The world's population is rapidly urbanizing but the affluence and development often associated with cities are far from equitably or sustainably distributed. Where it was once taken for granted that responsibility for urban development lay with the state, increasingly the emphasis has shifted to market-driven and public-private sector initatives, which can marginalize the intended beneficiaries - the urban poor - from decision making and implementation. This text outlines the essential conditions for effective urban planning and management by placing "bottom-up" community initiatives at the heart of the push for equitable and sustainable development in cities. Crucially, the state must engage with both the market and civil society in pursuit of sustainable cities.;Presenting a wide-ranging selection of case studies in rapidly urbanizing and transitional countries, from the poorest parts of Africa and Asia to the relatively developed United Kingdom, the authors describe and analyze innovations in how globally disadvantaged urban communities can be engaged in improving their living environments.

In a world where environmental problems spill across political, administrative and disciplinary boundaries, there is a pressing need for a clear understanding of the kinds of organizations, management structures and policy-making approaches required to bring about socially equitable and ecologically sustainable development. In this second edition, the authors incorporate lessons from a decade of work on the conditions of sustainability in both developed and developing countries. They prescribe action networks - partnerships of flexible, achievement-oriented actors - and present new case studies demonstrating the success of organizations that have applied this approach. They also introduce case studies on action networks that work simultaneously on international, national and local levels.

During the past 10 years 'partnership' has become a defining characteristic of British urban regeneration. It is widely recognised that the multiple problems of economic decline, social exclusion and dereliction require holistic and area-specific responses that can only be provided by effective multi-agency working, through local partnerships. Yet, to date, there has been little systematic research into why partnerships succeed or fail; into what works and what does not. This report provides an in-depth study of the factors that influence the effectiveness of urban regeneration partnerships, and how they work within the emerging national policy context. Case studies were carried out in 27 partnerships in eight city-regions in England and Scotland and in the Welsh Valleys. Urban regeneration through partnership highlights the key lessons of partnership, exploring good practice in: * leadership; * visioning and consensus building; * translation of vision into workable objectives; * including the community and business in partnership; * human resources. The report explores what it calls the 'foundations of partnership', including the modernisation of local government, a coherent regional development framework and a sound national urban policy. In addition, it provides detailed information on the case studies themselves, and gives good practice recommendations. Urban regeneration through partnership is essential reading for workers and policy makers in urban regeneration partnerships, communities involved in urban regeneration and national and local government, as well as anyone with an interest in neighbourhood regeneration strategies and practice.

Edinburgh's New Town, built between 1767 and 1850, is one of Europe's finest neoclassical neighbourhoods, a triumph of town planning, with UNESCO World Heritage status. But the importance of the New Town goes far beyond the quality of its architecture. Nearly 250 years after it was built, today it is not only a carefully conserved Georgian neighbourhood but a vibrant community in which people from all walks of life thrive in harmonious surroundings. Those include over 7,000 residential properties of enormous variety, and its shops, schools, pubs, restaurants and community facilities, which contribute to its unique quality of life and attract visitors from around the world. This book celebrates the history and achievements of the New Town. Through photos, drawings, historic maps and aerial photography, the authors explore the New Town's origins in the philiosophy of the Enlightenment and the role of politics, land ownership, finance, design and materials in its development. This is a friendly and accessible introduction to the exteriors and interiors of its buildings, with a walking tour included, drawing on both historic maps and modern satellite images. It links the New Town to current debates on urban architecture, concluding that it is an inspiring model for new communities around the world. This is a book for the passionate, knowledgeable lover of Georgian architecture, but equally for the casual visitor who wants to get to know the New Town better.

This work proposes a framework based on the concept of a fair distribution of environmental space to include the diverse needs of North and South. Drawing on research in 38 countries, it aims to give an equitable basis for global development in order to achieve sustainable consumption by the year 2050.;The environmental space approach seeks to explain the limitations of the global market economy as a tool of development and to give us the means to alter it in order to achieve a genuine quality of life, rather than simple economic growth. In addition, this book seeks to urge all countries and peoples to consider and evaluate the environmental space approach and to join in a movement towards sustainable production and consumption for the 21st century.