Summary
Sustainability is one of the key concepts that is associated with post-modernism. The old world with its modernist assumptions was based on increasing consumption of fossil fuels and other resources, reducing the natural and the diverse to simple, American-style mass production, with a strong state-based, large-scale approach to providing infrastructure. That old way no longer works but no way forward is obviously apparent. This paper looks at how the uncertainties produced by post-modernism can be put to advantage in providing a more sustainable postmodern city. It is suggested that the key principles are recognizing values, maximizing diversity and crossing boundaries. These are developed into some guidelines for urban planning and transport practice.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Campbell, C.J. (1991)The Golden Century of Oil 1950–2050: The Depletion of a Resource. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Community and Family Commission (1992),Speaking Out, Taking Part, Perth: Final Report of Community and Family Commission, WA Government.
Cook, P. (1990)Back to the future: Modernity, postmodernity and locality. London: Unwin Hyman.
Frost, L. (1991)The New Urban Frontier: Urbanisation and City Building in Australasia and the American West. Sydney: University of NSW Press.
Gratz, R.B. (1993)The Living City. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Jacobs, J. (1984)Cities and the Wealth of Nations: Principles of Economic Life. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin.
Mouritz, M. and Newman, P.W.G. (1993)Sustainable Urban Water Systems Project, Perth, Australia: ISTP, Murdoch University.
Newman, P.W.G., Kenworthy, J.R. and Robinson, L. (1992a)Winning Back the Cities. Sydney: Pluto Press.
Newman, P.W.G., Kenworthy, J.F. and Vintila, P. (1992b)Housing Transport and Urban Form: Australia: Back-ground Paper 11 for National Housing Strategy.
Postmodern Cities Conference (1993)Proceedings. Sydney: Sydney University Department of Urban Regional Planning.
Schumaker, E. F. (1973)Small is Beautiful Abacus.
Vintila, P., Phillimore, J. and Newman, P. (1992)Markets, Morals and Manifestos: Fightback! and the politics of Economic Rationalism in the 1990's. Perth, Western Australia: Institute for Science and Technology Policy, Murdoch University.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This paper was delivered at the Global Forum '94 Academic Conference, Manchester, UK.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Newman, P. Sustainability and the post-modern city: some guidelines for urban planning and transport practice in an age of uncertainty. Environmentalist 15, 257–266 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01902247
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01902247