ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the conceptual, political and practical underpinnings of international policy and planning visions on sustainable urbanism, illustrated by key examples of sustainable urban policy-making in the UK. It explores the lived experiences and perspectives of young people as residents of already existing sustainable urban spaces and communities. In the European Union, the Freiburg Charter outlines twelve key, guiding objectives for urban policy-makers and planners, which especially emphasise the importance of compactness, neighbourhood-development, connectivity, transportation, decentralisation, participation and biodiversity. In North America, Farr D'.s Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature has been widely deployed as a planning and visioning tool, particularly for neighbourhood-scale interventions. In 2003, Sir John Egan chaired a national review of skills and evidence relating to sustainability within the built environment and planning professions. The 'Egan wheel' has been widely reproduced. The Government of India define Smart City as cities which 'focus on their most pressing needs and on the greatest opportunities to improve lives.
