Sustainable Urban Development Reader by Wheeler, Stephen M.; Beatley, Timothy;

Short description:

Building on the success of its first edition, the second edition expands its selection of classic material on sustainable community development in a highly readable format including updated material and case studies.

Long description:

Building on the success of its first edition, the second edition of the Sustainable Urban Development Reader expands its selection of classic material on sustainable community development. As in the previous edition, it begins by tracing the roots of the sustainable development concept in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, before presenting classic readings on a number of dimensions of the sustainability concept.

Topics covered include land use and urban design, transportation, ecological planning and restoration, energy and materials use, economic development, social and environmental justice, and green architecture and building. All sections have a concise editorial introduction that places the selection in context and suggests further reading. Additional sections cover tools for sustainable development, sustainable development internationally, visions of sustainable community and case studies from around the world. The book also includes educational exercises for individuals, university classes, or community groups, and an extensive list of recommended readings.

The anthology remains unique in presenting a broad array of classic readings in this field, each with a concise introduction placing it within the context of this evolving discourse. It includes updated material on:

• global warming


• issues in less developed countries


• ecotourism


• prospects for sustainable development in China


• megacities


• case studies of sustainable development.

The Sustainable Urban Development Reader presents an authoritative overview of the field using original sources in a highly readable format for university classes in urban studies, environmental studies, the social sciences, and related fields. It also makes a wide range of sustainable urban planning-related material available to the public in a clear and accessible way, forming an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the future of urban environments.

Building on the success of its first edition, the second edition of the Sustainable Urban Development Reader expands its selection of classic material on sustainable community development. As in the previous edition, it begins by tracing the roots of the sustainable development concept in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, before presenting classic readings on a number of dimensions of the sustainability concept.

Topics covered include land use and urban design, transportation, ecological planning and restoration, energy and materials use, economic development, social and environmental justice, and green architecture and building. All sections have a concise editorial introduction that places the selection in context and suggests further reading. Additional sections cover tools for sustainable development, sustainable development internationally, visions of sustainable community and case studies from around the world. The book also includes educational exercises for individuals, university classes, or community groups, and an extensive list of recommended readings.

The anthology remains unique in presenting a broad array of classic readings in this field, each with a concise introduction placing it within the context of this evolving discourse. It includes updated material on:

• global warming
• issues in less developed countries
• ecotourism
• prospects for sustainable development in China
• megacities
• case studies of sustainable development.

The Sustainable Urban Development Reader presents an authoritative overview of the field using original sources in a highly readable format for university classes in urban studies, environmental studies, the social sciences, and related fields. It also makes a wide range of sustainable urban planning-related material available to the public in a clear and accessible way, forming an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the future of urban environments.

Table of Contents:

Introduction  Part 1: Origins of the Sustainability Concept  Introduction  "The Three Magnets" and "The Town-Country Magnet" (Ebenezer Howard)  "Cities and the Crisis of Civilization" (Lewis Mumford)  "The Land Ethic" (Aldo Leopold)  "Orthodox Planning and The North End" (Jane Jacobs)  "Plight and Prospect" (Ian L. McHarg)  "The Development of Underdevelopment" (Andre Gunder Frank)  "Perspectives, Problems, and Models" (Donella Meadows et al)  "The Steady-State Economy" (Herman Daly)  "Towards Sustainable Development" (World Commission on Environment and Development)  "The End of Nature" (Bill McKibben)  "The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development" (Agenda 21 - United Nations Conference on Environment and Development)  United Nations Millennium Development Goals and Millennium Declaration  Part 2: Dimensions of Sustainable Urban Development  Introduction  "The Next American Metropolis" (Peter Calthorpe)  "Outdoor Space and Outdoor Activities" (Jan Gehl)  "Infill Development" (Stephen Wheeler)  "Transit and the Metropolis: Finding Harmony" (Robert Cervero)  "Traffic Calming" (Peter Newman and Jeffrey Kenworthy)  "Bicycling Renaissance in North America?" (John Pucher, Charles Komanoff, and Paul Shimek)  "City and Nature" (Ann Whiston Spirn)  "Land Development and Endangered Species: Emerging Conflicts" (Tim Beatley)  "What Is Restoration?" (Ann Riley)  "The Metabolism of Cities" (Herbert Girardet)  "Waste as a Resource" (John Tillman Lyle)  "Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years with Current Technologies" (Stephen Pacala and Robert Socolow)  "People-of-Color Environmentalism" (Robert Bullard)  "Domesticating Urban Space" (Dolores Hayden)  "Fighting Poverty and Environmental Injustice in Cities" (Janice E. Perlman with Molly O'Meara Sheehan)  "The Economic System and Natural Environments" (David Pearce and Edward B. Barbier)  "Natural Capitalism" (Paul Hawken)  "Preparing for a New Economic Era" (Michael C. Korten)  "Import Replacement" (Michael Shuman)  "Strengthening Local Economies" (Mark Roseland with Lena Soots)  "Design, Ecology, Ethics and the Making of Things" (William McDonough)  "Principles of Green Architecture" (Brenda and Robert Vale)  "Sustainability and Building Codes" (David Eisenberg and Peter Yost)  "The LEED Green Building Rating System" (US Green Building Council)  Part 3: Tools for Sustainability Planning  Introduction  "Urban Sustainability Reporting" (Virginia Maclaren)  "What Is an Ecological Footprint?" (Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees)  "Seeing Change" (Allan Jacobs)  "A Progressive Politics of Meaning" (Michael Lerner)  "The Rise of Cyber Planning" (Andrea De Montis)  Part 4: Sustainable Urban Development Internationally  Introduction  "Urban Planning in Curitiba" (Jonas Rabinovich and Josef Leitman)  "Planning for Sustainability in European Cities: A Review of Practice in Leading Cities" (Timothy Beatley)  "Collective Action Toward a Sustainable City: Citizens' Movements and Environmental Politics in Taipei" (Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao and Hwa-Jen Liu)  "The Reality of Environmental Sustainability in China" (Debra Lam)  "Protecting Eden: Setting Green Standards for the Tourism Industry" (Martha Honey)  Part 5: Visions of Sustainable Community  Introduction  "The Streets of Ecotopia's Capital" and "Car-Less Living in Ecotopia's New Towns" (Ernest Callenbach)  "Description of Abbenay" (Ursula K. Leguin)  "The View from the Twenty-Third Century" (Stephen M. Wheeler)  Part 6: Case Studies of Urban Sustainability  Part 7: Sustainability Planning Exercises