Alvarez, Pedro J.2013-03-082013-03-082011Robson, Aaron Marc. "Sustainability Measurement: A New Evaluation Framework and a Case Study of Houston, Texas." (2011) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/70412">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/70412</a>.https://hdl.handle.net/1911/70412Sustainability thinking has advanced considerably in the last few decades. Despite these advances, there remains a significant disconnect between thoughts and actions in this field. Sustainability metrics are one method proposed to help address this problem. A literature review of the most commonly used metrics and evaluation systems will first be presented, along with a critical evaluation of each system against the basic principles of sustainability. Next, a new evaluation framework will be proposed that addresses some of the shortcomings of the existing evaluation methods. This framework is designed to follow the best available thinking on a number of sustainability issues and overall, give a clear and concise evaluation of sustainability while still maintaining accuracy and scientific relevancy. Finally, a theoretical application of the framework to evaluating the sustainability of the city of Houston, Texas will be given, showing the necessary metrics required to follow the principles of the framework.63 p.application/pdfengCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.Health sciencesEnvironmental scienceSocial sciencesTexasEnvironmental studiesSustainabilityThesisRobsonA