Durban, the greenest city on Earth: A look into Durban's sustainability case study

Douglas College student research presentation as partial requirement for Geography 2311 course as part of the STEP UP (Student Teams Exploring Pervasive Urban Problems) program. Faculty sponsor to submit this presentation to DOOR is: Michael McPhee. “Durban: The Greenest City on Earth?” assesses the sustainability of the city of Durban in South Africa through the lens of the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development along with Gary Gardner’s Seven Principles of Sustainability. Durban promotes sustainability through the creation of prominent places for nature along with focusing on people-centered development via the use of social programs. Durban also promotes the concept of participatory governance with the establishment or participation of global environmental programs such as the Municipal Climate Program and the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department. While Durban succeeds in achieving a multitude of sustainability principles, there is also room for improvement. Despite some of Durban’s flaws, the city is close to achieving status as a sustainable city.”