Now that you have taken a look at the past and seen how we have developed an unsustainable system in the United States, you may be thinking the future looks bleak. But do not worry, there is hope for the future. When envisioning the future, we need to think about how we can not only remedy the issues we have caused in the past, but develop ways that we can maintain a new sustainable system and enter a new regime. We must cross that threshold and create a new system that is both socially, environmentally and economically friendly, as well as achievable. The two pages within “Envisioning the Future” provide the path to achieving a sustainable future and a current case of a city implementing similar steps to make their city sustainable.
Towards Sustainability: This concept map is a suggested path to a sustainable future. It looks at the values that we must take on at different scales, the actions that those scales can take, and the outcomes of implementing those actions.
LA Case Study: This case study looks at Los Angeles’s plan for creating a sustainable city. With an emphasis on fixing structural issues, Los Angeles is looking to focus on all aspects of sustainability: Social, Economic and Environmental.
Make sure to keep your Worldview in mind and consider the negative effects of the past and how the paths for the future align with those worldviews and combat the negative effects of the past. Think about how we can cross that threshold and about the values, actions and outcomes of working towards a sustainable future.