8 Overarching Urban Systems That Make a City Sustainable Read more: 8 Overarching Urban Systems That Make a City Sustainable | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building [InHabitat]

Because cities are so complex - as complex, you might say, as a living organism - sustainable cities are much more difficult to achieve than green buildings or environmentally friendly cars. For example, it’s not enough to have sustainable buildings in your city if they are all really far apart and everyone has to drive long distances to get around -- that would be like eating a salad followed by fried chicken. Simply stated, one strategy on it’s own is simply not enough to make an entire city sustainable, rather what's needed is a series of strategies. According to author Timothy Beatley in his book Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities, there are eight overarching systems that need to work together to make a city sustainable. Learn more about them after the jump.

Read more: 8 Overarching Urban Systems That Make a City Sustainable | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building