The Hannover Principles Design for Sustainability

The City of Hannover, Germany, has been designated as the site of the world exposition in the year 2000. Hosting the world’s fair on the eve of the next millennium is both a great challenge and a great responsibility. By choosing “Humanity, Nature, and Technology” as the theme for EXPO 2000, the city has decided to directly address the difficult issue of imagining and encouraging a sustainable future. Ideally, humanity will redefine itself, its placement in nature, and refine the role of technology within the environment.

In order to insure that the design and construction related to the fair will represent sustainable development for the city, region, and world, the City of Hannover has commissioned “The Hannover Principles” to inform the international design competitions for EXPO 2000. The Principles are to be considered by designers, planners, government officials and all involved in setting priorities for the built environment. They will help form the foundations of a new design philosophy underlying the future of proposed systems and construction for the City, its region, its global neighbors and partners in the world exposition.

World history offers many examples of societies with environmentally sustainable structures and communities which have endured for thousands of years. However, we have also pursued other paths which have led to ecologically unsustainable practices. For the development and improvement of humankind, it is imperative to renew a commitment to living as part of the earth by understanding development and growth as processes which can be sustained, not exploited to impractical limits.

It is hoped that the Hannover Principles will inspire an approach to design which may meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability of the planet to sustain an equally supportive future.

ISBN-10: 1559636351
ISBN-13: 978-1559636353