The Ecology of Place
Planning for Environment, Economy, and Community
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
Current patterns of land use and development are at once socially, economically, and environmentally destructive. Sprawling low-density development literally devours natural landscapes while breeding a pervasive sense of social isolation and exacerbating a vast array of economic problems. As more and more counties begin to look more and more the same, hope for a different future may seem to be fading. But alternatives do exist.
The Ecology of Place, Timothy Beatley and Kristy Manning describe a world in which land is consumed sparingly, cities and towns are vibrant and green, local economies thrive, and citizens work together to create places of eduring value. They present a holistic and compelling approach to repairing and enhancing communities, introducing a vision of "sustainable places" that extends beyond traditional architecture and urban design to consider not just the physical layout of a development but the broad set of ways in which communities are organized and operate. Chapters examine:
- the history and context of current land use problems, along with the concept of "sustainable places"
- the ecology of place and ecological policies and actions
- local and regional economic development
- links between land-use and community planning and civic involvement
- specific recommendations to help move toward sustainability
The authors address a variety of policy and development issues that affect a community -- from its economic base to its transit options to the ways in which its streets and public spaces are managed -- and examine the wide range of programs, policies, and creative ideas that can be used to turn the vision of sustainable places into reality.
The Ecology of Place is a timely resource for planners, economic development specialists, students, and citizen activists working toward establishing healthier and more sustainable patterns of growth and development.
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Information
Index
Table of contents
- About Island Press
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- One - The New Planning Agenda
- Two - Envisioning Sustainable Places
- Three - Principles of Urban Form
- Four - The Ecology of Place
- Five - Building a Restorative Economy
- Six - The Civic Community
- Seven - Getting There from Here: Starting Points and Future Directions
- Bibliography
- Index
- Island Press Board of Directors