Community sustainability in developing countries: urban vs rural

Community development and planning is essential for countries with growing populations in order to prepare the infrastructure to support the increasing demand on limited natural resources.

In areas of China, the strain on community development is space in overpopulated urban centers. These cities cannot sustain the congestion from commuter vehicle traffic. In order to continue their growth, cities, like Dalian, China, have to find a way to reorganize the area and develop an effective rail-transit system to alleviate congestion. Urban Community Growth through Rail-Transit

While urban communities are also an issue in India, rural communities are in need of sustainable development due to the issue of watershed areas, specifically in the Maharashtra region.

The Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR) began their organization to help people live sustainably in rain dry areas where the water tends to pool in one section. WOTR trains people to live sustainably on their land by promoting farming over wild grazing and establishing infrastructure, such as public bathrooms, where they do not yet exist. Tackling Poverty with Sustainable Living

Photo credits: S Zhao, Dalian University of Technology, CN's report on "Rail transit oriented urban development in Dalian: towards a new urban form", 2007 and WOTR.org