Institutions and indicators – The discourse about indicators in the context of sustainability

Astleithner, Florentina; Hamedinger, Alexander; Holman, Nancy; Rydin, Yvonne

doi:10.1023/b:joho.0000017704.49593.00

Cited by 69 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Literature on indicators in general, as well as literature on indicator use in the urban context, states that sustainability indicators are used to monitor change in society and to show progress towards a given goal or objective based on observable or measurable markers (indicators) [17,20,24,62,63]. By monitoring the same indicator over time it is possible to identify trends and development directions [64].…”

Section: Conceptual Background On Sustainability Indicators In the Comentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By monitoring the same indicator over time it is possible to identify trends and development directions [64]. Indicators can be used to monitor both quantitative and qualitative changes in society [62].…”

Section: Conceptual Background On Sustainability Indicators In the Comentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In practice, however, indicators for sustainable urban development have been selected on the basis of political prioritisation, perceived importance and/or data availability [69][70][71]. Research stresses the importance of involving stakeholders in the process of selecting the evaluation indicators, especially when monitoring progress towards sustainable development [18,59,62,72].…”

Section: Conceptual Background On Sustainability Indicators In the Comentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indicator sets to monitor both global as well as local sustainability goals have been developed by cities [62,[73][74][75], by private companies (e.g. Arcadis, the Economist Intelligence Unit) or in public-private collaboration (e.g.…”

Section: Data Used In This Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Applying the SDGs to cities: business as usual or new dawn?

Zinkernagel¹,

Evans²,

Neij³

2018

Preprint

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With growing urbanisation the sustainability of cities has become increasingly important. Although cities have been using indicators for a long time it is only in the last decades that attempts have been made to collate indicators into indicator sets with the aim of reflecting the many different aspects that need to be covered to assess the sustainability of a city. The aim of this paper is to review how indicators for monitoring sustainable urban development have evolved over time and compare them to the indicators suggested by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The review reveals that previous indicator sets emphasised environmental sustainability, health and economic growth. It is also shown that indicator sets that pre-date the SDGs lacked dimensions such as gender equality and reduced inequalities. In all, the SDG indicators provide the possibility of a more balanced and integrated approach to urban sustainability monitoring. At the same time, a methodology is needed to facilitate the adaptation process of localising the SDGS, targets and indicators. Challenges of local application include their large number, their generic characteristics and the need to complement them with specific indicators that are more relevant at the city level.

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Section: Conceptual Background On Sustainability Indicators In the Comentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Background On Sustainability Indicators In the Comentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Background On Sustainability Indicators In the Comentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Used In This Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Applying the SDGs to cities: business as usual or new dawn?

Zinkernagel¹,

Evans²,

Neij³

2018

Preprint

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“…Presence of an indicator project. The municipality engages in the specification of target measures of preferred levels (e.g., greenhouse gases inventory) and actively monitors change to assess progress toward those levels [62,63]. One index point is awarded if the municipal government maintains an indicator project or is an active voluntary participant in a third party indicator project.…”

Section: Dependent Variablementioning

confidence: 99%

Social Capital and Longitudinal Change in Sustainability Plans and Policies: U.S. Cities from 2000 to 2010

et al. 2013

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This study examines changes from 2000 to 2010 in the adoption of sustainability plans and policies in a sample of U.S. cities. The study's framework posits sustainability initiatives as communitarian outcomes intended to meet the needs of both current and future generations. We hypothesize, accordingly, that a community's social capital level, in the form of the relative presence of social trust, is a primary facilitating condition for the adoption of sustainability initiatives. The analysis assesses whether trust-based social capital is similarly associated with the adoption of plans and policies at both time points (2000 and 2010), as well as whether social capital is associated with change in the adoption levels documented across the ten-year period. The paper concludes by suggesting that the effect of social capital is substantially reduced in 2010 as a consequence of institutional network dynamics featured in the theory of isomorphic change.

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Bridging the gaps between theory and practice: a service niche approach to urban sustainability indicators

Keirstead

Leach

2007

Sustainable Development

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Urban sustainability indicators play an important role in helping policy-makers ensure the continued success of their cities. However, a review of current practice suggests that priority is often given to the measurability and policy relevance of these metrics. Their analytical validity - i.e. their ability to act as meaningful representations of the urban system and thus inform appropriate policy responses - is less certain. An examination of London's USIs confirms this gap between theory and practice and identifies vague definitions of urban sustainability as part of the problem. A 'service niche' approach to indicator selection is therefore outlined, using pervasive goal-oriented urban services such as energy or water systems to guide the selection of policy-relevant interconnected metrics. Strategies for expanding such niches to wider assessments of urban sustainability are also discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

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Institutions and indicators – The discourse about indicators in the context of sustainability

Cited by 69 publications

References 12 publications

Applying the SDGs to cities: business as usual or new dawn?

Applying the SDGs to cities: business as usual or new dawn?

Social Capital and Longitudinal Change in Sustainability Plans and Policies: U.S. Cities from 2000 to 2010

Bridging the gaps between theory and practice: a service niche approach to urban sustainability indicators

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