Download or read book Ecovillages as Models for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods written by Samantha Rebecca Cohen and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ecovillages, which are grassroots intentional communities focused on the shared values of environmental sustainability and community-building, offer an alternative to traditional development primarily focused on developer profit, which creates incentives to build cheaply with little consideration for sustainability, reducing operating costs, creation of community or innovation in building techniques. The problem with modem development practices is that there is an absence of truly sustainable, community-oriented housing options on the market that are economically empowering, socially just, and which enhance the ecology of place by building all forms of capital-- economic capital, social capital, and environmental capital. Ecovillages provide a solution to this, as well as many other 'wicked' problems our society faces-they are blueprints for how communities can live sustainably. This thesis explores the best practices in ecovillage urban design in urbanized and rural settings to improve the design of current and future ecovillages and to use as a design model communities or designers in building sustainable communities, as urban design is inherently linked to sustainability. Through the creation of a matrix of sustainable urban design strategies, this can be used to compare various ecovillages and sustainable communities to understand and analyze how values are embodied in the physical site design or constrained by urban site conditions, and give a process and design guidelines to designers and communities looking to create sustainable neighborhoods or ecovillages.
Download or read book Urban Eco villages as an Alternative Model to Revitalizing Urban Neighborhoods written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis is a case study designed to analyze the process one urban neighborhood, East Price Hill in Cincinnati, Ohio has used to revitalize a deteriorating area using the urban eco-village approach. The Price Hill/Seminary Square Eco-village is a project of the lead organization Imago and has been one of the pioneer communities of the urban eco-village movement. An eco-village is a small-scale, full-featured settlement where human activities are integrated into a supportive social environment with a low-impact way of life. As one of the first neighborhoods of Cincinnati outside of its downtown, East Price Hill possesses many civic and environmental assets to develop into a self-reliant community. This setting provides the context to fulfill the community's vision of an ecological neighborhood. Their key objectives were to create a neighborhood that would offer an abundance of parks and greenspace, clean air and land, pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, trees, and renovated energy-efficient homes. The purpose of this case study is to provide one example of how models of sustainable development can be applied at the local level and serve as an alternative approach for neighborhood revitalization.
Download or read book Creating an Urban Ecovillage written by Schenk Jim and published by . This book was released on 2023-08-30 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Creating an Urban Ecovillage, a Model for Revitalizing Our Cities is a "how-to" book that presents ideas of ways others can develop an ecovillage in their existing urban neighborhood. Each chapter presents a particular aspect of Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage and is concluded with a story that exemplifies how it is being carried out by an individual or family in the ecovillage. The final chapter gives specifics for setting up an ecovillage in an urban neighborhood.The ecovillage provides not only a valuable and essential resource, but an exciting and fun way for people to live their everyday lives together in community. And the urban ecovillage provides people with the support they need, right in our cities, to go out into nature and stay a while. The urban ecovillage combines community and ecological sustainability in our cities. While it may not be the only way, the urban "retrofit" ecovillage is one very plausible way of achieving this. It is no wonder that our own Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage has experienced a large influx of families moving into our community. However, families of all kinds can start an ecovillage in their own urban neighborhood. This book gives them a guide for doing so.
Download or read book Sustainable Communities written by Hugh Barton and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-12-02 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'This book re-addresses the concepts of neighbourhood and community in a refreshing and challenging way. It will be of immense benefit, not only to town planners but also to al those professional and voluntary groups and politicians who seek to create the new communities of tomorrow' From the Foreword by Jed Griffiths, Past President of the Royal Town Planning Institute. There is widespread support for the principle of creating more sustainable communities, but much hazy, wishful-thinking about what this might mean in practice. In reality, we witness more the death of local neighbourhoods than their creation or rejuvenation, reflecting an increasingly mobile, privatized and commodified society. Sustainable Communities examines the practicalities of re-inventing neighbourhoods. It is neither an idealistic, utopian tract nor a designer's manual, but is, rather, a serious attempt to address the real issues. This collection of expert contributions: * examines the nature of local community and methods of building social capital * presents the findings of a world-wide survey of eco-neighbourhoods and eco-villages with case studies from the United Kingdom, Europe, America and Australia * develops a fresh perspective on the planning and design of neighbourhoods in urban areas, based on the eco-system approach * explores practical programmes for local resource management and the implications for community-based decision-making * provides a detailed appendix listing current eco-village and eco-neighbourhood schemes by country Written by an interdisciplinary team of social and environmental scientists, town planners and urban designers, this is a thought-provoking and important contribution to both the theory and practice of the development of sustainable communities.
Download or read book Cooperative Housing Compendium written by Lottie Cohen and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book EcoVillage at Ithaca written by Liz Walker and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2005-05-01 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The compelling story of an internationally recognized example of sustainable development.
Download or read book The Hidden Potential of Sustainable Neighborhoods written by Harrison Fraker and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Ecovillages written by Karen T. Litfin and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-01-15 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a world of dwindling natural resources and mounting environmental crisis, who is devising ways of living that will work for the long haul? And how can we, as individuals, make a difference? To answer these fundamental questions, Professor Karen Litfin embarked upon a journey to many of the world’s ecovillagesÑintentional communities at the cutting-edge of sustainable living. From rural to urban, high tech to low tech, spiritual to secular, she discovered an under-the-radar global movement making positive and radical changes from the ground up. In this inspiring and insightful book, Karen Litfin shares her unique experience of these experiments in sustainable living through four broad windows - ecology, economics, community, and consciousness - or E2C2. Whether we live in an ecovillage or a city, she contends, we must incorporate these four key elements if we wish to harmonize our lives with our home planet. Not only is another world possible, it is already being born in small pockets the world over. These micro-societies, however, are small and time is short. Fortunately - as Litfin persuasively argues - their successes can be applied to existing social structures, from the local to the global scale, providing sustainable ways of living for generations to come. You can learn more about Karen's experiences on the Ecovillages website: http://ecovillagebook.org/
Download or read book Sustainable Community written by Graham Stuart Meltzer and published by Trafford Publishing. This book was released on 2005 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is about the previously unsubstantiated link between 'sustainability' and 'community'. It is based on a ten year investigation of cohousing, a popular new type of housing project that directly addresses both environmental degradation and social disintegration. The book argues that social and environmental sustainability are inexorably linked. Whilst the existence of this link is generally recognised, there is little existing literature that offers empirical evidence to prove it. In doing so, the book uses case study data (including 120 photographs, 50 tables and 30 diagrams) from twelve recent cohousing developments in Canada, the USA, New Zealand, Australia and Japan - concrete examples of working sustainable communities. The book comprises two parts. Part One introduces the twelve cohousing communities - projects with distinct attributes of their own that highlight their diversity and cultural specificity. Each is richly illustrated with photographs taken by the author, who (in addition to being an architect and scholar) is a commercial photographer. Part Two offers detailed comparative analysis based on substantive quantitative and qualitative data. The strands of the analysis are eventually brought together in a 'holistic' or 'ecological' model, the Community Empowerment Model. The model is then utilised in a broader discussion of empowerment, community development and ecologically sustainable development (ESD). The book is scholarly and authoritative, yet accessible to a broad intelligent readership as an illustrated account of a fascinating cultural phenomenon. It will be valuable to students of architecture, planning, sociology, community psychology and environmental studies. It will also be useful to architects, planners and other professionals. The book contains in-depth information for participants in the growing cohousing, ecovillage, sustainability and communities movements. It is well recognised that such activists face a scarcity of successful examples of sustainable communities from which to draw knowledge and inspiration. This book will help fill that void.
Download or read book Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods written by Kara Suzanne Strong and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ABSTRACT (cont.): To test this methodology, an existing urban neighborhood was designed using the proposed guidelines. Jacksonville, Florida is an example of a largely underdeveloped central city surrounded by sprawling suburbs. The Brooklyn neighborhood in particular currently suffers from economic neglect and may soon be redeveloped by the City. While the city's vision recommends a transit-oriented development in order to minimize transportation requirements, the sustainable urban neighborhood alternative proposes a design that encourages energy efficiency throughout the development. The proposed Brooklyn design shows that a sustainable urban neighborhood is more sensitive to natural systems and requires less energy to maintain. The proposed sustainable urban neighborhood has a greater variety of transportation alternatives while decreasing the amount of paved surfaces. Stormwater is retained naturally within the site that requires minimal cost to install and maintain; and it can recharge the aquifer. The increased percentage of mixed-use development generates an active neighborhood and enables resources to be used efficiently. The efficiency of the design is reinforced through the analysis of the prototype house. When compared to conventional construction and design, the prototype generates approximately seven thousand pounds less carbon dioxide per year and requires 22% less energy to operate than conventional construction. The analysis suggests that using the proposed guidelines for designing sustainable urban neighborhoods creates energy-efficient communities.
Download or read book Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems written by Peter Newman and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-09-26 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Modern city dwellers are largely detached from the environmental effects of their daily lives. The sources of the water they drink, the food they eat, and the energy they consume are all but invisible, often coming from other continents, and their waste ends up in places beyond their city boundaries. Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems shows how cities and their residents can begin to reintegrate into their bioregional environment, and how cities themselves can be planned with nature’s organizing principles in mind. Taking cues from living systems for sustainability strategies, Newman and Jennings reassess urban design by exploring flows of energy, materials, and information, along with the interactions between human and non-human parts of the system. Drawing on examples from all corners of the world, the authors explore natural patterns and processes that cities can emulate in order to move toward sustainability. Some cities have adopted simple strategies such as harvesting rainwater, greening roofs, and producing renewable energy. Others have created biodiversity parks for endangered species, community gardens that support a connection to their foodshed, and pedestrian-friendly spaces that encourage walking and cycling. A powerful model for urban redevelopment, Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems describes aspects of urban ecosystems from the visioning process to achieving economic security to fostering a sense of place.
Download or read book Biophilic Cities written by Timothy Beatley and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tim Beatley has long been a leader in advocating for the "greening" of cities. But too often, he notes, urban greening efforts focus on everything except nature, emphasizing such elements as public transit, renewable energy production, and energy efficient building systems. While these are important aspects of reimagining urban living, they are not enough, says Beatley. We must remember that human beings have an innate need to connect with the natural world (the biophilia hypothesis). And any vision of a sustainable urban future must place its focus squarely on nature, on the presence, conservation, and celebration of the actual green features and natural life forms. A biophilic city is more than simply a biodiverse city, says Beatley. It is a place that learns from nature and emulates natural systems, incorporates natural forms and images into its buildings and cityscapes, and designs and plans in conjunction with nature. A biophilic city cherishes the natural features that already exist but also works to restore and repair what has been lost or degraded. In Biophilic Cities Beatley not only outlines the essential elements of a biophilic city, but provides examples and stories about cities that have successfully integrated biophilic elements--from the building to the regional level--around the world. From urban ecological networks and connected systems of urban greenspace, to green rooftops and green walls and sidewalk gardens, Beatley reviews the emerging practice of biophilic urban design and planning, and tells many compelling stories of individuals and groups working hard to transform cities from grey and lifeless to green and biodiverse.
Download or read book Sustainable Neighbourhood Transformation written by Vincent Gruis and published by IOS Press. This book was released on 2006 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "TUDelft, Delft University of Technology"--Cover.
Download or read book Superbia written by Dan Chiras and published by New Society Publishers. This book was released on 2009-03-01 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The only book that shows how to transform existing suburbs to create environment- and people-friendly neighborhoods...
Download or read book Urban Regeneration Sustainability written by C.A. Brebbia and published by WIT Press. This book was released on 2016-12-28 with total page 503 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Including papers presented at the 11th International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability held in Alicante, Spain, this book addresses the multidisciplinary aspects of urban planning; a result of the increasing size of cities, the amount of resources and services required and the complexity of modern society. Most of the earth’s population live in cities and the process of urbanisation continues generating problems originating from the drift of the population towards them. These problems can be resolved by cities becoming efficient habitats, saving resources in a way that improves the standard of living. The process faces a number of challenges related to reducing pollution, improving main transportation and infrastructure systems and these challenges can contribute to the development of social and economic imbalances and require the development of new solutions. Large cities are probably the most complex mechanisms to manage, nevertheless they represent a productive ground for architects, engineers, city planners, social and political scientists able to conceive new ideas and time them according to technological advances and human requirements. The papers in this book cover such topics as: Appropriate technologies for smart cities; Architectural issues; Case studies - sustainable practices; Cultural quarters and interventions; Disaster and emergency response; Eco-town planning; Environmental management; Landscape planning and design; Planning for resilience; Quality of life; Socio-economic and political considerations; Pedestrians behaviour in different situation of traffic, modelling and safety; Sustainable urban regeneration and public space; City and beach; Sustainability and the built environment; Sustainable energy and the city; The community and the city; Transportation; Urban conservation and regeneration; Urban development and management; Urban infrastructure; Urban metabolism; Urban planning and design; Urban safety and security; Urban strategies; Waterfront development.
Download or read book Sustainable Cities written by Bob Walter and published by Eco-Home Media. This book was released on 1992 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In Sustainable Cities, leading experts from their respective fields present concepts and strategies for ecological city design that include: ecological design principles, planning techniques, resource management, community relations, sustainable technologies, construction techniques, economic strategies and much more... Sustainable Cities shows how urban development and the environment can coexist in a successful partnership that will result in better air quality, cleaner water, more nutritious food, less commuting time, quieter and more nature-oriented surroundings, a richer community life, less urban stress, and improved health for the people who live and work in cities. Whether you are a professional involved in shaping our cities, or a concerned citizen seeking the best for your neighborhood, this book contains the range of information you need to be effective in creating sustainable cities." --
Download or read book Ecovillages written by Jonathan Dawson and published by Chelsea Green Publishing. This book was released on 2006-09-15 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
