Social Sustainability (Part 1)

Sustainability is quite the buzz word these days, but it usually comes up when talking about the environment. However, sustainability concerns more than just the environment - it deals with economics as wells as social relations. I have been thinking about the social side of things for quite some time now.

Before I go too far I will provide a definition of sustainability. I'm using the definition from the 1987 report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future. It states that "sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

With that being said we can think about what social (or equity) sustainability would be.

I see two very different and somewhat contradicting social applications of society today.

On one side I see what is being represented by social media - things such as Twitter and Facebook. People are connecting with other people, when they want, where they want, and with whomever they want. They are in control of their relationships in a way that the world has never seen before. We are no longer confined to the people immediately around us. It's a new social phenomenon and many people are loving it. If nothing else is said about social media at least this much is true - people want to be connected with other people.

On the other side, as I move about the public realm, I see people putting up barriers between themselves and others. They are listening to their music as they ride the light rail to work. They are playing games, watching videos, or texting on their phones. In a way, mentally they are anywhere but where they are physically. They have no intention of interacting with the people with whom they share their space.

One may argue that these two things are related (and they might be right). People are choosing their associates (real or virtual) because they can. This has long been one of the comparisons made to urban and rural living. In a rural setting, people were very limited in their choices for personal interactions, whereas the urban setting would provide much richer diversity. Thus people in the city found other people that they wanted to spend time with.

So, what does that mean?  - - - I don't know. This thought is still in its infancy in my head. So bear with me here as I do a little stream of consciousnesses.

As an urban planner/designer what does all of this mean to me? How can I possibly strive for social sustainability when I cannot even figure it out?

I have never been one to talk to a stranger on the bus. I don't meet new people when I go to the park. But just because I don't do it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I'm sure it happens, but for whom? Or how often does it happen? Can it only happen if both people have their headphones out of their ears?