and the respective chapters.

In the article "Urban Land-scapes and Sustainable Cities" (Ecology & Society Journal), Erik Andersson presents that using "resilience theory" to plan and manage cities is a crucial one because it "allows integration of ecosystem function with social dynamics. The definition of eco-logical resilience … is the capacity of a system to absorb disturbance and reorganise while undergoing change so as to retain essentially the same function, structure, identity and feedback. Urban landscapes are best described as socio-ecological systems where natural and social processes together shape the ecosystems".

Viewing the urban landscape as a socio-ecological system will require a paradigm shift in thinking in both citizens and authorities. It will affect, albeit for long-term benefit, the way in which we move, live, work, interact and relax. KL City Hall authorities need to first understand and then in turn, inform KL citizens of the ecological require-ments for the ecosystem services (which are currently used and over-used in ignorance) that increase human well-being. This would entail the authorities mapping the species (both plant-life and animal-life) that are part of the ecosystem and referencing these maps against human habitat and behaviour maps. From these, Andersson argues, "the different kinds of green areas in different urban contexts should be planned and managed for".

Cities can no longer afford to renege on their ecological footprint and hope that the hinterlands will provide the green that is desperately needed. They will need to reform and comply with environmental standards, in this age more than ever. Ken Livingstone, during his tenure as Mayor of London, used the ecological footprint as an advocacy tool in his campaign for a "green" London. Closer to home, many may be surprised to learn that Bangkok won an award for its efforts to become a "Green City" last year. In 2006, Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin announced his target to reduce carbon emissions in the Thai capital by 15% in the next five years in response to growing concerns over global warming. Apirak’s draft action plan contained both soft and harsh measures such as planting trees, retro-fitting buildings with more energy-efficient lighting and cooling systems, promoting carpools, renewable energy and mass transit systems, and preventing vehicles without passengers from entering traffic congested areas.

There is ample documentation to testify to the political will of the Thais to ensure sustainability. Officials lobbied oil companies to produce cleaner fuel, used higher taxes to phase out the once ubiquitous two-stroke motorcycles and converted taxis to run on clean-burning liquefied petroleum gas. They imposed progressively stricter emission controls based on European norms. The local government embarked on simple measures like washing the streets to keep the dust down. Bangkok’s air, on average, now falls within the limit set by the US Environmental Protection Agency of 50µg/cu m, although it is still below World Health Organisation recommendation of 20µg/cu m. In this region, Singapore and Japan – extremely high-density cities – have the cleanest air quality.

Citizen participation in contributing to the welfare of the ecology is critical. Citizens have been very vocal on the drastic reduction of green lungs within the city but their role should go beyond this. Japanese citizens set the standards for best sustainable practices – in the amount of waste they recycle, the way they separate waste and the way they work together for the environment. And Japanese local governments incorporate citizen participation fully into planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes in the city. This is most probably because they fully understand that any plan of action can be successful only if they work with citizens.