Cities of the future: Big ideas 22 July 2013
Friends of the Earth wants to explore what drives positive social, environmental and economic change in our cities. This is part of our Big Ideas Change the World project.
These resources offer a range of approaches to making our cities more sustainable. Please help us build up this list, and add your own recommendation.
Books
Manuel Castells, 1996. The rise of network society, Wiley-Blackwell
Groundbreaking volume on the impact of the age of information on all aspects of society. Includes coverage of the influence of the internet and the net-economy.
Susan S. Fainstein, 2011. The Just City, Cornell University Press
Susan Fainstein's concept of the "just city" encourages planners and policymakers to embrace a different approach to urban development.
Simon Parker, 2010. Cities, Politics and Power, Routledge Critical Introductions to Urbanism and the City
Charts the rise of the city in human history and uncovers the myriad ways in which politics and the exercise of power have shaped urban life.
Saskia Sassen, 2001. The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo, Princeton University Press
Chronicles how New York, London, and Tokyo became command centers for the global economy and in the process underwent massive change.
Andre Viljoen (ed.), 2005, Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes: Designing Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Cities, Architectural Press
A design proposal for a new kind of sustainable urban landscape: Urban Agriculture. The revolutionary and innovative concepts put forth in this book have potential to shape the future of our cities and the quality of life lived within them.
Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, 2010. The Spirit Level: why equality is better for everyone. Penguin.
The relationships between inequality and poor health and social problems are too strong to be attributable to chance. Read what Kate Pickett says about her book here
Online
European Union 2011, Regional Policy, "Cities of Tomorrow - Challenges, Visions, Ways Forward."
Inspiration for policymakers and practitioners involved in urban development, whether at local, regional, national or European level.
C40 is a network of the world's megacities taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Global survey of 90 city governments and a case study analysis of innovative green strategies in eight cities.
UK housing could deliver a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 -current policy is not taking us to where we need to be.
How dense should high-density residential development be? What are the impacts of such urban environments on residents?
Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2009. "Learning from City Recovery in Europe and the United States."
An investigation of why cities decline, how they recover and how low-income communities within them fare under the impact of dramatic changes.
Online magazine that covers the people and projects bringing a shareable world to life.
Worpole, K. (2012), Park Life re-visited, Heritage Lottery Fund
The English park is admired worldwide. Yet from time to time this great achievement is forgotten and has to be argued for anew.
Videos
Manuel Castells 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2013/mar/25/manuel-castells-political-cyberspace-video
How modern political movements straddle urban space and cyberspace.
David Harvey, 2012. Rebel Cities: The Urbanization of Class Struggle LSE lecture
The city is a key arena within which class forces clash. David Harvey examines the urban roots of crises.
Photo: The Urban Agriculture Curtain 2009
Prototype building with integrated food growing installation at London Yields, the urban agriculture exhibition at The Building Centre London, UK. Design Bohn & Viljoen Architects in collaboration with Hadlow College (Stefan Jordan).
Please share your suggestions for books, websites etc that others might find interesting.
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