Circles of Sustainability

Circles of Sustainability is a method for assessing sustainability and for managing projects directed towards socially sustainable outcomes. It is intended to handle ‘seemingly intractable problems’.[1] Circles of Sustainability, and its treatment of the social domains of ecology, economics, politics and culture, provides the empirical dimension of an approach called ‘engaged theory’. Developing Circles of Sustainability is part of larger project called ‘Circles of Social Life’ conducted by the UN Global Compact Cities Programme, which is using the same four-domain model to analyze questions of resilience, adaptation, security, reconciliation. It is also being used in relation to thematics such as ‘Circles of Child Wellbeing’ (with World Vision).