There is an urgent need to build human capacity to make the often vulnerable and exposed buildings and communities we live and work in more resilient to the changing social, economic and physical environments around us. Extensive research has been done over the last decades on both mitigation and adaptation to climate change in the built environment, but the outputs of much of this research have failed to result in the wider uptake of effective greenhouse gas emission reduction solutions. This volume introduces credible 'fresh thinking' on how this may be done. For the first time an emerging generation of research is brought together that is directly concerned with understanding, influencing and leading the transformation of markets and thinking in the built environment. Chapters cover: defining values setting targets consumer motivation selling existing ideas better developing new design principles, paradigms and programmes optimizing solutions to ensure that when change does happen, it does so in the right direction. Papers are contributed by leading experts in fields ranging from philosophy, the social, political and physical sciences, engineering, architecture, mathematics and complexity science. The resulting volume will be essential reading for all those involved with changing the mindsets of a generation on the need to, and ways to, build resilience to rapid change and transforming markets in the built environment.

This book presents fresh ways of thinking about the future for all those involved in conceiving, planning, designing, funding, constructing, occupying and managing the built environment, to face the challenges, and grasp the opportunities, that lie ahead over the next few decades. Four major themes form the basis of the volume: (1) Future Awareness and a New Sense of Place. (2) Global Governance and Anticipatory Leadership. (3) Innovation, Reform and Exemplars. (4) Urban Planning and Real Estate Transformations. Within these structural themes are a diverse range of 'Discourses' addressing many of the big questions and driving forces that face us, together with a proposed methodology (Strategic Foresight) and an array of practical illustrations viewing what can be done today – whether by organisations, individuals, cities or communities – to positively shape a preferred future and manipulate us towards achieving it. It will be important reading for students, practitioners, agencies and corporations across the built environment, especially in the fields of urban planning, real estate development, architecture, civil engineering and construction.

Nowadays, the sustainable built environment planning in most cities has come to a turning point as the growth in traffic and population has become a serious concern and put tremendous pressure on both the environment and people in these cities. It is therefore important to find new ways or lifestyles—such as compact city, transit-oriented development (TOD) formulations—that are more flexible, inclusive, and sustainable. Furthermore, for the sustainable built environment and urban growth management, not only should the growth management principles—which include smart growth, sustainable growth, and inclusive growth—be taken into account but innovative/smart planning strategies—such as mixed use design, green transport, and new urbanism—are also utilized in planning sustainable built environments in order to prevent the urban sprawl development that has occurred.

Society seems to be tied irrevocably to long-term patterns of resource use, and to producing unassimilatable waste, emissions, and ongoing environmental degradation. There also are seemingly irresolvable dilemmas between humanity and nature, society and ecology, and utility and beauty, where each decision we make seems to cause some harm. To change from our present path and resolve these, we must have the courage to break from traditions and use our knowhow to progressively and creatively enhance the existing built form so a new built reality emerges, one that enriches people and possibly enables a sustainable future. This alternate path necessitates a holistic approach, one that can more effectively merge and better utilise the disciplines of architecture, engineering, art, sciences and business to integrate the many different parts within the built environment, and produce a vibrant, viable new whole. With this approach, we could begin to transform the built environment into an entity that virtually replicates and functions as a natural sustainable system. Every decision we make is important. What practices, processes, technologies are applied, to how built elements are designed, placed, structured, configured and interfaced, are all important. These determine what eventuates; the built form, architecture, and the ultimate ‘appropriateness’ of the resulting outcome. By determining what is ‘appropriate’, this book provides a retrospective view of the semi-static present built environment with its many in-place processes, issues, constraints, and opportunities, and postulates what is required by visualising the possible alternatives for the always growing built environment. These provide a useful insight into how the built form and urban life can be enhanced, and thereby also how humanity can use architecture to live in a more equitable balance, possibly in harmony and sustainably with nature.

Future Challenges in Sustainable Development within the Built Environment stimulates and reinterprets the demands of Responsible and Sustainable Development in the Built Environment for future action and development. It examines the methods of evaluation, the use of technology, the creation of new models and the role of human factors for examining and developing the subject over the next twenty years.

Matisoff and Noonan assess the accomplishments and promise of ecolabels and the green building movement.