KNOWLEDGE SHARING

SUSTAINABILITY JOURNAL

Linking Nevada to Doughnut Economics

BY FORTINO ACOSTA
Doughnut economics (DE) is an economic model that expresses the social and ecological dimensions of nexus designed by Dr. Kate Raworth in 2012. The concept, which is based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), intends to rethink our economy for the twenty-first century to meet social demands within a safe environmental ceiling. The DE model’s parameters are achieved only through interconnections, but these links are not well-defined for integrated strategic decision-making. A deeper description of Nevada illustrates the relevance of a cross-disciplinary decision-making tool that could identify interconnectivity among diverse but essential sustainability indicators. The state surpasses the planet’s water demand boundaries, greenhouse gases emitted by nonrenewable energy sources, and chemical pollution; meanwhile, the state is falling short in food security, housing, gender equality, social equity, political voice, safety, and justice. The research brings a circular economic model to an American state-level context and introduces the model to dynamic thinking.
 
Keywords: 

doughnut economics; circular economy; integrated policy framework; sustainability measuring tools

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LAND JOURNAL

Memorial Parking Trees: Resilient Modular Design with Nature-Based Solutions in Vulnerable Urban Areas

BY FORTINO ACOSTA & STEPHEN HAROON

Nature-based solutions (NbS) include all the landscape’s ecological components that have a function in the natural or urban ecosystem. Memorial Parking Trees (MPTs) are a new variant of a nature-based solution composed of a bioswale and a street tree allocated in the road, occupying a space that is sub-utilized by parked cars. This infill green practice can maximize the use of street trees in secondary streets and have multiple benefits in our communities. In this research, we based vulnerability assessments for London, Rio de Janeiro, and Los Angeles. The contrast between the results and the 15-min city concept supports our detecting and prioritizing neighborhoods for MPTS implementation, among other NbS solutions integrated into a more inclusive and sustainable urban design.

Keywords: 

nature-based solutions; environmental justice; geographic information systems; urban resilience; green infrastructure; urban design; sustainable urban design; urban vulnerability

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ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF MEXICO SCME BLOG (SPANISH)

Biodiverse Cities

BY FORTINO ACOSTA

Naturalization interventions within cities increase their functionality under two conditions: that they are ecologically informed and that they comply with a positive public perception.

Keywords: 

nature-based solutions; green infrastructure; urban design; sustainable urban design; urban resilience

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CHILDREN'S BOOK (SPANISH)

Orion's water

BY FORTINO ACOSTA

Dear Orion, the reason of my call is that in recent years the rain has increased tremendously and the rain drops are overflowing the planet earth.

Keywords: #environmental education #watersheds #basins #water #waterconservation

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BOOK (SPANISH)

Landscape design for biodiverse cities

EDITOR: ELISA OLIVARES COAUTHORS: FORTINO ACOSTA, NICOLÁS ÁLVAREZ, JORGE FLORES, J. CRUZ GARCÍA, ELISA OLIVARES, ELOÍNA PELÁEZ, FERNANDA RIONDA, ANDRÉS BRUNO, LUIS ALFREDO RODRÍGUEZ, EDITH SALOMÉ CASTAÑEDA, ARIADNA TOBÓN

Landscape Design for Biodiverse Cities is intended to inform and inspire the reader to care for and promote biodiversity in cities in an easy way. With a multidisciplinary perspective, concepts and methodologies are introduced from landscape planning to horticulture. The reader will learn to create living spaces for urban fauna with native plants. Guides for plant palette design, guidelines for naturalistic planting layouts, and propagation techniques for native plant species are presented. Along the same lines, the reader is introduced to landscape perception and its importance as a tool for the empowerment of users of green areas and for biodiversity protection.

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