Synopses & Reviews
Many Americans believe three things about jobs and the environment: that the implementation of environmental protection measures has created ongoing, widespread unemployment; that it has caused large numbers of plant shutdowns and layoffs in manufacturing; and that it has led many U.S. firms to flee to developing countries with lax environmental regulations. Virtually all economists who have studied the issue agree that each of these propositions is false.
In The Trade-Off Myth, economist Eban Goodstein provides an in-depth examination of the deep-seated, but ultimately mistaken, American belief in a widespread jobs-environment trade-off. Remarkably, his is the first book to state unambiguously the truth about jobs and the environment. Goodstein offers a readable and accessible analysis of the labor impacts of environmental regulation, as he:
- considers the roots and staying power of misperceptions regarding job security and environmental regulation
- analyzes various models used to predict employment impacts, and explains how changes in assumptions can drastically change predicted outcomes
- lists and debunks, myth-by-myth, widely held perceptions about the impacts of environmental regulation on jobs
- examines localized hardships caused by environmental protection measures within specific industries and regions, and considers what can be done to mitigate those impacts
- explores the revisionist view that environmental protection measures can actually create jobs
- looks at jobs-environment issues that are likely to emerge as we attack the problem of global warming.
The Trade-Off Myth presents in clear, accessible language the consensus of economists who have examined the jobs-environment issue, and offers the first comprehensive look at the truth behind the myths that pervade discourse on environmental regulation. It will be essential reading for environmentalists, concerned citizens, policymakers, public officials, and anyone involved with debates over strengthening environmental regulations.
Synopsis
The movement toward creating more sustainable communities has been growing for decades, and in recent years has gained new prominence with the increasing visibility of planning approaches such as the New Urbanism. Yet there are few examples of successful and time-tested sustainable communities.Village Homes outside of Davis, California offers one such example. Built between 1975 and 1981 on 60 acres of land, it offers unique features including extensive common areas and green space; community gardens, orchards, and vineyards; narrow streets; pedestrian and bike paths; solar homes; and an innovative ecological drainage system. Authors Judy and Michael Corbett were intimately involved with the design, development, and building of Village Homes, and have resided there since 1977.In Designing Sustainable Communities, they examine the history of the sustainable community movement and discuss how Village Homes fits into the context of that movement. They offer an inside look at the development of the project from start to finish, describing how the project came about, obstacles that needed to be overcome, design approaches they took, problems that were encountered and how those problems were solved, and changes that have occurred over the years. In addition, they compare Village Homes with other communities and developments across the country, and discuss the future prospects for the continued growth of the sustainable communities movement.The book offers detailed information on a holistic approach to designing and building successful communities. It represents an invaluable guide for professionals and students involved with planning, architecture, development, and landscape architecture, and for anyone interested increating more sustainable communities.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 215-222) and index.
About the Author
Michael Corbett is principal in the consulting firm Town Planners and author of "A Better Place to Live" (Rodale, 1981).
Judy Corbett is founder and executive director of the Local Government Commission, a nonprofit membership organization consisting of mayors, city council members, and county supervisors from across the state of California. She is co-author of "Village Homes: Solar House Designs" (Rodale, 1979).
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. From Piecemeal Planning to Sustainable Development
Chapter 2. An Introduction to Village Homes
Chapter 3. The Basis for Sustainable Development
Chapter 4. Water, Food, Shelter: The Basics
Chapter 5. Society's Lifeblood: Energy
Chapter 6. The Use of Resources in Sustainable Design
Chapter 7. Location, Size, and Density
Chapter 8. Designing with Nature for People: A Sustainable Approach to Urban Design
Chapter 9. The Process of Creating Sustainable Communities,
Chapter 10. The Garden City: Case Studies of Sustainable Development in Practice
Notes
Index