In his article, Jack Tajmajer ’24 notes that the Earth has already experienced irreparable climatic damage that, in a few decades, could lead to an uninhabitable planet. He argues that while existing systems certainly don’t have to be eradicated, it’s time we finally start giving weight to novel, “radical” changes.
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What do a doughnut and Ottawa’s Official Plan have in common? Absolutely nothing right now, but maybe they should.
Doughnut economics, a concept originated by economist Kate Raworth, consists of two concentric rings: a social foundation to ensure that no one is missing out on life’s essentials, and an ecological ceiling ensuring we protect the Earth. These concentric rings form the doughnut a space where humanity can thrive. While drawn at a global scale, cities are downscaling the doughnut to meet their needs.
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Three Cities Switching To Life-Affirming Economies
Three Cities Switching To Life-Affirming Economies
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Portland city planner Kyle Diesner walks along a path leading to the Tilikum Crossing bridge. Diesner works on a project to map out more sustainable and equitable urban design and economic policy.
Photo by Paul Dunn/YES! Magazine
Three Cities Switching To Life-Affirming Economies
“Doughnut economics” invites nature and social well-being into urban planning.
Spring 2021
Feb 16, 2021
The city of Portland, Oregon, prides itself on being ahead of the curve. In 1993, it became the first U.S. city to adopt a climate action plan, which now calls for cutting carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, and to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Portland also has long been a leader in progressive urban planning strategies, and since 2006 has been a member of C40, an international network of cities seeking innovative ways to reduce emissions.
by Robert Hunziker / February 1st, 2021
The rapid rise of Covid-19 has spawned a renaissance in socio-economic thinking about the best way to face the future, as mayors of cities throughout the world search for answers in the face of declining revenues while society demands more urgent help.
Eureka! Amsterdam, the Venice of the North, discovers doughnut economics. With a click of fingers, it abandons the major tenets of the neoliberal brand of capitalism’s insatiable thirst for growth to infinity at any and all costs. This city where capitalism spawned via the Dutch East India Company first issuing shares in 1602 has turned agnostic on 400 years of embedded capitalism.