Sustainable urbanism - Douglas Farr

Written by the chair of the LEED-Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND)initiative, Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Natureis both an urgent call to action and a comprehensive introductionto "sustainable urbanism"--the emerging and growing design reformmovement that combines the creation and enhancement of walkable anddiverse places with the need to build high-performanceinfrastructure and buildings.

Providing a historic perspective on the standards and regulationsthat got us to where we are today in terms of urban lifestyle andattempts at reform, Douglas Farr makes a powerful case forsustainable urbanism, showing where we went wrong, and where weneed to go. He then explains how to implement sustainable urbanismthrough leadership and communication in cities, communities, andneighborhoods. Essays written by Farr and others delve into suchissues as:

• Increasing sustainability through density.
• Integrating transportation and land use.
• Creating sustainable neighborhoods, including housing, car-freeareas, locally-owned stores, walkable neighborhoods, and universalaccessibility.
• The health and environmental benefits of linking humans tonature, including walk-to open spaces, neighborhood stormwatersystems and waste treatment, and food production.
• High performance buildings and district energy systems.

Enriching the argument are in-depth case studies in sustainableurbanism, from BedZED in London, England and Newington in Sydney,Australia, to New Railroad Square in Santa Rosa, California andDongtan, Shanghai, China. An epilogue looks to the future ofsustainable urbanism over the next 200 years.

At once solidly researched and passionately argued, SustainableUrbanism is the ideal guidebook for urban designers, planners,and architects who are eager to make a positive impact on our--andour descendants'--buildings, cities, and lives.