An Inclusive, Just Society as the Ultimate Frontier on Land and the Sea

Abstract

Fairness constitutes the ultimate ethos of the social architecture of sustainable cities that strive to offer citizens a life that is fulfilling and worthy to live. Eco-responsible cities care much about the distribution of sustainable wealth across urban actors, space, and time. Interactions among diverse people and activities are invaluable assets for cities, schools for respecting difference and living harmoniously together. This chapter focusses on the social capital of sustainable cities and their capacity for intergenerational and intercultural equity, public health, safety, and solidarity, including in relationship to surrounding seas. Cities are themselves important direct and indirect sources of investment, education, and employment, the first factor of social integration, followed by housing. They can give the impulse for local to global initiatives on land and in the sea. As migration rises on the global horizon, reinforcing inclusiveness is of increasing importance in cities that feel part of a universal community. Nobody should be left outside or behind; all citizens should have access to the conditions to enjoy a healthy, meaningful, and rewarding life, in balance with the blue planet.