The EcoEdge: Urgent Design Challenges in Building Sustainable Cities

'Greenspeak' is increasingly central to the discourses of the architectural design and planning professions. However, constructed examples of the principles in practice, of designers, planners and urban politicians actually walking the sustainability talk into action, are not nearly as common...

This book presents the experiences of design practitioners who have implemented sustainable design projects rather than just theorized about them. Presenting diverse case studies of contemporary sustainable urban practice from Europe, Africa, India, South America, the USA and Australia, this book offers a fantastic wealth of practical material from a range of internationally renowned authors. It includes:

-14 global case studies which and act as benchmarks and inspirations for transformation

-Experiences of emerging economies such as India and China, heard on equal footing with those from Europe, North America and Australia

-Analysis of urgent design challenges such as population density, recreating infrastructure that supports carbon neutral or low carbon (emission) intensive urban activities, and retrofitting for sustainability

-A clear structure: divided into 3 parts, each part is introduced by a thematic overview essay. These essays provide insight into care study chapter that follows; locating practical themes explored and pointing out where further work is needed in policy, planning, design and research

Well-illustrated, thematically focused, with superb global coverage, this book presents the reader with a multi-voiced and yet highly cohesive reference for anyone interested in green issues in urban design and architecture.