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Challenges facing indicators to become a universal language for sustainable urban development

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  • Fang‐Li Ruan
  • Liang Yan

Abstract

Urban development plays a role in global progress, but its sustainability is still a pressing issue. Indicators are a kind of powerful tool for addressing issues about urban sustainability and have gained increasing attention. However, making them become a universal “language” to solve this global issue is still challenging and controversial. This paper firstly summarizes 1442 indicators in the previous 47 urban sustainability studies. Then, based on the discussion of deficiencies in framing, conceptualizing, labeling, and digitalizing urban sustainability, we propose challenges facing indicators to become a universal language for sustainable urban development. Accordingly, this paper calls for an indicator dictionary, established by a particular global organization, constructed standardized and applied localized.

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  • Fang‐Li Ruan & Liang Yan, 2022. "Challenges facing indicators to become a universal language for sustainable urban development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(1), pages 41-57, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:30:y:2022:i:1:p:41-57
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.2227
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    1. Fangli Ruan, 2023. "The Driving Role of Food and Cultivated Land Resource in Balancing the Complex Urban System of Socio-Economy and Environment: A Case Study of Shanghai City in China," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-20, April.
    2. Juan A. García-Esparza & Javier Pardo & Pablo Altaba & Mario Alberich, 2023. "Validity of Machine Learning in Assessing Large Texts Through Sustainability Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 166(2), pages 323-337, April.
    3. Abbas Ziafati Bafarasat & Ali Cheshmehzangi & Ania Ankowska, 2023. "A set of 99 healthy city indicators for application in urban planning and design," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(3), pages 1978-1989, June.

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