ABSTRACT
In 1993 the International Union of Architects and the American Institute of Architects at its joint World Congress issued the "Declaration of Interdependence for a Sustainable Future." This declaration begins by recognizing that: "A sustainable society restores, preserves, and enhances nature and culture for the benefit of all life, present and future," and that "today's society is seriously degrading the environment and is not sustainable." In 1990 in the United Kingdom, the Building Research Establishment published a set of guidelines known as the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. In 1996 the US Green Building Council created the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, and two years later countries supporting the Green Building Challenge began to promote the Green Building Assessment Tool. Cities can adopt the circular metabolism of nature. Urban ecology is possible and necessary for sustainable living.
