Interest in the sustainable city is growing around the world and with it come important questions about governing sustainable urban development. Why are there blockages to achieving the goal of a sustainable city? How is it possible to overcome the practical difficulties that initiatives often face? And how can an increasingly technocratic focus be rebalanced with more of a public perspective? In this wide-ranging text, Simon Joss examines mainstream policy and practice and looks at the approaches that can overcome some of their drawbacks. The author examines the core elements of sustainable planning, and how processes of innovation, governance and policy-making work together to achieve sustainable urban change. He assesses the various challenges faced at both the domestic and international level, and across a range of urban scales. These challenges include how to resolve environmentally problematic ways of city-living at the same time as providing for urban social and economic development, and how to adapt the idea and reality of the sustainable city to different geopolitical contexts. The author recognizes that there is no 'one-size-fits-all' solution and examines the range of methods available. In an era where entirely new eco-cities are being built and established ones being retro-fitted in response to environmental pressures, this text looks at the varying successes of the urban sustainability movement and its relationship to the planners, policy-makers and citizens who are inseparable from it. Providing an accessible account of the latest developments in research and policy as well as examples from around the world, this is indispensable reading for students, researchers and practitioners alike.

The urgent need for a sustainable environment has resulted in the increased recognition of the field of landscape ecology amongst policy makers working in the area of nature conservation, restoration and territorial planning. Nonetheless, the question of what is precisely meant by the term 'landscape ecology' is still unresolved. Is it, for example, an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the environment at a landscape scale? Or perhaps at the level of biological organisation? Still further, has the inseparability of landscape and culture affected the scope of 'landscape ecology'? No doubt, a proper foundation of the discipline must first be cemented. This book then develops such a foundation. In doing so it provides all the diverse applications of the discipline with a solid framework and proposes an effective diagnostic methodology to investigate the ecological state and the pathologies of the landscape.

Much of the coverage surrounding the relationship between Indigenous communities and the Crown in Canada has focused on the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. Yet it is at the local level where some of the most important and significant partnerships are being made between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. In A Quiet Evolution, Christopher Alcantara and Jen Nelles look closely at hundreds of agreements from across Canada and at four case studies drawn from Ontario, Quebec, and Yukon Territory to explore relationships between Indigenous and local governments. By analyzing the various ways in which they work together, the authors provide an original, transferable framework for studying any type of intergovernmental partnership at the local level. Timely and accessible, A Quiet Evolution is a call to politicians, policymakers and citizens alike to encourage Indigenous and local governments to work towards mutually beneficial partnerships.

Looking at the globalization, urban regeneration, arts events and cultural spectacles, this book considers a city not until now included in the global city debate. Divided into five parts, each preceded by an editorial introduction, this book is an interdisciplinary study of an iconic city, a city facing conflicting social, political and cultural pressures in its search for a place in Europe and on the world stage in the twenty-first century.

First published in 1985, this book reconsiders the whole question of urbanisation and planning in the Third World. It argues that public involvement, which is now an accepted part of Western planning, should be used more in Third World cities. It shows that many inhabitants of Third World cities are migrants from rural areas and have very definite ideas about what the function of the city should be and what it ought to offer; and it goes on to argue that therefore a planning process which involves more public participation would better serve local needs and would do much more to solve problems than the contemporary approach.

This book offers a broad range of scholarly interpretations of the evolving forms, the changing dynamics, and the unexpected surprises that characterize contemporary African cities. It wrestles with important questions concerning how large numbers of people without regular work nevertheless find ways to survive and even prosper. It balances investigations of particular cities in sub-Saharan Africa with considerations of a diversity of topics, themes and multi-city comparisons, including themes in: culture, imagination, place and space; political economy and work livelihoods; and urban planning and governance. The collection is both theoretically informed and empirically grounded. Aimed at mid-level undergraduate students, these essays, taken as a whole, provide an understanding of what is happening in African cities today, and why.

Urban development cooperation needs innovative solutions. Despite many efforts, international assistance has failed to address the challenges faced by cities in developing countries. This book seeks to raise awareness about the value of corporate social responsibility as a tool in urban development assistance.

In port cities around the world, waterfront development projects have been hailed both as spaces of promise and as crucial territorial wedges in twenty-first century competitive growth strategies. Frequently, these mega-projects have been intended to transform derelict docklands into communities of hope with sustainable urban economies-economies intended to both compete in and support globally-networked hierarchies of cities. This collection engages with major theoretical debates and empirical findings on the ways waterfronts transform and have been transformed in port-cities in North and South America, Europe, the Caribbean. It is organized around the themes of fixities (built environments, institutional and regulatory structures, and cultural practices) and flows (information, labor, capital, energy, and knowledge), which are key categories for understanding processes of change. By focusing on these fixities and flows, the contributors to this volume develop new insights for understanding both historical and current cases of change on urban waterfronts, those special areas of cities where land and water meet. As such, it will be a valuable resource for teaching faculty, students, and any audience interested in a broad scope of issues within the field of urban studies.

"Based on empirical research from 15 European cities, covering 29 major postwar housing estates, the contributors to this volume explore the idea that mass housing experiments represent an important example of policy transfer. Mass Housing in Europe charts the development of estates examining the problems that have emerged over time, the policy responses and residents' experiences of day-to-day life in the context of change and regeneration. Students, researchers and academics alike will find that this research provides a significant insight into the topic"--Provided by publisher.

The pursuit of regeneration and renewal has played an important role in the history and development of the world 's cities, and the theoretical and applied issues around these critical concepts are of increasing importance to governments and local populations, as well as to urban professionals and scholars. Particularly in postwar North America and Western Europe, this growing concern has often resulted from the decay and deterioration of cities associated with the decline in traditional industries and the associated loss of employment, and populations, to the suburbs and beyond.

This new title in the Routledge series, Critical Concepts in Urban Studies, meets the need for an authoritative reference work to make sense of the explosion in research output on regeneration and renewal as a significant historical and contemporary urban process of economic, social, cultural, and political importance. Edited by a leading scholar, this Routledge Major Work brings together in four volumes the canonical and the best cutting-edge scholarship on the topic.

The collection is divided into three principal parts. Part 1 ( Cities in Transition ) covers the wider social, economic, political, and urban geographical context for urban regeneration and renewal, and documents the nature of changing cities. These processes and changes are inextricably linked with urban regeneration and renewal initiatives, and an understanding of these transitions is essential to place Parts 2 and 3 in perspective. Part 2 ( Responses to Urban Change from National Governments ) brings together the best overviews and critiques of urban policy initiatives implemented by central governments in developed countries during the postwar period. The materials gathered here span experiences and city examples from advanced economies across the world.

The final part ( City Responses to Urban Change ) draws on the approaches taken by cities themselves in response to urban problems, particularly those designed to improve economic competitiveness and to combat social exclusion. Key research on the wide array of thematic approaches that have been followed is assembled in this part. Within the wider urban processes explored in Part 1, this part examines particular policy responses that have arisen in many cities, and considers a number of case-study cities from the UK, North America, continental Europe, and Australasia.

With a full index, together with a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, Urban Regeneration and Renewal is an essential work of reference. It is destined to be valued by scholars, students, and researchers as a vital research resource.

The world's urban population now exceeds the world's rural population. What does this mean for the state of our cities, given the strain this global demographic shift is placing upon current urban infrastructures? Following on from previous State of the World's Cities reports, this edition uses the framework of 'The Urban Divide' to analyze the complex social, political, economic and cultural dynamics of urban environments. In particular, the book focuses on the concept of the 'right to the city' and ways in which many urban dwellers are excluded from the advantages of city life, using the framework to explore links among poverty, inequality, slum formation and economic growth. The volume will be essential reading for all professionals and policymakers in the field, as well as a valuable resource for researchers and students in all aspects of urban development. Published with UN-Habitat.

In the globalizing world, knowledge and information (and the social and technological settings for their production and communication) are now seen as keys to economic prosperity. The economy of a knowledge city creates value-added products using research, technology, and brainpower. The social benefit of knowledge-based urban development (KBUD); however, extends beyond aggregate economic growth. ""Knowledge-Based Urban Development"" covers the theoretical, thematic, and country-specific issues of knowledge cities to underline the growing importance of KBUD all around the world, providing academics, researchers, and practitioners with substantive research on the decisive lineaments of urban development for knowledge-based production (drawing attention to new planning processes to foster such development), and worldwide best practices and case studies in the field of urban development.

Most of us live in cities. These are becoming increasingly complex and removed from broad-scale agriculture. Yet within cities there are many examples of greenspaces and local food production that bring multiple benefits that often go unnoticed. This book presents a collection of the latest thinking on the multiple dimensions of sustainable greenspace and food production within cities. It describes the diversity of 'urban agriculture' and seeks a balanced representation between the biophysical and the social. It deals with urban agriculture across scales - from indoor plants to farm-scale filtration of greywater. A range of examples and initiatives from both developed and developing countries is described and evaluated.

* One of the first critiques of participatory design processes that are currently the fashion in design and business * highlights political, social and methodological obstacles when designers turn to design thinking, participation and "living labs" * uses global examples to introduce a more critical and post-colonial perspective on participation and social innovation throughout the book

Illuminating the importance of culture in community planning, this book reveals why previous planning practices have failed and suggests that improvements can be made by taking into consideration the diverse needs of a multicultural society. For community planning to be effective, planners must first recognize and acknowledge that community culture influences how people live in, use, and organize space. They must then base their designs on the respective community culture and avoid the trap of planning based on their own values and cultural background. Thus urban planning must take on a futuristic, multi-dimensional vision for the 21st century.

The contributions in this book address these issues and suggest ways in which the planner can incorporate the cultural differences and avoid conflict. The book examines the inadequacy of current theoretical and philosophical paradigms in planning in a multicultural society, how planners can increase planning's effectiveness with ethnic and cultural communities, and how we might reshape institutions to better address the needs of a diverse, global, and multicultural society. This book will be of interest to both academic and professional audiences in multicultural studies and urban planning.

From fuelwood in developing countries to the disposal of nuclear waste, energy issues have long been at the heart of the sustainability debate. Also taking in cities and transport, the Energy and Infrastructure set of volumes tackles a diverse array of questions with enduring relevance for current policy and technology. In the last two decades, environmental threats and the challenge of sustainability have moved to the very centre of political, business and, increasingly, personal agendas. The Earthscan Library Collection has been created to bring back into print the seminal texts in sustainability from the past 25 years. The Collection offers a unique opportunity to gain broad, archival coverage of all aspects of sustainability. It allows the individual as well as institutional purchaser the ability to acquire volumes by many of the most well-respected thinkers and authors across the subject.

This original collection examines how architectural ideas, social models and building forms circulate round the world and become mediated and adapted to local conditions. The book shows how types such as skyscrapers, mosques or living history museums are imported, adapted and contested in different societies and how urban landscapes are reshaped by the global circulation of models drawn from elsewhere.

Written by scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds -architecture, anthropology, geography, linguistics, science studies and sociology - the book draws its inspiration from a series of different approaches and offers both original theoretical reflection and carefully crafted case-studies.

The Environmental Impact of Cities assesses the environmental impact that comes from cities and their inhabitants, demonstrating that our current political and economic systems are not environmentally sustainable because they are designed for endless growth in a system which is finite. It is already well documented that political, economic and social forces are capable of shaping cities and their expansion, retraction, gentrification, re-population, industrialisation or de-industrialisation. However, the links between these political and economic forces and the environmental impact they have on urban areas have yet to be numerically presented. As a result, it is not clear how our cities are affecting the environment, meaning it is currently impossible to relate their economic, political and social systems to their environmental performance. This book examines a broad selection of cities covering a wide range of political systems, geography, cultural backgrounds and population size. The environmental impact of the selected cities is calculated using both ecological footprint and carbon emissions, two of the most extensively available indices for measuring environmental impact. The results are then considered in terms of political, economic and social factors to ascertain the degree to which these factors are helping or hindering the reduction of the environmental impact of humans. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of sustainability, urban planning, urban design, environmental sciences, geography and sociology.

City and Regional Planning provides a clearly written and lavishly illustrated overview of the theory and practice of city and regional planning. With material on globalization and the world city system, and with examples from a number of countries, the book has been written to meet the needs of readers worldwide who seek an overview of city and regional planning. Chapters cover the history of cities and city and regional planning, urban design and placemaking, comprehensive plans, planning politics and plan implementation, planning visions, and environmental, transportation, and housing planning. The book pays special attention to diversity, social justice, and collaborative planning. Topics include current practice in resilience, transit-oriented development, complexity in planning, spatial equity, globalization, and advances in planning methods. It is aimed at U.S. graduate and undergraduate city and regional planning, geography, urban design, urban studies, civil engineering, and other students and practitioners. It includes extensive material on current practice in planning for climate change. Each chapter includes a case study, a biography of an important planner, lists of concepts and important people, and a list of books, articles, videos, and other suggestions for further learning.

The book describes a development concept called abulecentrism. The Yoruba word abule (pronounced: a-boo-lay) literarily means "the village". abulecentrism seeks to achieve rapid and sustainable development of a given society by the strategic execution of projects and the provision of critical services at the local community level. The village has always been the traditional unit of communal living in many societies around the world. The typical village is small, comprising close-knit social groups and individuals that number in the tens, or at most, low hundreds. In a village, people live close to one another, and derive strength in their communal methods of living, working and protecting their society. Furthermore, the management and governance of the community is simpler than in urban areas because the village requires smaller administrative systems. abulecentrism is built on the philosophy of using small, modular systems, such as a village, as building blocks for developing the greater society. The ultimate goal of abulecentrism is for the larger society to be significantly impacted by the dividends of the aggregated development attained within the different communities. Development projects will typically be executed by starting with a few local communities and progressing organically until all the communities that make up the larger society have been impacted.

What has happened to cities after the global economic recession? Sustaining Cities answers this question by explaining how failed governmental policies contributed to urban problems and offering best practices for solving them. From social scientists and urban planners to architects and literary and film critics, the authors of this unique collection suggest real responses to this crisis. Could the drastic declines in housing markets have been avoided? Yes, if we reframe our housing values. Do you want to attract corporate investment to your town? You might want to think twice about doing so. The extinction of the "Celtic Tiger" may be charted in statistics, but the response in popular Irish mystery novels is much more compelling. China, while not immune to market vicissitudes, still booms, but at a considerable cost to its urban identities. Whether constructing a sustainable social framework for Mexican mega-cities or a neighborhood in London, these nine essays consider some strikingly similar strategies. And perhaps, as the contributors suggest, it's time to look beyond the usual boundaries of urban, suburban, and exurban to forge new links among these communities that will benefit all citizens. Accessible to anyone with an interest in how cities cope today, Sustaining Cities presents a cautionary tale with a hopeful ending. |What has happened to cities after the global economic recession? Sustaining Cities answers this question by explaining how failed governmental policies contributed to urban problems and offering best practices for solving them. From social scientists and urban planners to architects and literary and film critics, the authors of this unique collection suggest real responses to this crisis. Could the drastic declines in housing markets have been avoided? Yes, if we reframe our housing values. Do you want to attract corporate investment to your town? You might want to think twice about doing so. The extinction of the "Celtic Tiger" may be charted in statistics, but the response in popular Irish mystery novels is much more compelling. China, while not immune to market vicissitudes, still booms, but at a considerable cost to its urban identities. Whether constructing a sustainable social framework for Mexican mega-cities or a neighborhood in London, these nine essays consider some strikingly similar strategies. And perhaps, as the contributors suggest, it's time to look beyond the usual boundaries of urban, suburban, and exurban to forge new links among these communities that will benefit all citizens. Accessible to anyone with an interest in how cities cope today, Sustaining Cities presents a cautionary tale with a hopeful ending.

Mark Hinshaw has a proposition for Americans: Come out of the bunker, throw open the gates, and meet the neighborhood. In this passionate appeal, he introduces those who have already done just that and explains what cities can do to make true urbanism possible. He rejoices in the growing number of people rejecting sterile, paint-by-numbers subdivisions in favor of vibrant and unpredictable urban neighborhoods. This vivid account of cities small and large emerging from the cobwebs of late 20th century development will show communities with lingering antiurban tendencies how to embrace density as destiny. A must-read urban design book for anyone who cares about cities.

Edited by thought leaders in the fields of urban informatics and urban interaction design, this book brings together case studies and examples from around the world to discuss the role that urban interfaces, citizen action, and city making play in the quest to create and maintain not only secure and resilient, but productive, sustainable and viable urban environments. The book debates the impact of these trends on theory, policy and practice. The individual chapters are based on blind peer reviewed contributions by leading researchers working at the intersection of the social / cultural, technical / digital, and physical / spatial domains of urbanism scholarship. The book will appeal not only to researchers and students, but also to a vast number of practitioners in the private and public sector interested in accessible content that clearly and rigorously analyses the potential offered by urban interfaces, mobile technology, and location-based services in the context of engaging people with open, smart and participatory urban environments.

Presenting social innovation initiatives that emerged from organized citizenry in Southern European cities, this book explores the response to austerity policies implemented after the 2008 economic crisis. Chapters look at the common aim of these initiatives in responding to social needs and challenging social exclusion. Social Innovation and Urban Governance offers an empirically informed theoretical discussion on the scope of citizen action when members of civil society or emancipator social movements organise to contribute to local democratic governance and to enlarge the reach of social welfare. Contributions highlight how, starting from innovative actions in individual urban neighbourhoods, social actors created opportunities for participation in society and organised from below to collaborate with local institutions in 'bottom-linked' forms of governance. A timely exploration of the importance of social innovation in urban settings, this is a useful book for scholars of urban studies as well as sociology and human geography. It will also be an insightful read for urban policy-makers. Contributors include: A.B. Cano Hila, F. Diaz Orueta, S. Eizaguirre Anglada, M. Garcia Cabeza, L. Garcia Ferrando, M.L. Loures Seoane, M. Pradel I Miquel, R. Ruiz Sola