As the need to confront unplanned growth increases, planners, policymakers, and citizens are scrambling for practical tools and examples of successful and workable approaches. Growth management initiatives are underway in the U.S. at all levels, but many American ""success stories"" provide only one piece of the puzzle. To find examples of a holistic approach to dealing with sprawl, one must turn to models outside of the United States.
In Green Urbanism, Timothy Beatley explains what planners and local officials in the United States can learn from the sustainable city movement in Europe. The book draws from the extensive European experience, examining the progress and policies of twenty-five of the most innovative cities in eleven European countries, which Beatley researched and observed in depth during a year-long stay in the Netherlands. Chapters examine:
the sustainable cities movement in Europe
examples and ideas of different housing and living options
transit systems and policies for promoting transit use, increasing bicycle use, and minimizing the role of the automobile
creative ways of incorporating greenness into cities
ways of readjusting ""urban metabolism"" so that waste flows become circular
programs to promote more sustainable forms of economic development
sustainable building and sustainable design measures and features
renewable energy initiatives and local efforts to promote solar energy
ways of greening the many decisions of local government including ecological budgeting, green accounting, and other city management tools.
Throughout, Beatley focuses on the key lessons from these cities -- including Vienna, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Zurich, Amsterdam, London, and Berlin -- and what their experience can teach us about effectively and creatively promoting sustainable development in the United States. Green Urbanism is the first full-length book to describe urban sustainability in European cities, and provides concrete examples and detailed discussions of innovative and practical sustainable planning ideas. It will be a useful reference and source of ideas for urban and regional planners, state and local officials, policymakers, students of planning and geography, and anyone concerned with how cities can become more livable.
Preface and Acknowledgments
PART I. Context and Background Chapter 1. Introduction: Green Urbanism and the Lessons of European Cities
PART II. Land Use and Community Chapter 2. Land Use and Urban Form: Planning Compact Cities Chapter 3. Creative Housing and Living Environments
PART III. Transportation and Mobility in Green-Urban Cities Chapter 4. Transit Cities: Public Transport Innovations and Priorities Chapter 5. Taming the Auto: The Promise of Car-Free Cities Chapter 6. Bicycles: Low-Tech Ecological Mobility
PART IV. Green, Organic Cities Chapter 7. Urban Ecology and Strategies for Greening the Urban Environment Chapter 8. Urban Ecocycle Balancing: Toward Closed-Loop Cities Chapter 9. Renewable Energy Cities: Living on Solar Income Chapter 10. Building Ecologically: Designing Buildings and Neighborhoods with Nature in Mind
PART V. Governance and Economy Chapter 11. Ecological Governance in Green-Urban Cities Chapter 12. Building a Sustainable Economy: Innovations in Restorative Commerce
PART VI. Learning from Europe Chapter 13. The Promise of Green-Urbanism: Lessons from European Cities
References Appendix A. Individuals Interviewed Appendix B. Charter of European Cities and Towns: Towards Sustainability Index
"…an engaging and comprehensive book…. Green Urbanism takes an inspiring snapshot of cities implementing both government and community-led projects to promote sustainable development in Europe."
