The low-carbon revolution starts at home.

HOME TRUTHS: A LOW CARBON STRATEGY TO REDUCE UK HOUSING EMISSIONS BY 80%

The Low-carbon Strategy from the Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University identifi es the policies needed to deliver an 80 per cent cut in carbon emissions from UK homes by 2050. These cuts are achievable but will require a quantum leap in commitment from Government and a radical new approach.

http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/research/energy/hometruths.php

ECOTOPIA

Abstract of Robert Costanza's Article Visions of Alternative (Unpredictable) Futures and Their Use in Policy Analysis from 2000(!)

"The most critical task facing humanity today is the creation of a shared vision of a sustainable and desirable society, one that can provide permanent prosperity within the biophysical constraints of the real world in a way that is fair and equitable to all of humanity, to other species, and to future generations. Recent work with businesses and communities indicates that creating a shared vision is the most effective engine for change in the desired direction, yet most effort in "futures modeling" has focused on extrapolating past trends rather than envisioning alternative futures. Science and economics as applied to policy are in conflict more often over alternative visions of the world than purely "scientific" disagreements. Likewise, governance has gotten bogged down in mediating short term conflicts between special interests rather than its more basic role of creating broadly shared visions that can guide dispute resolution."

Read the article here http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol4/iss1/art5/manuscript.html

or download the text Four Visions as pdf from the Download section

Cradle to Cradle

Remaking the Way We Make Things

In addition to its provocative content, Cradle to Cradle, is printed on a polymer film instead of paper. While current materials and systems are incomplete, this book's materials suggest ways 'technical nutrients' might be used in the future, cycling safely and prosperously in the 'technical metabolism' of plastics recycling.
Read more about the book's materials in the MBDC.com monthly feature story from May 2002, "This Book is Not a Tree."

"[A] clear, accessible manifesto... the authors´ original concepts are an inspiring reminder that humans are capable to much more elegant environmental solutions than the ones we´ve settled for in the last half-century"

Publisher´s Weekly

http://www.mbdc.com/book/index.htm

Arkitektur & Energi

De nye energibestemmelser har medført skærpede krav til bygningers energimæssige ydeevne. Det er dog muligt at skabe god arkitektur med øget komfort og samtidig tilgodese de energimæssige sparehensyn i fremtidens lavenergibygninger. Det forudsætter, at arkitekter tidligt i designprocessen tager højde for de formrelaterede dispositioner, der har konsekvenser for energiforbruget i nybyggeriet.
Overordnet kan der tages udgangspunkt i fire forskellige temaer i byggeriet, hvor arkitektur og og energi spiller sammen. Det drejer sig om dagslys, solvarme, råhus og tekniske installationer.

Publikationen “Arkitektur & Energi” (PDF) som blev udgivet for et par år siden kan downloades her i PDF format.

http://www.sbi.dk/arkitektur/beredygtighed/arkitektur-og-energi/arkitektur-og-energi

Understanding Ordinary Landscapes

(1 anmeldelse):

Understanding Ordinary Landscapes by Paul Groth is a collection of contemporary cultural landscape essays and is a theoretical basis for comprehending the mysteries of perception of the landscape, the environment, and furthering the culture versus nature discourse. It brings critical analysis, and an annotated bibliography to the relatively new area of landscape architectural theory. A must for professionals and anyone interested in the landscape.

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0300072031/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design With Nature

(1 anmeldelse):

Chicago City Planning Consultant Doug Farr has written a great book, Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature. Farr combines new urbanism with green development in a clear and logical manner. He believes that "sustainable urbanism" is more than designing new Leed certified green buildings. It also includes the creation of green sustainable neighborhoods, and includes plans for sustainable urban development. He combines the strategies and principles of new urbanism with environmental improvements very well. Farr explains the evolution of the design reform movement. He outlines strategies on how to lead and promote sustainable urbanism. Doug Farr did an outstanding on form based codes for our neighboring communities of Bloomington and Normal, Illinois, and in developing plans that enhanced the environment while creating new urban space. I strongly recommend this book.

Craig Hullinger AICP City of Peoria, Director, Economic Development

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/047177751X/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt/104-7788888-6723110?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Building for life

Delivering great places to live: 20 questions you need to answer.

This guide explains the 20 Building for Life standard criteria. Developers can use the 20 questions as a basis for writing development briefs, with a view to speeding up planning approvals and winning local community support. Local authorities can use them to demand high standards of design. Delivering great places to live provides a valuable tool to assess design quality in new housing schemes and should be referred to when applying for a Building for Life standard.

Download publikationen her:

http://www.buildingforlife.org/apply/buildingforlife.aspx?type=publication&refid=-2&aspectid=15&contentitemid=324

Evaluating housing principles step by step
This guide was commissioned and funded by the Housing Corporation’s innovation and good practice programme to support housing designers and developers in producing well designed developments and achieving Building for Life awards.

Download publikationen her:
http://www.buildingforlife.org/apply/buildingforlife.aspx?type=publication&refid=-2&aspectid=15&contentitemid=2395

The Endless City

The Endless City

An authoritative and visually rich survey of the contemporary city.

More and more people are moving into towns and cities to live and work, altering the urban/rural balance of countries worldwide
The Endless City is an unparalleled study of the growth of six of the World’s international cities (New York, Shanghai, London, Mexico City, Johannesburg and Berlin), exploring key structural, economic and social factors
Overseen by the influential educational institution, the London School of Economics (LSE)
Features extensive research and coherent texts by world-renowned professionals in the field
The information is presented in a comprehensive and visually compelling sequence, enabling quick and efficient reference as well as offering material that is exciting to study
Each city is studied individually in its own chapter and examined comparatively in an observational chapter
Authoritatively edited by Ricky Burdett and Deyan Sudjic in collaboration with LSE and The Urban Age Project, an expanding international organisation seeking a new urban agenda for global cities
Visit the feature website at http://www.phaidon.com/endlesscity/