Sustainability is fundamentally about adapting to a new ethic of living on the planet and creating a more equitable and just society through the fair distribution of social goods and resources. Sustainable development questions consumption-based lifestyles and decision-making processes that are based solely upon economic efficiency, but its ethical underpinnings go beyond obligation to the environment and the economy—it is a holistic and creative process towards which we must constantly strive. This is complicated by the fact that sustainable development is based on society’s always changing worldviews and values.

Environmental, social, and economic models of sustainability view culture as an important dimension, yet there is still a general lack of understanding of what culture relates to and contributes. To date, culture has traditionally been viewed as a component of the social dimensions of sustainability or as part of discussions on social capital, and has largely been unexamined. In part, the issue is a lack of recognition of cultural considerations as such. For instance, the intertwined origin of cultural and social sustainability dimensions is illustrated by L.S. Bourne who uses the term social sustainability to describe “the conditions needed for the survival of identifiable ethno-cultural groups” including “processes of cultural reproduction.”1

1 Migration, immigration and social sustainability: The recent Toronto experience in comparative context (a 1999 CERIS working paper)

Socially sustainable communities are able to:

achieve and maintain personal health: physical, mental and physiological;

feed themselves adequately;

provide adequate and appropriate shelter for themselves;

have opportunities for gainful and meaningful employment;

improve their knowledge and understanding of the world around them;

find opportunities to express creativity and enjoy recreation in ways that satisfy spiritual and psychological needs;

express a sense of identity through heritage, art and culture;

enjoy a sense of belonging;

be assured of mutual social support from their community;

enjoy freedom from discrimination and, for those who are physically challenged, move about a barrier-free community;

enjoy freedom from fear, and security of person; and participate actively in civic affairs.

BC Round Table on the Environment and Economy, 1993, cited in Mark Roseland’s Towards
sustainable communities: Resources for citizens and their governments, 2005

Change is unavoidable in our increasingly globalized world, and socially sustainable communities must be adaptable and resilient ones. Yet it is important that socially sustainable communities care for their residents and build their social resources in ways that will contribute to all our futures.

Closely related to social sustainability is the concept of social capital, defined by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development as “the relationships, networks and norms that facilitate collective action.” Social capital includes connection to community and individuals, as well as to shared rules, laws, and information.

Both social sustainability and cultural development ...

Teach about all aspects of sustainability in schools, universities,
and communities

Build community capital

See art and culture as an educational tool

Encourage organizations to work together on poverty, job development, housing, health, redevelopment, and youth concerns in communities

Support local development initiatives

Increase social inclusion and build stronger communities

Improve quality of life, sense of place, and well-being in communities

Relate to rural and urban revitalization

Improve the physical environment, such as parks, and revitalize buildings

Support affordable housing (for example, artist cooperatives)

Improve street life, which improves social relations in neighbourhoods

Provide healthy and supportive communities for youth

Improve cultural facilities in order to improve community cohesion

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