Envisioning Better Cities: A Global Tour of Good Ideas takes readers on a world tour of useful, feasible, and novel ideas for making cities more livable and sustainable. The book visits cities of all sizes, on all continents, to share what people are doing - now - to tackle the economic, social and environmental challenges their communities face. The book travels to Denmark, Australia, Cuba, China, Canada, Germany, Israel, Brazil, the United States, and more for good ideas that will engage and empower people to take part in the future of their city. Whether describing the benefits of yarn bombs in Madrid, the creation of pollinator pathways in Seattle, or the transformative power of garbage-for-food programs in Curitiba, Brazil this book brings together a compelling collection of examples to shift how we think about improving cities. To do this, the chapters are organized around the essential ingredients for improving our cities: Inviting People, Inspiring People, Connecting People, Communicating with People, Moving People and Supporting People. The hope is that by taking readers on a tour of diverse cities - large and small, wealthy and struggling - that their imaginations will be triggered about what they can do to improve their own cities.

The author's work has shaped a generation of planners, designers, and landscape architects. In this book, the author brings his insights to a broader public, with a profusely illustrated demonstration of how local officials, planning commissioners, and everyday citizens can work to make their communities more attractive, more habitable, and more sustainable. Despite the widespread acceptance of good design and planning principles throughout the professions, too many of our towns and rural areas remain needlessly ugly and inefficient. In side by side comparisons of similar places and kinds of buildings, the author shows that we need not live amid sprawling, characterless visual blight. Simple design choices and effective municipal decisions can have tremendous impacts on the quality of our communities. Written in the author's well-known clear, accessible, nontechnical style, this book creates a sense of hope for those who face the everyday challenges of working with developers and landowners to create places that make economic, environmental, and aesthetic sense. The author shows us that with diligence, thoughtfulness, and care, we can make our communities better in countless ways.

""Describes the emerging use of collaborative scenario planning practices in urban and regional planning, and includes case studies, an overview of digital tools, and a project evaluation framework. Concludes with a discussion of how scenarios can be used to address urban inequalities. Intended for a broad audience"--Provided by the publisher"--

Creating Better Cities with Children and Youth is a practical manual on how to conceptualize, structure and facilitate the participation of young people in the community development process. It is an important tool for urban planners, municipal officials, community development staff, non-governmental organizations, educators, youth-serving agencies, youth advocates, and others who are involved in the community development process. It offers inspiration to all who believe in the value of community education and empowerment as a fundamental building block of a vibrant and resilient civil society, and those who feel concern for young people and the quality of their lives. The manual's core ideas and methods have been field-tested in a wide range of urban settings in both developing and industrialized cities through the work of the UNESCO Growing Up in Cities project. Case studies from project sites help to demonstrate the methods in action and show how they can be customized to meet local needs. They provide lessons and insights to help ensure a successful project, and highlight the universal applicability and value of young people's participation.

Cover -- About Island Press -- Subscribe -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction: Why Urban Observation Matters: Seeing the Better City -- 01. How to See City Basics and Universal Patterns -- 02. Observational Approaches -- 03. Seeing the City through Urban Diaries -- 04. Documenting Our Personal Cities -- 05. From Urban Diaries to Policies, Plans, and Politics -- Conclusion: What the Better City Can Be -- Notes -- Index -- IP Board of Directors

In a rapidly urbanizing and globalized world, cities have been the epicentres of COVID-19 (coronavirus). The virus has spread to virtually all parts of the world; first, among globally connected cities, then through community transmission and from the city to the countryside. This report shows that the intrinsic value of sustainable urbanization can and should be harnessed for the wellbeing of all. It provides evidence and policy analysis of the value of urbanization from an economic, social and environmental perspective. It also explores the role of innovation and technology, local governments, targeted investments and the effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda in fostering the value of sustainable urbanization.

Urban and natural environments are often viewed as entirely separate entities — human settlements as the domain of architects and planners, and natural areas as untouched wilderness. This dichotomy continues to drive decision-making in subtle ways, but with the mounting pressures of global climate change and declining biodiversity, it is no longer viable. New technologies are promising to provide renewable energy sources and greener designs, but real change will require a deeper shift in values, attitudes, and perceptions. A timely and important collection, The Natural City explores how to integrate the natural environment into healthy urban centres from philosophical, religious, socio-political, and planning perspectives. Recognizing the need to better link the humanities with public policy, The Natural City offers unique insights for the development of an alternative vision of urban life.