Cities and towns have become the primary human living space. Since 2007, more than half of the world’s population has been living in urban areas and the figure is estimated to exceed 70 per cent by 2050. Building sustainable cities requires investment in

(a) renewable energy sources,

(b) efficiency in the use of water and electricity,

(c) design and implementation of compact cities,

(d) retrofitting of buildings and increase of green areas,

(e) fast, reliable and affordable public transportation and

(f ) improved waste and recycling systems.

Cities are diverse in terms of their size, structure, spatial form, economy, wealth, local resources availability and ecological impact.

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In this assignment, we will be conversant and expected to understand the definition of the sustainable city, the word sustainability has come into such common usage that it sometimes seems ubiquitous. At the outset, this leads to the need to answer two principal questions with regards to niche of sustainable cities in a local context. First, what is a sustainable city? And secondly, why is it important that cities become sustainable?