Global Cities Are Coastal Cities Too: Paradox in Sustainability?

Abstract

World-wide, most global cities are located in coastal zones, but a paradox of sustainability is especially striking for US global cities. This article examines such a paradox, drawn between globalisation-induced development and coastal ecosystems. It focuses on two developmental components found principally in global cities: the agglomeration of foreign waterborne commerce and global business services; and, the accelerated activity and mobility habits of a global professional class. Despite formidable gaps in research, some anecdotal evidence suggests that unique hazards exist for the coastal ecology as globalisation pressures expand a global city’s urban footprint.

Sustainable Development Strategy for the Global City: A Case Study of Sydney

“…The second connotation has a stronger presence in the "Global" vision that highlights innovation and the importance of global talent. Sustainable redevelopment inserts sustainability criteria into the requirements of major redevelopment sites; the latter are more characteristic of global cities that face higher development pressure from global competition [2]. Sustainable Sydney 2030 requires that the City's renewal areas are sustainability exemplars and must meet aggressive sustainability targets.…”

“…What efforts have governments made to advance sustainability in global cities? Despite formidable gaps in research, some anecdotal evidence suggests that global cities do possess unique attributes that foster larger or different socioeconomic metabolisms than other cities [2] In the Australian context, an examination of 18 major cities (population more than 100,000) indicates that a city's growth is positively correlated with an environmental cost; this pattern is more evident in larger cities including global cities Sydney and Melbourne [6].…”

“…This duality presents a sustainability paradox for global cities-"simultaneously to sustain the developmental benefits of globalisation and to sustain ecological integrity over the long run" [2] (pp. 1760-1761).…”

“…At the same time, global cities are also facing increasing environmental pressure. This presents a sustainability paradox for global cities since they experience higher development pressure from global competition, which causes more negative environmental consequences [2]. Integrating environmental sustainability with economic competitiveness into the development strategy is a common imperative for all cities, but it is a more demanding challenge for global cities.…”

Coastal Urban Planning in The ‘Green Republic’: Tourism Development and the Nature–Infrastructure Paradox in Costa Rica

“…This study adds to our understanding of the tourism–urban‐sustainability nexus—the correlation between tourism development and progress along the urban sustainability axis (Shahgerdi et al ., ; Saarinen, ). According to Boschken (: 1776), ‘city development and the coastal ecology may form a uniquely challenging, high‐stakes paradox in sustainability’, as cities’ metabolisms may create ‘a footprint of impacts incompatible with limits of the coastal ecology's carrying capacity’.…”