Edens Lost and Found: How Ordinary Citizens Are Restoring Our Great American Cities

With Edens Lost & Found, award-winning filmmakers Harry Wiland and Dale Bell herald an exciting sea change in the relationship between ordinary citizens, environmental groups, and government. From across America they gather evidence of a new spirit of cooperation among neighbors, planners, architects and builders, city officials, and government agencies. Indeed, as urban issues have become undeniably urgent problems that demand answers, people from disparate backgrounds and political leanings are joining forces to recast life in American cities.
As citizens take action where government has failed, they are finding support, encouragement, and help from their neighbors. Conversely, as progressive-minded government agencies and organizations explore nontraditional solutions, an energized community rallies to the cause. Neither exclusively top-down, nor grass roots, we are in the midst of an unprecedented movement that unites efforts from every quarter in a common cause.
Focusing on Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Seattle-four cities that face vastly different challenges-Edens Lost & Found highlights the remarkable power of hope, pride, ingenuity, and chutzpah that characterize this era of collaboration.
Bioengineering concepts-now increasingly understood by many to offer the most effective, cost-efficient solutions-are playing a central role. Working with-rather than in opposition to-nature is leading to such innovations as rooftop and urban gardens, restored parks, transformed vacant lots, the re-greening of city streets, and eco-friendly watershed management. Edens Lost & Found shows how working to reshape the land also transforms the relationships people have to one another.

Focusing on Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle--all cities facing a range of demographic, economic and environmental challenges--this volume highlights the many small acts of heroism, activism and leadership that bring neighborhoods together to build landscapes of beauty and surprise. Bell and Wiland, both award- winning documentary filmmakers, provide inspiring examples of citizens restoring their communities by creating sustainable urban ecosystems.
Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Focusing on Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle--all cities facing a range of demographic, economic and environmental challenges--this volume highlights the many small acts of heroism, activism and leadership that bring neighborhoods together to build landscapes of beauty and surprise. Bell and Wiland, both award- winning documentary filmmakers, provide inspiring examples of citizens restoring their communities by creating sustainable urban ecosystems. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Beautifully illustrated, Edens Lost & Found tells the stories of people who improve the quality of life in their cities by reclaiming abandoned land and transforming it into visions of Eden. Award-winning filmmakers Harry Wiland and Dale Bell go to four American cities?Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Seattle?in search of nature, and find it. Through many small acts of heroism, activism, and leadership, neighborhoods come together and build landscapes of beauty and delight.

Part celebration and part inspiration, "Edens Lost & Found," the companion book to the PBS series, chronicles the forward-looking transformation of America's urban landscapes and communities.

Individual productions by filmmakers Harry Wiland and Dale Bell have received an Academy Award, five Emmys, one Peabody, two Christophers, and two Cine Golden Eagles, among other awards. Their collaborative award-winning project on caregiving, And Thou Shalt Honor, was broadcast by PBS in 2002 to wide acclaim.

Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1-Overview
Chapter 2-Chicago: A City in a Garden
Chapter 3-Philadelphia: A Holy Experiment
Chapter 4-Los Angeles: The End of the Rainbow
Chapter 5-Seattle: Tomorrow Is Now
Chapter 6-Community Action
Resource Directory
Acknowledgments
Funding Organizations
Index