Expert Interview - Peter Victor

What does sustainable design mean to you?
I understand it to mean design (of objects, facilities and areas) that is in accord with principles of sustainability. These principles deal with primarily human interactions with the rest of nature.

How does your work uniquely contribute to this effort?
The subtitle of my recent book Managing without Growth is 'slower by design, not disaster'. I use a simulation model of the Canadian economy to examine possibilities for a developed country like Canada to fulfill important objectives such as full employment, elimination of poverty and environmental protection without relying on economic growth.

When you imagine a 'sustainable future' what do you see? How do you feel?
My work is analytical rather than 'imaginary'. I work from principles of sustainability similar to those developed by Herman Daly, relating to the burden that human economies place on the natural environment. I try to understand the changes in economies that are required to reduce these burdens for the benefit of all species.

What is your first impression of the CLEAR project?
My impression is based on a quick perusal of the CLEAR website. I like the emphasis on place.

Do any past case studies (successes or failures) come to mind that we might learn from?
No.

Does scale matter? Are there distinctions when designing sustainable solutions for a village vs. a city, for example?
I take the view that impacts on the environment can usefully be understood as a combination of the scale of the activity and the intensity (i.e. impact per unit of activity) of the activity. For example, greenhouse gas emissions of an economy is the multiplication of GDP and GHG/GDP. In general, too much emphasis is placed on lowering intensity for reducing environmental impacts and too little emphasis is placed on reducing scale. We need to examine the relationships between scale and intensity more carefully at many different levels including in comparisons of villages and cities.

If you were leading the design of a sustainable village, what would you prioritise, and why? Who would you want working with you?
This is outside my experience.

Is it possible to replicate the design of one village across different contexts? If so, which design elements would remain consistent no matter what? What would need to change on a case-by-case basis?
This is outside my experience.

Does culture play a part in the design of a sustainable village?
Culture plays an important part in virtually all aspects where people interact.

And finally, business models. Are there any you know of that could inform a more robust outcome for this initiative?
No.