reThinKing susTainabiliTy: susTainable urban and infrasTruCTure developmenT introduction

In the foreword the Sustainable Urban and Regional Infrastructure Development: Technologies, Applications and Management,1 Kevin O’Connor points out that, in the 21st Century, ‘urban and infrastructure sustainability’ has become a very prominent element in the day-to-day debate on urban policy and the expression of that policy in urban planning and development decisions. While the origins of the sustainability discussion date back to the work of the Club of Rome, the Bruntland Report and the Rio declaration, in recent years, its critical importance has been highlighted by the adverse impacts of human activities such as a rapidly changing climate and the severe effects of greenhouse gas emissions. In an atmosphere where civilisation is progressing and becoming more aware of the consequences of careless development decisions, rethinking sustainable development–particularly sustainable urban and infrastructure development–has become an inevitable necessity. As Glen Searle2 highlights in the afterword of the same text, the provision of infrastructure that is sustainable is still a central challenge for contemporary urban governance. Hence, answers to the sustainability problems should not be sought by just relaying on technology solution availability only. A comprehensive approach to the rethinking of sustainable urban and infrastructure development is a must and forms the raison d’être of this book. This book, which is a companion volume to Sustainable Urban and Regional Infrastructure Development: Technologies, Applications and Management, (2010, Information Science Reference) aims to bridge the gap in the current literature by addressing the overall problems present in the theory and practice of urban and infrastructure development. It presents a comprehensive coverage and understanding of sustainable urban and infrastructure development that provides insights into overcoming the consequences of unsustainable development. This comprehensive approach broadly covers the planning, design, engineering and management aspects of sustainable urban and infrastructure development.