This diagram shows two dimensions of sustainability:
- The urban - rural dimension: Sustainability is much harder (is it even possible?) to achieve in a densely populated urban area with all its dependencies on external flows an in-built systemic problems as energy dependency and the HEAP trap.
In a sparsely inhabited area, it is much easier to attain recycling of nutrients, short support lines and local self-sufficiency.
- The life-style dimension, represented by the vertical line Urban - Rurik (Rurik is an old Norse name, while Urban comes from the Flemish Orban).
These two persons represents two life-style extremes, described in this list.
The grey shades of the diagram represents different sustainability possiblitites.
