Brundtland Commission (the original definition)

“Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Source: http://www.unngocsd.org/CSD_Definitions%20SD.htm

Melbourne Principles on Sustainable Cities, Australia

Cities are fundamental for economic opportunities and social interaction, as well as cultural and spiritual enrichment. However, cities also damage the natural environment and exploit natural resources in an unsustainable manner which can jeopardise long-term prosperity and social wellbeing. This is of global concern, as more than half of the world's population lives in cities and trends indicate that this will increase.

The transformation of cities to sustainability will require cooperation between various levels of government, resource managers, the business sector, community groups and all citizens. Their collective and individual contributions are essential in achieving a common purpose. Improving the sustainability of cities will not only benefit their inhabitants, but also significantly contribute to improving the wellbeing of people around the world.

Our vision is…to create environmentally healthy, vibrant and sustainable cities where people respect one another and nature, to the benefit of all.Source: http://epanote2.epa.vic.gov.au/EPA/Publications.nsf

The Hannover Principles

1. Insist on rights of humanity and nature to co-exist in a healthy, supportive, diverse and sustainable condition.
2. Recognize interdependence. The elements of human design interact with and depend upon the natural world, with broad and diverse implications at every scale. Expand design considerations to recognizing even distant effects.
3. Respect relationships between spirit and matter. Consider all aspects of human settlement including community, dwelling, industry and trade in terms of existing and evolving connections between spiritual and material consciousness.
4. Accept responsibility for the consequences of design decisions upon human well-being, the viability of natural systems, and their right to co-exist.
5. Create safe objects of long-term value. Do not burden future generations with requirements for maintenance of vigilant administration of potential danger due to the careless creation of products, processes or standards.
6. Eliminate the concept of waste. Evaluate and optimize the full life-cycle of products and processes, to approach the state of natural systems, in which there is no waste.
7. Rely on natural energy flows. Human designs should, like the living world, derive their creative forces from perpetual solar income. Incorporate the energy efficiently and safely for responsible use.
8. Understand the limitations of design. No human creation lasts forever and design does not solve all problems. Those who create and plan should practice humility in the face of nature. Treat nature as a model and mentor, not and inconvenience to be evaded or controlled.
9. Seek constant improvement by the sharing of knowledge. Encourage direct and open communication between colleagues, patrons, manufacturers and users to link long term sustainable considerations with ethical responsibility, and re-establish the integral relationship between natural processes and human activity.
10. The Hannover Principles should be seen as a living document committed to the transformation and growth in the understanding of our interdependence with nature, so that they may adapt as our knowledge of the world evolvesSource: http://repo-nt.tcc.virginia.edu/classes/tcc315/Resources/ALM/Environment/hannover.html

San Francisco

Sustainable City's advocacy for a sustainable future -- one that provides for the needs of the present without sacrificing the ability of future generations and the natural world to provide for their own needs
…There are some hard facts underlying the ability of civilization to perpetuate itself indefinitely into the future.

For life as we know it to survive here:

1. The physical resources and systems that support life must be maintained:
• They can’t be used up so that there is nothing left; and
• They can’t be made unusable through degradation.
2. The health of plant and animal populations, whether they are considered as the human food chain or as a highly complex system that interacts with physical life-support systems (such as the atmosphere) in ways that aren?t well understood, must be insured.
3. A social structure must be created that will be capable of achieving the preceding two requirements. This means equitable distribution of resources; high quality of life in cities (which, by their density, are conducive to reduced environmental impact); education and affluence that lead to population control; social justice to eliminate the disruptive social upheaval that results from its lack; public education that gives people the tools to improve their interaction with the natural world, and a myriad other social considerations. Social systems without these attributes are unstable and cannot maintain a proper balance with the natural world.Source: http://www.sustainable-city.org/Plan/Intro/intro.htm

Fraser Basin Council (FBC), Vancouver Canada

A sustainable community “is a place where social well-being is supported by a vibrant economy and sustained by a healthy environment – a true reflection of sustainability.
The term "sustainability" means different things to different people. The FBC defines sustainability as "living and managing activities in a way that balances social, economic, environmental and institutional considerations to meet our needs and those of future generations.

The FBC believes that sustainability is not just about the environment nor about the economy. It's about integrating economic, social and environmental considerations into all of our planning for the future health and prosperity of the Fraser Basin. It's about new ways of thinking. It's about developing new, collaborative models of leadership that can effectively grapple with the big issues.

Sustainability is about change that rejects the status quo. It requires that we all work together to find the common ground upon which constructive solutions will be crafted. Perhaps we should stop trying to define the word and just think of sustainability as working together to build a better future for our children.Source: http://www.fraserbasin.bc.ca/about_us

Institute for Sustainable Communities

Sustainable communities are defined as towns and cities that have taken steps to remain healthy over the long term. Sustainable communities have a strong sense of place. They have a vision that is embraced and actively promoted by all of the key sectors of society, including businesses, disadvantaged groups, environmentalists, civic associations, government agencies, and religious organizations.

They are places that build on their assets and dare to be innovative. These communities value healthy ecosystems, use resources efficiently, and actively seek to retain and enhance a locally based economy. There is a pervasive volunteer spirit that is rewarded by concrete results. Partnerships between and among government, the business sector, and nonprofit organizations are common.

Public debate in these communities is engaging, inclusive, and constructive. Unlike traditional community development approaches, sustainability strategies emphasize: the whole community (instead of just disadvantaged neighborhoods); ecosystem protection; meaningful and broad-based citizen participation; and economic self-reliance.
Source: http://www.iscvt.org/FAQscdef.html

Sustainable Cities Research Institute

We live in an interconnected world where actions reverberate over time and across the globe. Sustainability, based on a long-term view that the needs of humanity and the environment are interconnected, is rightly high on the agenda.

Sustainability includes the principles of futurity, equity and participation. It is about fairness, now and in the future, for people and the planet. A sustainable outlook concentrates on quality of life and meeting needs rather than simply producing commodities. Peoples' active involvement and commitment are the best guarantee of fairness. We need to think long-term so that the physical and social environment lasts.

Central to the outlook of sustainable cities is an integrated view that sees the whole picture across the scales of time and space, from now and into the future, the local and the global, and the micro and the macro.
Source: http://www.sustainable-cities.org.uk/

City of Hamilton, Canada

“As citizens, businesses and government of the City of Hamilton we accept responsibility for making decisions that lead to a healthy, sustainable future. We celebrate our strengths as a vibrant, diverse City of natural beauty nestled around the Niagara Escarpment and Hamilton Harbour. We are able to achieve our full potential through safe access to clean air and water, food, shelter, education, satisfying employment, spirituality and culture. We weigh social/health, economic and environmental costs, benefits and risks equally when making decisions.
Action - Sustainable community goals, strategies and targets are achieved by committing resources and acting decisively.
Access - People have the ability to contribute and participate in community life regardless of physical and mental ability, income, age, gender, spiritual or cultural background or geographic location.
Accountability - Community leaders measure and report on progress in achieving the Vision.
Adaptability - We learn from the past and take action to create positive change.
In our sustainable community change supports the ecosystems and human systems on which we depend. We have a coordinated and collaborative approach to planning, policymaking and action, which includes public participation. We know that our success depends upon widespread understanding of the critical relationship between people and their environment.
Our principles of sustainability encompass the following:

• Fulfilment of human needs for peace, clean air and water, food, shelter, education, arts, culture, and satisfying employment
• Maintenance of ecological integrity through careful stewardship, re-habilitation, reduction in wastes and protection of diverse and important natural species and systems;
• Provision for self-determination through public involvement in the definition and development of local solutions to social, environmental, and economic concerns; and,
• Achievement of equity with the fairest possible sharing of limited resources among neighbourhoods, regions and beyond, and between our generation and that of our descendants.”

Source: http://www.vision2020.hamilton.ca/NewVision2020pdf

Resort Municipality of Whistler, Canada

Whistler aspires to achieve environmental and social sustainability, and a healthy economy, locally and globally. What does sustainability actually mean for Whistler, and for society? To strategically progress toward sustainability, Whistlerites need a shared understanding of what sustainability is, and a compass to frame and guide decision-making and planning.
In 2000 the resort community adopted the Natural Step framework (TNS framework) to guide its progress toward sustainability. The NS Framework is a ‘systems perspective lens for looking upstream to understand and plan for a sustainable society. It covers all aspects of sustainability, where the ultimate goals are social and ecological sustainability, and a vibrant economy is the means to ensure that we achieve these goals.

The framework helps us to understand the state of our currently un-sustainable community and society; provides us with basic principles that define minimum requirements for a sustainable society; and outlines a planning process for moving forward. While there are many unknowns about Whistler’s future, we do know the four basic TNS principles that we need to respect for this future to be sustainable.
Source: http://www.whistler.ca/Sustainability/Whistler_2020/

Sustainable Sonoma County

"Sustainability secures people's quality of life within the means of nature in a way that is fair and equitable to all humanity, other species and to future generations. Sustainability recognizes the inter-relatedness of the economy, society, and environment. It requires that we not consume resources faster than they can be renewed nor produce wastes faster than they can be absorbed."
Source: http://www.sustainablesonoma.org

City of Seattle

The City of Seattle doesn’t have a distinct definition of sustainable development as such, but the following quote from their website approximates one:
By planning at the community or neighborhood scale and applying an integrated, whole-systems approach the City can achieve an even greater level of environmental protection. The…City's goals for protecting environmental quality, promoting environmental justice, and improving quality-of-life in Seattle for current and future generations, include:

• Climate protection and clean air
• Healthy habitat and clean water
• Sustainable forests
• Connected and healthy communities

The basis of an integrated, whole-systems approach is to consider the interrelationships between systems and seek solutions that support more than one goal at the same time.Source: http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/GreenBuilding/SustainableCommunities/Overview/default.asp

City of Vancouver

What is Sustainability?

• A sustainable Vancouver is a community that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• It is a place where people live, work and prosper in a vibrant community of communities. In such a community, sustainability is achieved through community participation and the reconciliation of short and long term economic, social and ecological well-being.
• Sustainability is a direction rather than a destination. A sustainable city is one that protects and enhances the immediate and long-term well being of a city and its citizens, while providing the highest quality of life possible.
• Sustainability requires integrated decision-making that takes into account economic, ecological, and social impacts as a whole.

City Principles of Sustainability

1. Today's decisions must not compromise the choices of our children and future generations.
2. We are all accountable for our individual and collective actions.
3. Resources must be used fairly and efficiently without compromising the sustainability of one community for another.
4. Using renewable resources is encouraged and supported, while the use of non-renewable resources should be minimized.
5. Renewable resource consumption should not exceed the rate of regeneration.
6. Strong collaboration and open communication between the public, the business sector, and all levels of government are important.
7. We value cultural, economic, and environmental diversity.
8. A community should provide a safe, healthy, and viable setting for human interaction, education, employment, recreation, and cultural development.
9. A sustainable Vancouver contributes to, and provides leadership towards, regional, provincial, national, and global sustainability.
10. The Vancouver economy should move forward from its dependence on non-renewable carbon based fuels, particularly for transportation, which are likely to fluctuate dramatically in price and supply.

Source: http://www.vancouver.ca/sustainability

City of Chicago

Sustainability is about making cities livable and equitable. It’s about creating and supporting an economy that nourishes people, fosters cultural diversity and protects the environment. It starts right here and now, with the decisions we make on a daily basiSource: http://www.believechicago.org/guide/index.php

City of Okotoks, Canada

“In the year 2030, Okotoks is a leader in sustainability, driven by an involved, connected and creative community. Through visionary leadership, citizens are engaged in maintaining a safe, caring and vital community that honours our culture, heritage and environment.”
Source: http://www.okotoks.ca/pdf/Sustainable/worldplannerscongress_06.pdf