The Index of Sustainable Functionality: An Application for Measuring Sustainability
The index of sustainable functionality (ISF) is an adaptive, multi-criteria technique that is used to measure sustainability; it is a concept that can be transposed to many regions throughout the world. An ISF application of the Southern Regional Organisation of Councils (SouthROC) in South East Queensland (SEQ) – the fastest growing region in Australia – indicated over a 25 year period an increase of over 10% level of functionality from 58.0% to 68.3%. The ISF of SouthROC utilised methodologies that derived from an expert panel based approach. The overall results attained an intermediate level of functionality which amounted to related concerns of economic progress and lack of social awareness. Within the region, a solid basis for future testing by way of measured changes and developed trends can be established. In this regard as management tool, the ISF record offers support for regional sustainability practice and decision making alike. This research adaptively analyses sustainability – a concept that is lacking throughout much of the academic literature and any reciprocal experimentation. This lack of knowledge base has been the emphasis of where future sustainability research can grow from and prove useful in rapidly growing regions. It is the intentions of this research to help further develop the notions of index-based quantitative sustainability.
[1] Srinivasan, T.N., Human development: a new paradigm or reinvention
of the wheel? . American Economic Review, 1994. 84(2): p. 238-243.
[2] Bithas, K.P. and M. Christofakis, Environmentally sustainable cities:
critical review and operational conditions. Sustainable Development,
2006. 14(3): p. 177-189.
[3] Bithas, K.P. and P. Nijkamp, Operationalising ecologically sustainable
development at the microlevel: pareto optimality and the preservation
of biologically crucial levels. International Journal of Environment and
Sustainable Development, 2006. 5(2): p. 126-146.
[4] Imberger, J., et al., The index of sustainable functionality: a new
adaptive, multicriteria measurement of sustainability - application to
Western Australia. International Journal of Environment and
Sustainable Development, 2007. 6(3): p. 323-355.
[5] Lee, Y. and C. Huang, Sustainability index for Taipei. Environmental
Impact Assessment Review, 2007. 27: p. 505-521.
[6] Samuel-Johnston, K. and D.C. Esty (2001) 2001 Environmental
Sustainability Index: an initiative of the global leaders of tomorrow
environment taskforce. World Economic Forum.
[7] Sen, A., Well-being, agency and freedom: the Dewey Lectures 1984.
Journal of Philosophy, 1985. 82(4): p. 169-221.
[8] Sen, A., A decade of human development. Journal of Human
Development, 2000. 1(1): p. 17-23.
[9] United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report
1990: concept and measurement of human development. 1990: Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
[10] Kelly, A.C., The Human Development Index: handle with care.
Population and Development Review, 1991. 17(2): p. 315-324.
[11] Daly, H. and J. Cobb, For the common good: redirecting the economy
toward community, the environment, and a sustainable future. 1989,
Boston: Beacon Press.
[12] Royal Government of Bhutan. Gross National Happiness. 1999 11th
November 2007]; Available from: http://www.bhutanstudies.com/.
[13] Rees, W., Ecological footprints and appropriated carrying capacity:
what urban economics leaves out. Environment and Urbanization,
1992. 4(2): p. 121-130.
[14] Cobb, C., T. Halstead, and J. Rowe, If the GDP is up, why is America
down? Atlantic Monthly, 1995. October: p. 59-78.
[15] ABC News. Council amalgamation laws pass through Qld Parliament.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation News 2007 19 June 2008];
Available from:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/10/2001269.htm.
[16] Queensland Government, South East Queensland Regional Plan 2005-
2026. 2005, Office of Urban Management Department of Local
Government Planning Sport and Recreation, The State of Queensland:
Brisbane. p. 149.
[17] Cirella, G.T., L. Tao, and S. Mohamed, An application of an adaptive
quantitative method to measure the sustainability of the Gold Coast,
Australia. Journal of Coastal Research, 2007. SI 50: p. 52-6.
[18] Cirella, G.T. and L. Tao, An adaptive quantitative method to measure
sustainability: An application for the State of Queensland, Australia.
The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and
Social Sustainability, 2008. In press.
[19] Brown, A., The index of sustainable functionality (ISF): A prospective
tool for assessing the sustainability of the impact of the World Bank
projects. 2005, Centre for Water Research: Perth, WA. p. 236.
[20] Hacking, T. and P. Guthrie, A framework for clarifying the meaning of
triple bottom-line, integrated, and sustainability assessment.
Environmental Impact Assessment, 2007. In press.
[21] Queensland Government, Population growth - highlights and trends:
Queensland 2005. 2005, Planning Information and Forecasting Unit,
Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation:
Brisbane.
[22] Ranis, G., F. Steward, and A. Ramirez, Economic growth and human
development. World Development, 2000. 28(2): p. 197-219.
[23] Wallis, A., et al., Measuring regional sustainability: lessons to be
learned. International Journal of Environment and Sustainable
Development, 2007. 6(2): p. 193-207.
[24] Foster, A., Learning by doing and learning from others: human capital
and technical change in agriculture. Journal of Political Economy,
1995. 103(6): p. 1176-209.
[25] Linden, A.L. and A. Carlsson-Kanyama, Globalisation of markets and
products for environmental policy. International Journal of
Environment and Sustainable Development, 2007. 6(4): p. 473-87.
[1] Srinivasan, T.N., Human development: a new paradigm or reinvention
of the wheel? . American Economic Review, 1994. 84(2): p. 238-243.
[2] Bithas, K.P. and M. Christofakis, Environmentally sustainable cities:
critical review and operational conditions. Sustainable Development,
2006. 14(3): p. 177-189.
[3] Bithas, K.P. and P. Nijkamp, Operationalising ecologically sustainable
development at the microlevel: pareto optimality and the preservation
of biologically crucial levels. International Journal of Environment and
Sustainable Development, 2006. 5(2): p. 126-146.
[4] Imberger, J., et al., The index of sustainable functionality: a new
adaptive, multicriteria measurement of sustainability - application to
Western Australia. International Journal of Environment and
Sustainable Development, 2007. 6(3): p. 323-355.
[5] Lee, Y. and C. Huang, Sustainability index for Taipei. Environmental
Impact Assessment Review, 2007. 27: p. 505-521.
[6] Samuel-Johnston, K. and D.C. Esty (2001) 2001 Environmental
Sustainability Index: an initiative of the global leaders of tomorrow
environment taskforce. World Economic Forum.
[7] Sen, A., Well-being, agency and freedom: the Dewey Lectures 1984.
Journal of Philosophy, 1985. 82(4): p. 169-221.
[8] Sen, A., A decade of human development. Journal of Human
Development, 2000. 1(1): p. 17-23.
[9] United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report
1990: concept and measurement of human development. 1990: Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
[10] Kelly, A.C., The Human Development Index: handle with care.
Population and Development Review, 1991. 17(2): p. 315-324.
[11] Daly, H. and J. Cobb, For the common good: redirecting the economy
toward community, the environment, and a sustainable future. 1989,
Boston: Beacon Press.
[12] Royal Government of Bhutan. Gross National Happiness. 1999 11th
November 2007]; Available from: http://www.bhutanstudies.com/.
[13] Rees, W., Ecological footprints and appropriated carrying capacity:
what urban economics leaves out. Environment and Urbanization,
1992. 4(2): p. 121-130.
[14] Cobb, C., T. Halstead, and J. Rowe, If the GDP is up, why is America
down? Atlantic Monthly, 1995. October: p. 59-78.
[15] ABC News. Council amalgamation laws pass through Qld Parliament.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation News 2007 19 June 2008];
Available from:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/10/2001269.htm.
[16] Queensland Government, South East Queensland Regional Plan 2005-
2026. 2005, Office of Urban Management Department of Local
Government Planning Sport and Recreation, The State of Queensland:
Brisbane. p. 149.
[17] Cirella, G.T., L. Tao, and S. Mohamed, An application of an adaptive
quantitative method to measure the sustainability of the Gold Coast,
Australia. Journal of Coastal Research, 2007. SI 50: p. 52-6.
[18] Cirella, G.T. and L. Tao, An adaptive quantitative method to measure
sustainability: An application for the State of Queensland, Australia.
The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and
Social Sustainability, 2008. In press.
[19] Brown, A., The index of sustainable functionality (ISF): A prospective
tool for assessing the sustainability of the impact of the World Bank
projects. 2005, Centre for Water Research: Perth, WA. p. 236.
[20] Hacking, T. and P. Guthrie, A framework for clarifying the meaning of
triple bottom-line, integrated, and sustainability assessment.
Environmental Impact Assessment, 2007. In press.
[21] Queensland Government, Population growth - highlights and trends:
Queensland 2005. 2005, Planning Information and Forecasting Unit,
Department of Local Government, Planning, Sport and Recreation:
Brisbane.
[22] Ranis, G., F. Steward, and A. Ramirez, Economic growth and human
development. World Development, 2000. 28(2): p. 197-219.
[23] Wallis, A., et al., Measuring regional sustainability: lessons to be
learned. International Journal of Environment and Sustainable
Development, 2007. 6(2): p. 193-207.
[24] Foster, A., Learning by doing and learning from others: human capital
and technical change in agriculture. Journal of Political Economy,
1995. 103(6): p. 1176-209.
[25] Linden, A.L. and A. Carlsson-Kanyama, Globalisation of markets and
products for environmental policy. International Journal of
Environment and Sustainable Development, 2007. 6(4): p. 473-87.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:52580", author = "G.T. Cirella and L. Tao", title = "The Index of Sustainable Functionality: An Application for Measuring Sustainability", abstract = "The index of sustainable functionality (ISF) is an adaptive, multi-criteria technique that is used to measure sustainability; it is a concept that can be transposed to many regions throughout the world. An ISF application of the Southern Regional Organisation of Councils (SouthROC) in South East Queensland (SEQ) – the fastest growing region in Australia – indicated over a 25 year period an increase of over 10% level of functionality from 58.0% to 68.3%. The ISF of SouthROC utilised methodologies that derived from an expert panel based approach. The overall results attained an intermediate level of functionality which amounted to related concerns of economic progress and lack of social awareness. Within the region, a solid basis for future testing by way of measured changes and developed trends can be established. In this regard as management tool, the ISF record offers support for regional sustainability practice and decision making alike. This research adaptively analyses sustainability – a concept that is lacking throughout much of the academic literature and any reciprocal experimentation. This lack of knowledge base has been the emphasis of where future sustainability research can grow from and prove useful in rapidly growing regions. It is the intentions of this research to help further develop the notions of index-based quantitative sustainability.
", keywords = "Environmental engineering, index of sustainable functionality, sustainability indicators, sustainable development.", volume = "3", number = "4", pages = "272-7", }
