The ecocities theme does not stand alone but is situated in a complex array of relevant variations. Below is a list of relevant variations.
HEALTHY COMMUNITIES -- public health has been among the traditional responsibilities of local gov’t. In the last two decades, a new, broader conception of public health has been recognized, that in addition to medical care includes peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable eco-system, sustainable resources, social justice, and equity.
APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY -- the central tenet of AT is that technology should be designed to fit into and be compatible with its local setting. It should serve people instead of making them the servant of machines. The main goal of the AT movement is to enhance the self-reliance of people on a local level.
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT -- is a process by which communities can initiate and generate their own solutions to their common economic problems and thereby build long-term community capacity and foster the integration of economic, social and environmental objectives. Basically, the general objective is to take some measure of control of the local economy back from the markets and the state.
SOCIAL ECOLOGY -- focuses its critique on domination and hierarchy per se: the struggle for the liberation of women, of workers, of blacks, of native peoples, of gays and lesbians, of nature, is ultimately all part of the struggle against domination and hierarchy. The primary social unit of a proposed ecological society is ecocommunity, a human-scale, sustainable settlement based on ecological balance, community self-reliance, and participatory democracy.
THE GREEN MOVEMENT -- The Greens believe in 4 pillars of ecology, social responsibility, grassroots democracy, and nonviolence. These pillars translate into principles of community self-reliance, improving the quality of life, harmony with nature, decentralization, and diversity.
BIOREGIONALISM -- is oriented toward resistance against the continuing destruction of natural systems, such as forests and rivers; and toward the renewal of natural systems based on thorough knowledge of how natural systems work and the development of techniques appropriate for specific sites.
NATIVE WORLD VIEW -- many argue that sustainable patterns of resource use and management have for centuries been reflected in the belief and behavior systems of indigenous cultures. These systems have been based on a view that does not separate humans from their environment.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT -- defined as meeting “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This simple vague definition was also the foundation for Agenda 21, the document that emerged from the UN Conference on Environment and Development as a sustainable development action plan for the 21st century.
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