About this Research Topic

Background

Climate change is an undeniable fact and requires much change on both an individual and a global level. Changes are needed and to be effective they will require the support of the local governments or council, be it by providing grants, making policy changes or implementing sustainable practices throughout the areas they control.

Without the support of local governments and councils it can be difficult for individuals to do their part in starting and maintaining a sustainable lifestyle. This can be achieved by providing easy access to services that aid sustainable practices, providing grants for improvements, and providing infrastructure to allow citizens to easily and conveniently make sustainable choices.

By examining the role that local governments and councils potentially have in making a city more sustainable we can look at both the potential issues that could arise from both interference and lack of resources and opportunities such as introducing facilities such as recycling centers, improved public transport etc; while proposing solutions that work for both the local population and from a governing point of view.

There is also a potential risk that changes made in the name of sustainability may not work as intended. Before implementing policies and practices local governments and councils first need to ensure the changes they are seeking to make can work on a practical basis. Should a change they make be an inconvenience to the people who are expected to avail of it it is more likely to go unused. Therefore it is imperative to acknowledge any potential negative impacts that local ruling bodies may have on sustainable practices also.

The challenge of taking an existing city and making changes to both lifestyle and policy to become more sustainable requires a coordinated approach from all involved in both the planning and implementation of these challenging changes to ensure success.

To address the impact that local governments and ruling bodies can have on sustainable practices in cities in both a positive and negative way, we encourage articles surrounding but not limited to themes such as the following:

Sustainable Infrastructure
Urban Planning
Sustainable Public Transport
Water Conservation
Electric Power
Waste Management

Keywords: urban planning, local goverments, sustainable practices, smart cities, sustainable cities

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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