Table 1 Common definitions of the eco-city

An eco-city is “an urban environmental system in which input (of resources) and output (of waste) are minimized” [58].

“The eco-city is an umbrella metaphor that encompasses a wide range of urban–ecological proposals that aim to achieve urban sustainability. These approaches propose a wide range of environmental, social, and institutional policies that are directed to managing urban spaces to achieve sustainability” Jabareen ([59], pp. 46-47).

“An eco–city is a human settlement which emphasizes the self–sustaining resilient structure and function of natural environment and ecosystems. It seeks to provide a healthy and livable human environment without consuming more renewable resources than it replaces” ([60], p. 7).

An eco-city is “a human settlement that enables its residents to live a good quality of life while using minimal natural resources” [61].