We are thrilled to announce the release of "Doughnut for Urban Development: A Manual," – a comprehensive guide that the entire building sector can use to evaluate urban development projects through the lenses of local and global, social, and ecological sustainability.

Inspired by the visionary work of renowned economist Kate Raworth in her influential book "Doughnut Economics: 7 ways to think like a 21st-century economist," the Doughnut for Urban Development translates the principles of the original Doughnut to a sectoral level framework. It consists of an inner ring representing the social foundation, defining the minimum social standards for human well-being, and an outer ring known as the ecological ceiling, outlining the planet's ecological limits. Within this doughnut-shaped safe and just space lies the opportunity to create regenerative and distributive communities.

Co-editors Kasper Guldager Jensen, Co-founder of Home.Earth and Dani Hill-Hansen from EFFEKT, explain:

"The strength of the Doughnut Economy is the model's ability to unite social, planetary and economic sustainability in one model that emphasizes balance rather than growth alone. Therefore, we believe that it is exactly the right guiding star to lead the industry in a much more sustainable direction and have written the book as a practical tool for this transition.”

Developed through a collaborative effort between Aalborg University - BUILD, Danish Technical University, Doughnut Economic Action Lab (DEAL), Green Building Council - Denmark, EFFEKT, Home.Earth, SLA, Sweco, Stockholm Resilience Centre and Vandkunsten, this manual aims to empower developers and building industry professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to apply the Doughnut principles in urban development. It is not a certification scheme or an extensive to-do list for companies to operate a “doughnut company,” but rather it should serve as a practical tool for steering the building industry towards a safe and just space for humanity, within the means of the planet’s limited natural resources.

The manual presents a holistic and actionable approach to redefining the purpose of urban development through the ‘social foundation’ and ‘ecological ceiling’ of the Doughnut for Urban Development. As such, Doughnut for Urban Development encompasses 48 local (on-site) and 48 global (off-site) impact areas, providing a comprehensive framework for assessing and guiding sustainable urban development projects.

To scale building impact within Earth’s finite limits Doughnut for Urban Development presents targets related to two core Earth systems to which all planetary boundaries relate– climate stability and healthy ecosystems – both measurable and specific through Earth science and life cycle assessment. To restore Earth systems, we must set and comply with carbon budgets while at the same time working towards the pursuit of regenerating nature and increasing biodiversity – so that urban development actively contributes to restoring climate stability and creating healthy ecosystems.

To support developers in pursing this goal, Doughnut for Urban Development includes an 'Appendix,' which supports the scientific basis of the manual, a 'Database’ containing detailed frameworks and references behind the social and ecological impact areas, and a 'Toolkit’ to facilitate the application of the Doughnut principles in real-world urban development projects. All resources are freely available for digital download and use.

Why is this framework relevant? This is the first time the Doughnut has been translated and applied at a sectoral level. Building upon the success of its previous global and city-level applications, this framework provides the entire building sector with a transformative evaluation tool for steering urban development towards the safe and just space for humanity. Created by leading experts within the fields of climate science, impact assessment, ecology and building design, this manual offers novel insights and an operation framework for urban development to satisfy human needs within planetary limits.

The manual is divided into five main chapters: "Doughnut Economics: A compass to Guide Urban Development," "The Social Foundation for Urban Development," "The Ecological Ceiling for Urban Development," "Urban Development within Planetary Boundaries," and "Doughnut Design for Business."

"Doughnut for Urban Development: A Manual" is now available for digital access at home.earth/doughnut. Physical copies can be purchased through the Danish Architectural Press.