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The failures of growth and the sustainable degrowth proposal:

The paradigm of economic growth has dominated politics and policies since 1945. Environmental concerns were introduced later but always subordinated to growth objectives. Expectations of win–win, sustainable growth through technological and efficiency improvements, have not been fulfilled. The present economic crisis opens up a social opportunity to ask fundamental questions. Managed well, this may be the best, possibly last and only chance to change the economy and lifestyles in a path that will not take societies over climate, biodiversity or social cliffs.

The idea of degrowth is emerging as a response to the triple environmental, social and economic crisis.Sustainable degrowth may be defined as an equitable downscaling of production and consumption that increases human wellbeing and enhances ecological conditions at the local and global level, in the short and long term. The paradigmatic proposition of degrowth is therefore that human progress without economic growth is possible.
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— What would this mean for cities ? - from Crisis or opportunity? Economic degrowth for social equity and ecological sustainability - François Schneider, Giorgos Kallis, Joan Martinez-Alier

urban difference