In the first article in our series of 17 Sustainable Ideas for COP17, Robert Bowen reviews the Masters Thesis of Allen Rhodes, entitled Planning the Post Oil City. The trends highlight the obstacles or challenges faced in living in a city without oil but also illustrate the small steps that can be taken in overcoming them. Will oil-producing nations involved in the COP17 negotiations see a reduced demand for oil as a threat to their future and hence stifle negotiations in this regard?