Sustainable Cities: Oxymoron or the Shape of the Future?

27 Pages Posted: 17 Dec 2010 Last revised: 29 Apr 2015

See all articles by Annissa Alusi

Annissa Alusi

Harvard Business School

Robert G. Eccles

University of Oxford - Said Business School

Amy C. Edmondson

Harvard University - Technology & Operations Management Unit

Tiona Zuzul

Harvard Business School

Date Written: April 20, 2011

Abstract

Two trends are likely to define the 21st century: threats to the sustainability of the natural environment and dramatic increases in urbanization. This paper reviews the goals, business models, and partnerships involved in eight early “ecocity” projects to begin to identify success factors in this emerging industry. Ecocities, for the most part, are viewed as a means of mitigating threats to the natural environment while creating urban living capacity, by combining low carbon and resource-efficient development with the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to better manage complex urban systems.

Suggested Citation

Alusi, Annissa and Eccles, Robert G. and Edmondson, Amy C. and Zuzul, Tiona, Sustainable Cities: Oxymoron or the Shape of the Future? (April 20, 2011). Harvard Business School Organizational Behavior Unit Working Paper No. 11-062, Harvard Business School Technology & Operations Mgt. Unit Working Paper No. 11-062, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1726484 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1726484

Annissa Alusi

Harvard Business School ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan 270C
Boston, MA 02163
United States

Robert G. Eccles

University of Oxford - Said Business School ( email )

Park End Street
Oxford, OX1 1HP
Great Britain

Amy C. Edmondson (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Technology & Operations Management Unit ( email )

Boston, MA 02163
United States

Tiona Zuzul

Harvard Business School ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan 270C
Boston, MA 02163
United States

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