Abstract:
Sustainability is a complex concept and an interconnected network, impacting an individual to the world. Discussions about sustainability now no longer consider sustainability solely as an environmental concern but also incorporate economic and social dimensions. This paper presents a systems approach for sustainable development through social sustainability, mainly focuses on rural-suburban-urban linkages with the approach of local food to a global solution. The paper incorporates four interconnected layers of this approach, including the understanding of social sustainability, rural-suburban-urban linkages, interconnection of sustainability and food, and the impact of sustainable agriculture on ecological, economic, social and cultural dimensions and a demonstration of the design approach. The context of India and a specific design approach are used to understand the conceptual framework of rural-suburban-urban linkages and social sustainability. The discussed integrated approach could become a responsive tool to solve many critical issues of current and future world and can lead towards a holistic approach to sustainable society.
