Synopses & Reviews
In the absence of federal leadership, states and localities are stepping forward to address critical and#160;problems like climate change, urban sprawl, and polluted water and air. Making a city fundamentally sustainable is a daunting task, but fortunately, there are dynamic, innovative models outside U.S. borders. Green Cities of Europe draws on the world's best examples of sustainability to show how other cities can become greener and more livable.
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Timothy Beatley has brought together leading experts from Paris, Freiburg, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Heidelberg, Venice, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and London to illustrate groundbreaking practices in sustainable urban planning and design. These cities are developing strong urban cores, building pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and improving public transit. They are incorporating ecological design and planning concepts, from solar energy to natural drainage and community gardens. And they are changing the way government works, instituting municipal "green audits" and reforming economic incentives to encourage sustainability.and#160;
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Whatever their specific tactics, these communities prove that a holistic approach is needed to solve environmental problems and make cities sustainable. Beatley and these esteemed contributors offer vital lessons to the domestic planning community about not only what European cities are doing to achieve that vision, but precisely how they are doing it. The result is an indispensable guide to greening American cities.
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and#160;Contributors include:
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Lucie Laurian (Paris)
Dale Medearis and Wulf Daseking (Freiburg)
Michaela Brand#252;el (Copenhagen)
Maria Jaakkola (Helsinki)
Marta Moretti (Venice)
Luis Andrand#233;s Orive and Rebeca Dios Lema (Vitoria-Gasteiz)
Camilla Ween (London)
Review
"Timothy Beatley understands that sustainability is about building for the long term, and in assembling this important volume he has selected inspiring examples of durability and resilience in city building and place making. He gives us all reason to hope for our own cities." Hank Dittmar
Review
“Few books I use both in the classroom and in practice have had the level of transformative, transferable impact as Timothy Beatley's Green Urbanism. Now, with the expanded in-depth case studies presented in Green Cities of Europe, our toolbox for illustrating substantive change is redoubled.” Chief Executive, The Prince's Foundation
Review
“Green Cities of Europe is the long awaited and much needed sequel to Beatleys pioneering Green Urbanism: Learning from European Cities. His updated overview of Europes leadership in green urbanism is enhanced by case studies from practitioners and scholars who know these places so well.” D.E. Cleary - Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries
Review
"This is essential reading for all those concerned with urban sustainability." Stephen A. Goldsmith - University Prof. for Campus Sustainability, U of UT College of Arch. + Planning
Review
"[Beatley's] wide-ranging reporting and analysis of green-urbanist work, including his channeling of crucial ideas of campaction, is foundational for clear thinking on the subject."
Review
"The book includes many wonderful ideas and imparts a general sense of optimism; it will be a useful supplemental resource for students in urban studies programs." Landscape Architecture Magazine
Synopsis
In the absence of federal leadership, states and localities are stepping forward to address critical problems like climate change, urban sprawl, and polluted water and air. Fortunately, they have dynamic, innovative models outside U.S. borders.
Green Cities of Europe draws on the world's best examples of sustainability to show how other cities can become greener and more livable.
Timothy Beatley has brought together leading experts from Paris, Freiburg, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Venice, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and London to illustrate groundbreaking practices in urban planning. These cities are creating greenways, improving public transit, conserving energy, instituting "green audits" for government, and strengthening their city centers.
With Green Cities of Europe, Beatley offers the U.S. planning community not only a vision of holistic sustainability, but a clear guide to accomplishing it at home.
About the Author
Timothy Beatley is Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities in the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning, in the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia, where he has taught for more than twenty years. He is the author of many books, including Biophilic Cities, Resilient Cities, and Green Urbanism (Island Press).
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction: Why Study European Cities?
Chapter 2. Paris, France: A 21st-Century Eco-City
Chapter 3. Freiburg, Germany: Germany's Eco-Capital
Chapter 4. Copenhagen, Denmark: Green City amid the Finger Metropolis
Chapter 5. Helsinki, Finland: Greenness and Urban Form
Chapter 6. Venice, Italy: Balancing Antiquity and Sustainability
Chapter 7. Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain: From Urban Greenbelt to Regional Green Infrastructure
Chapter 8. London, England: A Global and Sustainable Capital City
Chapter 9. Conclusion: Green Cities of Europe as Compelling Models
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Index