Article: Sustainable development and resilience in public agencies: sustainability planning--in Cape Cod, Alberta, and other regions--helps organizations meet their goals and benefit the surrounding systems.

Public agencies create and follow sustainable development plans to manage scarce environmental resources, environmental impact, and organizational efficiency. In Massachusetts, Governor Mitt Romney has mandated that all state agencies initiate sustainable development and smart-growth plans. In California, cities such as Santa Monica and San Francisco have undertaken city-wide sustainability initiatives. Federal and international organizations, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Departments of the Interior and Housing and Urban Development, and United Nations Division for Sustainable Development, are strongly promoting sustainability planning. Although sustainable ...