‘This is a wonderful book that should be on the desk of every architect and planner. It shows how

Step 2: Adopt a Constitution for Decision-Making
Step 1 was intended to ensure participants have an understanding of biophysical sustainability 
and its integral relationship to design. This second step aims to ensure an understanding of the 
democratic dimension of sustainability and its integral relationship to design. Design has the 
capacity to transcend value and ideology conflicts. In a collaborative design process, however, it is 
essential to have substantive due process (fair outcomes) and procedural due process (fair rules of 
engagement) [Chapter 13]. This is true whether the undertaking is at the neighbourhood planning 
level or the international level. There can be no genuine community participation without due process 
protections. Otherwise the process can be subverted, or the agenda changed midstream, by the more 
powerful parties. This often happens.
Substantive due process principles [Chapter 13]
Substantive due process principles can be framed in terms of the rights and responsibilities of the 
parties. The right to sustainability and genuine democracy means 
freedom from
harm to health 
and safety. This includes freedom from a gradual erosion of environmental quality over time. For 
instance, people should not be deemed to have agreed to have their rights eroded just because their 
‘vote’ for a political party or personality has that ultimate effect. In essence, the current social order 
protects the 
freedom to
occupy and exploit the public estate, as long as individuals are not unduly 
harmed (the Pareto Optimum). Thus, we have seen that:
•
Small doses of carcinogens are sometimes portrayed as acceptable as long as they are not 
lethal and we cannot measure the extent to which they will ‘shorten’ life spans 
• 
Poverty is treated as if it were acceptable because it is not an immediate cause of death, at 
least when nature intervenes (eg as in Bangladesh or New Orleans floods) 
With any set of rights, ‘responsibilities’ are implied. The Earth Charter can serve as a guide, because 
it has acquired legitimacy through an extensive process of community engagement and participation 
in different nations and at the international level. Some of the ‘substantive’ decision principles that 

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The SmartMode Process
were discussed in the text could become elements of a constitution for Positive Development. For 
example:
• 
Sustainability is a basic human right for all, not a ‘value’ to be weighed along with other
preferences. ‘Freedom from’ harm does not mean ‘freedom to’ seek disproportionate benefits
from community and nature. 
• 
All actions, decisions and design should aim to make everyone better off by improving
society’s current and future condition, through interventions in existing systems of
development to generate positive effects in the surrounding area.
• 
Direct action and/or investment should be undertaken to improve the eco-effectiveness of 
systems. Relying on complex incentive schemes to get others to act is uncertain, and often
means tradeoffs or wealth transfers without net positive gains.
• 
A sustainability standard is required, as incremental improvements upon existing trends
often reinforce non-sustainable templates. While incremental ‘actions’ are often necessary,
incremental ‘standards’ impede innovation.
• 
Natural and national security should be increased by replacing fossil with renewable fuels, as
fossil fuels threaten the sustainability of democracy and the life-support system itself.