1. The culture of sustainability

This relates to the need for a cultural shift in the way that individuals and society address economic, social, and environmental issues. In this context, the culture of sustainability refers to people changing their behaviour and consumption patterns, and adapting to a more sustainability-conscious lifestyle.

2. Globalization

Culture needs to be protected from globalization and market forces, as many fear that individual communities will lose their cultural identity, traditions, and languages to dominant ideals and culture. In response to these concerns, sustainability discussions focus on education, community development, and locally based policies that are open to change and are consistent with the cultural values of the community. The creation of opportunities to expand and deepen diversity may act as a balance to this.

3. Heritage conservation

This is a common stream in cultural sustainability research, and primarily focuses on three areas:

i. Preserving cultural heritage sites, practices, and infrastructure from outside influences. Sustainability discussions on cultural heritage focus on the need to preserve cultural heritage for future generations, and to recognize the history of a place and its tangible and intangible attributes.

ii. Cultural tourism. Preserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage ensures that tourism and regional economic development are sustainable over the long term, so future generations may benefit from them.

iii. Revitalizing and re-using heritage buildings for cultural facilities. Retaining already existing spaces encourages sustainable development and sense of place in communities.

4. Sense of place

Sustainability discussions frequently focus on how culture contributes to a sense of place in communities and cities. Initiatives to enhance sense of place commonly recognize the importance of heritage and symbols, and acknowledge the role of the arts in raising community awareness and interest in sustainability. These strategies also acknowledge the role the arts can play in resolving conflict between social, environmental, and economic development by providing the creative edge needed to explore multiple perspectives and develop diverse alternatives and options.

5. Indigenous knowledge and traditional practices

Cultural sustainability is linked to the recovery and protection of cultural health, history, and the culture of indigenous knowledge in society. It is linked to previous traditional practices through celebrating local and regional histories and passing down cultural values to future generations. Storytelling is often discussed as a tool to preserve indigenous knowledge and traditional practices through keeping memories alive, celebrating history, offering lessons in effective actions, and even as a means of persuasion in policy debates.

6. Community cultural development

Community cultural development encourages grassroots cultural activists, local organizations, and residents to take an active role in community decision-making, as well as to take ownership over their own community resources and identity. Culture as a development tool increases the level of civic discourse between artists, cultural groups, and community residents by providing opportunities and experiences that inspire, provoke, and facilitate discourse. This creates a collaborative atmosphere in which the arts sector can engage and forge stronger partnerships with others, including government, business, and the broader community, and draw people together who might not otherwise be engaged in constructive social activities.

7. Arts, education, and youth

The arts are seen as both development and communicative tools in communities and schools, as they increase the effectiveness of teaching, research, policy, and actions toward cultural sustainability and development. The arts offer an opportunity to engage in collective, collaborative activities, and enable youth and the community to become more publicly involved and active in political processes. Involving youth in educational programs on cultural, social, environmental, and economic forms of sustainability can help provide them with a more optimistic and sustainable outlook on the future.

8. Sustainable design

Environmentally friendly design that uses recycled materials is a growing influence in sustainable urban, community, and rural planning. Sustainable design is also seen as a component of cultural sustainability — supporting cultural identity can ensure the past is part of the present and will benefit the future.

9. Planning

Planning for sustainable communities recognizes the necessity of cultural capital, but it lacks ideas on how to integrate cultural sustainability. There is a need to show how culture can be integrated into existing community building and development plans. This integration must emerge out of understanding the linkages among the cultural, environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability. In the context of a community’s cultural sustainability, a cultural lens is needed in city planning and design. This requires community culture-based planning strategies that address civic identity, pride, youth, multiculturalism, poverty, and other aspects of communities today.

10. Cultural policy and local government

Cultural and sustainable development policies share the same core aim of improving quality of life for community residents. The multidisciplinary nature of sustainable development requires that policies for sustainability transcend boundaries and integrate culture and other policy areas.