I did not expect my book to be so grimly well-timed. The nuclear tragedy in Japan may do permanent damage to nuclear as a “clean” energy source for the future. Spiking oil prices are making at least a few of us think about how we can use less energy. The Agile City makes a case for conservation—through the design of buildings, communities, and transportation. It shows that reducing energy use can put climate-change goals within our grasp quickly and affordably.
Urban agility doesn’t just mean layering on new technologies. It engages ingrained habit (in the way real estate is financed, for example), unquestioned assumptions (about property rights and land stewardship), and dysfunctional policies (in housing and transportation especially. Agility is an especially urgent need as we look for ways to cope with the rapidly advancing effects of climate change, from floods to drought. Read more here. You can order now!
Leave a Reply