Challenges facing indicators to become a universal language for sustainable urban development

Urban development plays a role in global progress, but its sustainability is still a pressing issue. Indicators are a kind of powerful tool for addressing issues about urban sustainability and have gained increasing attention. However, making them become a universal language to solve this global issue is still challenging and controversial. This paper firstly summarizes 1442 indicators in the previous 47 urban sustainability studies. Then, based on the discussion of deficiencies in framing, conceptualizing, labeling, and digitalizing urban sustainability, we propose challenges facing indicators to become a universal language for sustainable urban development. Accordingly, this paper calls for an indicator dictionary, established by a particular global organization, constructed standardized and applied localized.

Automated summary

Indicators are powerful tools in addressing urban sustainability issues, but making them a universal language for solving global issues remains challenging and controversial.