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Ecological Footprints and Lifestyle Archetypes: Exploring Dimensions of Consumption and the Transformation Needed to Achieve Urban Sustainability

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  • Jennie Moore

    (School of Construction and the Environment, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G 3H2, Canada)

Abstract

The global urban transition increasingly positions cities as important influencers in determining sustainability outcomes. Urban sustainability literature tends to focus on the built environment as a solution space for reducing energy and materials demand; however, equally important is the consumption characteristics of the people who occupy the city. While size of dwelling and motor vehicle ownership are partially influenced by urban form, they are also influenced by cultural and socio-economic characteristics. Dietary choices and purchases of consumable goods are almost entirely driven by the latter. Using international field data that document urban ways of living, I develop lifestyle archetypes coupled with ecological footprint analysis to develop consumption benchmarks in the domains of: food, buildings, consumables, transportation, and water that correspond to various levels of demand on nature’s services. I also explore the dimensions of transformation that would be needed in each of these domains for the per capita consumption patterns of urban dwellers to achieve ecological sustainability. The dimensions of transformation needed commensurate with ecological carrying capacity include: a 73% reduction in household energy use, a 96% reduction in motor vehicle ownership, a 78% reduction in per capita vehicle kilometres travelled, and a 79% reduction in air kilometres travelled.

Suggested Citation

  • Jennie Moore, 2015. "Ecological Footprints and Lifestyle Archetypes: Exploring Dimensions of Consumption and the Transformation Needed to Achieve Urban Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-17, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:4:p:4747-4763:d:48499
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. World Bank, 2010. "World Development Report 2010," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 4387, December.
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    2. Quezada, George & Adcock, M & Bratanova, Alexandra & Ponce Reyes, R & Hajkowicz, Stefan, 2017. "Surfing the Digital Tsunami: Scenarios Report. Preliminary scenarios exploring the decade ahead for Australian business and the economy," MPRA Paper 113820, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Hamid El Bilali, 2020. "Transition heuristic frameworks in research on agro-food sustainability transitions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1693-1728, March.
    4. Niccolucci, Valentina & Coscieme, Luca & Marchettini, Nadia, 2021. "Benefit transfer and the economic value of Biocapacity: Introducing the ecosystem service Yield factor," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    5. Tajda Potrč Obrecht & Roman Kunič & Sabina Jordan & Mateja Dovjak, 2019. "Comparison of Health and Well-Being Aspects in Building Certification Schemes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-15, May.
    6. Isabel Jaisli & Petra Bättig-Frey & Lea Eymann & Ennio Mariani & Matthias Stucki, 2019. "Scientainment for Sustainability: The Eco-Confessional as a New Approach for Life Cycle Thinking," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-14, October.
    7. Hugo F. Alrøe & Marion Sautier & Katharine Legun & Jay Whitehead & Egon Noe & Henrik Moller & Jon Manhire, 2017. "Performance versus Values in Sustainability Transformation of Food Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-31, February.

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