“Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change”

Abstract

From the beginning of his career, Peter Calthorpe has been a leading innovator in sustainable building projects, sustainable development, and walkable communities. A leader in the New Urbanism Movement, he is an important resource for solutions to current problems of urban sprawl, suburban isolation, and the related problems of outsized energy consumption and an outsized share of world emissions. According to Ecological Urbanism, relentless and thoughtless development have created a way of living that brings us to a point of reckoning regarding energy, climate change and the way we shape our communities. The answer to these crises is Sustainable Development, a thoughtful combination of good Urbanism with renewable energy sources, state of the art conservation techniques, new green technologies, and integrated services and utilities. Sustainable Urbanism, the most recent result of Calthorpe's forward thinking, provides all the inherent benefits of Urbanism amplified by a new generation of ecological design, smart grids, climate responsive buildings, electric cars, and next-generation transit systems. This clearly written (and clearly provocative) work emerges from Calthorpe's belief that, just as the last fifty years have produced massive changes in our culture, economy and environment, the next fifty will generate changes of an even more profound nature. The book, enhanced by its superb graphic design, is an exploration of the challenges and potential shifts in each of these arenas, and how they can affect the future of our communities.