Equitable Interdependence City-Countryside — An Indispensable Condition for Regional Sustainable Development

Abstract

Recurring crises in contemporary societies have forced a rethinking of the development model that guided societies after World War II. UN Conferences on the Environment led to the official adoption of the concept of sustainable development, without, however, achieving a break from the growth objectives that characterize capitalist societies, which have proven to fail in terms of social and environmental well-being. Growth in world population and cities, the constant increase in fossil energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and the often irreversible alteration of ecosystems are pushing the planet toward its limits. The search for true sustainability must be oriented toward transforming consumption patterns, reducing waste, and promoting alternative renewable energy sources. The solution requires more education, knowledge, democracy, and equity, as well as establishing a genuine symbiosis between cities and the rural environments on which they depend in every sense.