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Ref: Thwaites K, Romice O, Porta S and Greaves M (2007), Urban Sustainability through Environmental Design: approaches to time, people and place responsive urban spaces, Routledge, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, UK.
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What can architects, landscape architects and urban designers do to make urban open spaces, streets and squares more responsive, lively and safe? Urban Sustainability through Environmental Design seeks to answer this question by providing the analytical tools and practical methodologies that can be employed for sustainable and long-term solutions to the design and management of urban environments.
In recent years there has been obvious success in smartening and repopulating our towns and cities; however, there are concerns that these responses to regeneration are capable of sustaining only a limited sector of the community through the creation of ‘boutique’ environment and ‘cappuccino’ culture. Urban Sustainability through Environmental Design discusses this approach, calling into question the capability of ‘quick-fix’ development solutions to provide the establishment of fixed communities and suggesting a more time-conscious and evolutionary approach. The book focuses specifically on the analytical side of this problem, presenting tools of urban analysis selected to frame long-term, sustainable urban design solutions.
Urban Sustainability through Environmental Design is the first significant attempt to draw together and publish a pan-European view on sustainable urban design with a specific focus on social sustainability. It presents an innovative approach that focuses on what sustains solutions rather than on the solutions themselves: on the tools of urban analysis rather than the interventions. With its practical approach and wide-ranging discussion, this book will appeal to all those involved in producing communities and spaces for sustainable living, from students to academics through to decision making and professional leaders.