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Enhancing Urban Sustainable Indicators in a German City—Towards Human-Centered Measurements for Sustainable Urban Planning

Author

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  • Caroline Kramer

    (Institute of Geography and Geoecology (IfGG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany)

  • Madeleine Wagner

    (Institute of Geography and Geoecology (IfGG), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
    Institute of Geography, Heidelberg University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany)

Abstract

This contribution demonstrates how more human-centered measurements for sustainable urban planning can be created by enlarging the traditional set of urban sustainability indicators. In many municipal reports, sustainable indicators concentrate on environmental issues, by collecting data at an aggregated spatial and temporal level using quantitative methods. Our approach aims to expand and improve the currently dominant quantitative–statistical methods by including perception geographical data (subjective indicators following the social indicator approach), namely additional indicators at spatial and temporal levels. Including small-scale city district levels and a temporal differentiation produces more process assessments and a better representation of everyday life. Based on a survey we conducted at district levels in the city of Karlsruhe, we cover three sustainability dimensions (ecological, social, economic) and analyze (1) how citizens are mobile in a sustainable way (bike use) and (2) how they perceive and react to heat events in the city. We argue for taking people’s perception and the spatiality and temporality of their daily activities better into account when further developing urban sustainability indicators and when aiming for a sustainable, human-centered urban development.

Suggested Citation

  • Caroline Kramer & Madeleine Wagner, 2020. "Enhancing Urban Sustainable Indicators in a German City—Towards Human-Centered Measurements for Sustainable Urban Planning," World, MDPI, vol. 1(2), pages 1-20, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jworld:v:1:y:2020:i:2:p:9-123:d:396798
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    References listed on IDEAS

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