Local Sustainable Urban Development in a Globalized World / Edition 1

by Susan M. Opp, Lauren C. Heberle

Overview

'Sustainable development' is a key issue of concern to urban planners across the globe. How it is defined, implemented and measured at the local level remains highly contested and subject to a wide range of external cultural, political and economic pressures. Bringing together leading experts from North America, Europe, the Middle East and SE Asia, this book provides a timely overview of the various methods for understanding and implementing sustainable practices at local levels. In doing so, they present the wide range of local action alternatives available to planners that may be pursued in spite of the constraints generated by globalization processes and highlight the array of public policy options that could reduce the external pressures shaping the possible local alternatives. The book argues that, while local planners and local authorities are willing to act, many are unaware of the range of options available to them. In bringing together these case studies, not only diverse in geographic terms, but also reflecting very different levels of income, general population education, cultural norms, legal systems and government structures, it points out innovations and examples of best practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780754649946
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/28/2010
Series:	Urban Planning and Environment Series
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Dr Lauren Heberle is a lecturer at the Center for Environmental Policy and Management, University of Louisville, USA and Susan M. Opp is from Texas Tech University, USA.

Table of Contents

Introduction; 1: Alternative Urban Futures: Designing Urban Infrastructures that Prioritize Human Needs, are Less Damaging to the Natural Resource Base, and Produce Less Waste; 2: Employing Information and Communication Systems in Planning Processes to Increase Efficiency in Sustainable Urban Development; 3: Absolutely Positively Wellington: A Model for Smart Growth; 4: Environmental Quality and Land Use Plans, a New Development in the Netherlands; 5: From a Standard-Oriented to an Integral Quality-Oriented Approach; 6: Town Planning Models: A Look at Polish Cities and Sustainable Development; 7: The Efficiency of Land Use Conversion; 8: Moving Toward Urban Sustainability: A Comparison of the Development of Sustainability Indicators in Seattle and Minneapolis; 9: Assessing Sustainability in Urban Planning: The Potential and Limitations of Indicators as a Means to Measure and Monitor Outcomes of Policy Implementation; 10: Measuring Sustainability: The Role of Ecological Footprinting in Assessing the Impact of Development; 11: Regional Environmental Capacity for Sustainable Growth: A Historical Approach; 12: Sustainability of Urban Transport: Common Strategies and Individual Actions; 13: Mobile Vendors: Persistence of Local Culture in the Changing Global Economy of Bangkok; 14: Educational Changes for Sustainable Cities: Autonomous Knowledge; 15: Educating Architects to Address Urban Problems in Building Design; 16: Education into Citizenship: Environmental Education, Participatory Democracy, and the Precautionary Principle; 17: Public Participation in Achieving Sustainability in Central City Neighborhoods 1; 18: Balancing Economic Growth and Social Equity: Less-Educated Workers in High-Tech Regions; Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

'This volume, addressing the key local public sector issue of our time, offers educational and inspirational, albeit uneven, examples from across the world of successful local pursuit of sustainability despite global pressures. The editors’ opening and closing essays and the overview by Pinderhughes constitute major contributions to the debate on the promise of locally-led sustainability practices.' Peter B. Meyer, University of Louisville, USA '...the book provides a number of excellent contributions ranging from single disciplinary approaches in economic, sociology, geography, and political science to interdisciplinary contributions in urban, transport and regional planning.' European Spatial Research and Policy

From the Publisher