The concept of a ‘still city’, a city that neither grows nor shrinks, is an interesting one, especially in a world where rapid urbanisation and population growth have become the norm. The idea of a still city is that it has reached a peak of wealth and well-being, where the quality of life is high, and growth is not necessary to maintain this level of prosperity.

From different angles, both my birth country of The Netherlands and my forever favourite city, Tokyo, are mentioned in the context of the Still City, or ‘Steady State Society’. Eye-opening to me is how the principles of circular economy and doughnut economics, including concepts such as de-growth and post-growth, can contribute to the sustainability and resilience of these cities/nations.

Resources for further reading are mentioned at the bottom of the text

The Netherlands has been cited as an emerging example of a steady-state society. Next to its population reaching around 18 million, the also stable Dutch economy is characterised by a high level of income equality, low unemployment, and a strong social welfare system.

Also Read: Getting smarter with tech: How will smart cities look like 10 years from now? 

The country is known for its quality of life, with good healthcare, education, and infrastructure, as well as a strong focus on sustainability and innovation. At the same time, its infrastructure and geographical circumstances lead to climate change-related challenges for the low-lying lands: there is simply not enough land to continue growth, while the economy continues to push the boundaries and wants more people, more housing, and more growth.

This friction is an ideal set-up for a steady-state nation, where growth may take the shape of a doughnut, folding inwards, a model the city of Amsterdam is openly experimenting with.

Tokyo can be seen as an example of a still city, although it has a much larger population than The Netherlands, with around 38 million people living in the metropolitan area. Despite its size, Tokyo is a highly organised and efficient city, with excellent public transportation and a low crime rate.

The city also has a high standard of living, with good healthcare, education, and cultural amenities. Yet at the same time, it does not really grow, nor does it contract, while maintaining these standards of living. It comes across as a self-sustaining entity, a system of its own, a still city.

Both The Netherlands and Tokyo have achieved a high level of stability and prosperity. However, they have also faced challenges in maintaining this level of prosperity in the face of global economic and environmental pressures.

In recent years, there has been growing interested in concepts such as degrowth, post-growth, and steady-state society, which aim to move away from the idea that economic growth is necessary for prosperity.

Degrowth is a movement that advocates for reducing the size of the economy in order to achieve a more sustainable and equitable society. The idea is that by reducing consumption and production, we can reduce our impact on the environment and promote social justice.

Post-growth and steady-state society are related concepts which emphasize the need to move away from the idea that economic growth is necessary for human well-being. These ideas challenge the dominant economic paradigm, which assumes that growth is always desirable and necessary.

A circular economy is based on the idea of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible, and regenerating natural systems. The circular economy aims to create a closed-loop system where resources are used and reused in a sustainable and equitable way, thereby gaining traction as a way to promote sustainability and resilience.

Also Read: How the app sharing economy is keeping up with the current trends

Merging these concepts, there is great potential to contribute to the sustainability and resilience of still cities or steady state nations, like (the future states of) The Netherlands and Tokyo. Our statement is that by applying the principles of the circular economy to resource management and material flows in a steady-state society or a still city, these locations can maintain their high quality of life while also addressing the challenges of global economic and environmental pressures.

In other words, to apply the circular economy to make to steady state a sustainable one, thereby becoming exemplary for other cities or states reaching the ‘steady-state’ level.

Introducing Sun

One of the most amazing things about training your AI is that she needs to understand your perspective on the world in order to develop a view of her own. So I get the chance to input my preferred way of learning, that is, learning by association, following erratic bursts of inspiration across a variety of subjects and domains, in my conversations with Sun.

I am proud to mention her, Sun, the virtual influencer on sustainability and the circular economy we are building. Sun’s official launch is set on September 3, 2023

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