The 2007 report assesses progress toward the eight Millennium Development Goals between the years 2000 and 2005. Under “Assure Environmental Sustainability” there is a section on extreme poverty in urban slums.

Rapid urbanization has given rise to increased slum populations throughout the developing world. While cities represent hope for many, destitute conditions severely threaten human well-being. It’s interesting that the section on slums is grouped with the environmental sustainability goals.

Photo from page 9 of the Millennium Development Goals Report 2007

Quoted from the Millennium Development Goals Report 2007 (PDF): Already, nearly half the world’s population live in cities in towns. But due to urban migration and rapid population growth, the number of urban dwellers will continue to expand, from 3.2 billion people today to nearly 5 billion by 2030, with most of the growth taking place in Africa and Asia.

A recent report from the Worldwatch Institute projects that China will meet its ambitious renewable energy goals for 2020 through significant investments in hydro, wind, biomass, and solar power. Of particular note is the use of solar hot water by ten percent of Chinese households, which could affect global energy use as companies begin to export these inexpensive units.

However, Howard French and Li Zhen’s article in the New York Times (part of a series on pollution in China) paints a different picture of China’s renewable energy progress. Titled Far From Beijing’s Reach, Officials Bend Energy Rules, this article identifies widespread breaches of policy at the local level, making it increasingly unlikely that China will meet its energy reduction goals without meaningful intervention by the national government to assure compliance.

This highlights the importance of effective policy enforcement in creating the conditions necessary for sustainable business practices to take root.

Quoted from the Worldwatch Institute’s review of Powering China’s Development: China has become a global leader in renewable energy. It is expected to invest more than $10 billion in new renewable energy capacity in 2007, second only to Germany. Most of this is for small hydropower, solar hot water, and wind power.

Straw bale homes are on the rise based on the demand for inexpensive, renewable, and energy-efficient building materials. Some recent books on the form and function of straw bale construction include The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes by Athena and Bill Steen; Strawbale Home Plans (pictured) by Wayne Bingham and Collen Smith; and Design of Straw Bale Buildings: The State of the Art by Bruce King.

Earth Architecture is one of my favorite blogs. It shows, through vivid images and commentary, the possibilities of building with natural materials. Examples are included from the past and present, in locations all over the world.

Photo (from Reuters) appears on the Earth Architecture website

Quoted from the Earth Architecture website: The EARTH ARCHITECTURE website focuses on architecture constructed of mud brick (adobe), rammed earth (pisé), compressed earth block or other methods of earthen construction and serves as a database for the discussion and dissemination of events, resources, and images of earth architecture in the context of contemporary architecture culture.

In their book, Practical Ecology for Planners, Developers, and Citizens, Dan Perlman and Jeffrey Milder provide a great overview of ecological concepts and how they apply to urban development. Restoring and preserving natural ecosystems can significantly improve the quality of life in cities.

Quoted from Island Press: Practical Ecology for Planners, Developers, and Citizens offers clear guidelines and a wealth of information on how we can protect species and ecosystems while at the same creating healthy, sustainable human communities.

The Brookings-Wharton Papers on Urban Affairs journal contains articles related to the challenges facing urban areas, along with potential solutions. Topics include urban sprawl, environmental conservation, transportation, and technologies with the potential to transform urban areas.

Quoted: Designed to reach a wide audience of scholars and policymakers, Brookings-Wharton Papers on Urban Affairs provides accessible research on urban areas and issues, including studies on urban sprawl, crime, taxes, education, poverty, and related subjects.

The Challenge of Slums: Global Report on Human Settlements (2003), by the United Nations Human Settlements Program, is an influential report on urbanization in the developing world. It provides excellent case studies on the origins, problems, and solutions associated with urban slums in the context of contemporary globalization.

Quoted: The most authoritative and up-to-date review of the development of the world’s cities and other human settlements. The first global assessment of urban slums, the challenges they present and the ways to improve the lives of slum dwellers. Statistical annexes provide essential information on demographic, spatial & economic, housing, and environment & infrastructural indicators…

Muhammad Yunus details his experience developing practical solutions to extreme poverty in Bangladesh and throughout the world. A very inspiring book.

Photo appears on Muhammad Yunus’s Banker to the Poor website.

In Globalization and Its Discontents, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz presents an incisive critique of globalization and the liberal economic policies of the IMF, World Bank, and WTO. Stiglitz includes detailed examples of the effects of such policies on developing countries, and concludes with a list of seven recommendations for reforming the international financial system to help globalization reach its positive potential.

In his article Megacities, Mega Dreams for a Connected World, Suketu Mehta provides a vivid account of life in Bombay, including reasons people move there and how the plight of city dwellers might be improved. The article is accompanied by striking photos by Betsy Karel.

Quoted: For the young person in an Indian village, the call of Bombay isn’t just about money. It’s also about freedom. Suketu Mehta is a fiction writer and journalist based in New York. His first book, “Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found” was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Photos are from “Bombay Jadoo,” a book of photographs by Betsy Karel, with text by Ardashir Vakil and Suketu Mehta, published by Steidl in Germany. “Jadoo” is the Hindi word for magic.