Urban Sustainability: Innovative Spaces, Vulnerabilities and Opportunities

Abstract

[Abstract] The need to promote a debate among researchers from active research networks in IAPS is at the origin of this book on “Urban sustainability: Innovative spaces, vulnerabilities and opportunities”. This book is the reflection of a growing tradition of tackling issues that are central to social and political efforts to solve pressing societal and environmental problems in evermore intricate contexts of resource scarcity, growing population and urbanization, social inequality and rising emissions. Promoting research and creating the conditions for lively and effective scientific debate has been part of the mission of IAPS since its beginnings. The growing effervescence of content network is reflected in a rising number of scientific events and interesting publications, such as the book you now have in your hands. In this introduction, we will gloss over the reasons that lie behind the choice of theme, which is likely to underlie the discussions and debates throughout the next years, all over the world. The theme we have selected, and reflected in the title, makes reference to a recurring concept that is ever-present in today’s society: sustainability