By focusing on the skyscraping transnational building, this book bridges two key debates on the transformation and emerging problems besetting major cities - globalization and ecological and sustainable building design. While such structures tend to be constructed and/or used by transnational companies and are generally viewed as emblems of a 'global city', they nevertheless impact seriously on their local environment, posing numerous environmental burdens on it. By examining office blocks held by multinational firms in Amsterdam, Sao Paolo and Beijing, the book analyses how transnational buildings might be made sustainable. It compares and contrasts the different social mechanisms that are, or may be, in place and how sustainable building practices that are being activated in certain locations could be adopted elsewhere.

By focusing on the skyscraping transnational building, this book bridges two key debates on the transformation and emerging problems besetting major cities - globalization and ecological and sustainable building design. While such structures tend to be constructed and/or used by transnational companies and are generally viewed as emblems of a 'global city', they nevertheless impact seriously on their local environment, posing numerous environmental burdens on it. By examining office blocks held by multinational firms in Amsterdam, Sao Paolo and Beijing, the book analyses how transnational buildings might be made sustainable. It compares and contrasts the different social mechanisms that are, or may be, in place and how sustainable building practices that are being activated in certain locations could be adopted elsewhere.