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ALBION DISTRICT LIBRARY BY PERKINS + WILL IS A 2018 COTE TOP TEN RECIPIENT. IMAGE: DOUBLESPACE PHOTOGRAPHY

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The Committee on the Environment (COTE®) is an AIA Knowledge Community working for architects, allied professionals, and the public to achieve climate action and climate justice through design. We believe that design excellence is the foundation of a healthy, sustainable, and equitable future. Our work promotes design strategies that empower all AIA members to realize the best social and environmental outcomes with the clients and the communities they serve.

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  • 1.  Can there be sustainability in an economy depending on growth?

    Posted 01-17-2019 02:55 PM

    Can there be Sustainability in an Economy Rooted in Growth?

    Growth, Capitalism and the GDP

    Even in a state of high alert about climate change, sustainability and resilience study after study about longterm perspectives for the global economy revolves around growth, whether the study is produced by the World Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD or the UN. Voices that describe a future without growth are like voices in a desert, rare and barely heard. This is surprising, since already more than 170 years ago, the philosopher-economist Karl Marx concluded in his "Grundrisse" (notes) which led to the book "the Capital" a "Critique of Political Economy" that ongoing growth was impossible and that an economy based on growth would inevitably crash in regular intervals "cyclical crisis"). This in turn would destruct a lot of the accumulated "overproduction" (Mar) and thus create new demand. The  cyclical economic event could be a mere recession or a much more disruptive event such as a war where values are destroyed or war where destruction is purpose. History after Marx seemed to prove him right in some respects and wrong in others.
    Much can be added into the GDP

    The most.....
    read all

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    [Klaus] Philipsen FAIA
    Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
    Baltimore MD
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  • 2.  RE: Can there be sustainability in an economy depending on growth?

    Posted 01-22-2019 02:18 PM
    This is the challenge, and precludes the energy in Architecture. We can focus on helping to educate the client and indeed, society. In an effort to pay the bills, we seem to exempt ourselves. Architects can fill in the gaps and derail the pessimistic outcome.

    Dan Losee AIA





  • 3.  RE: Can there be sustainability in an economy depending on growth?

    Posted 01-22-2019 02:18 PM
    Thanks for sharing, its something I have thought about for a long time, and I agree with the ecologists - we can't have sustainability with unlimited growth. I think the forward thinking economists are changing their minds too - read donut economics by Kate Raworth. But I just read a book by Jonas and Johnathan Salk (Salk Institute & Polio vaccine inventor and his son) arguing that global growth is slowing, we're at that inflection point on the sigmoid curve and our values need to change with it. It was edited by an architect, is very visual and would definitely recommend it. https://www.anewrealitybook.com/book

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    Clare Miflin AIA
    Principal
    ThinkWoven
    Brooklyn NY
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  • 4.  RE: Can there be sustainability in an economy depending on growth?

    Posted 01-22-2019 02:18 PM
    Certainly a economy predicated soley on growth is not sustainable.  I have no problem with Sustainability being a growing part of the economy.