Living Green: Communities That Sustain

Social issues are, and need to be, a central part of environmental and economic sustainability efforts. Using stories of extraordinary communities across North America, Living Greenshowcases the social side of living green.

The book features communities that explicitly integrate social and human factors into their design and planning, and examines the impact living in these communities has on personal health, well-being, and the capacity for pursuing sustainability. It includes interviews with developers, architects, and residents, highlighting personal ideals and efforts to pursue a sustainable lifestyle.

The book’s three parts explore:

• How community is central to sustainable living in everything from cohousing to communes
• Communities that specifically integrate green building design components with social justice politics such as racism, poverty, and urban alienation
• Housing options geared toward mainstream living that offer individual choices to those who wish to live green

  Written for those desiring to hear a good news story, Living Greenwill appeal to individuals and communities living a sustainable lifestyle, green building activists, and academics in sociology, planning and design, architecture, and environmental fields.

  Jennifer Fosketand Laura Mamoare professors of sociology at McGill University and the University of Maryland, respectively. They have each made a career out of documenting people’s experiences and ideas as they concern health and everyday living. They are co-founders of Social Green, a nonprofit organization engaged in research, consulting, and education. Jennifer Fosket lives in Berkeley, California, and Montreal, Canada, and Laura Mamo lives in San Francisco, California, and Washington, DC.

Sociologists Fosket, based in Berkeley, and Mamo (U. of Maryland-College Park) describe communities across North America where sustainability is integrated into everyday life. The survey is intended to counter the notion that while environmental awareness is growing in the region, it is not being translated into action. Within sections on communities, justice and sustainability, and personal choice they profile Twins Oaks Community in Quebec, cohousing, LA Ecovillage, greening gray, nature and art conservancy, and other examples. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Real world stories of the positive impact of living in green communities.

Jennifer Fosket is a Professor of Sociology at McGill, who has made a career out of documenting people's experiences and ideas. She is a co-founder of Social Green, a non profit organization engaged in research, consulting and education. She lives in Berkeley, CA.