Growing greener cities : urban sustainability in the twenty-first century /

The term "sustainability" brings together a variety of advocates, researchers, policy makers, and scholars concerned with global warming, environmental degradation, and energy usage. Under its rubric can be gathered such diverse activities as protecting ecosystems, constructing energy-efficient buildings, designing more walkable cities, shifting from the automobile to mass transit, developing alternative energy sources (e.g., wind power), and better managing food production. Aiming to be comprehensive, this collection covers the variety of efforts thought to bring about "green cities." In short chapters written to be accessible to practicing professionals as well as laypeople, the contributors explore the motives behind the US sustainability movement; its legislative underpinnings (e.g., the National Environmental Protection Act of 1970); specific technologies from urban stream restoration and integrated resource plans to the sustainable food movement and ecosystem investments; and ways of assessing progress (e.g., through valuation methods and green ranking systems) toward this goal. Almost all chapters offer examples, drawing from places like New York City, Philadelphia, London, and Washington, DC. Overall, this book is an outstanding compilation and a welcome, useful introduction to the goal of making cities greener. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels. R. A. Beauregard Columbia University