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.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
Few activities affect more powerfully the quality of life than the elementary design of our communities and the way they are blended with the natural environment. Randall Arendt has provided the rules to combine this vision with attainable goals. -E. O. Wilson, Harvard University Local officials and planners, in addition to developers and interested citizens, will find a true cornucopia of practical ideas for helping their communities grow with sense and grace. This book will become an extremely useful ready-reference to practitioners in towns and counties on both sides of the metro-edge, whether dealing with new sites or infill and redevelopment. -Judy Corbett, Executive Director, Local Government Commission Envisioning Better Communities reminds me of Christopher Alexander's Pattern Language, and I believe it is equal to that work. The well-constructed and easily understood procedures, logic, and graphics will appeal to a wide audience. Schools of planning and design will flock to have this in their libraries and studios. -Jon Rodiek, Texas A&M University; editor, Landscape & Urban Planning This is precisely the kind of tool local planners need. Most of us know in our gut what kind of communities we'd like to live in; this helps make it clearer what needs to happen for those wishes to come true. -Bill McKibben
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Zielgruppe
Für Beruf und Forschung
Professional and Professional Practice & Development
Produkt-Hinweis
Maße
Höhe: 254 mm
Breite: 206 mm
Dicke: 20 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-932364-81-1 (9781932364811)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Randall Arendt is a landscape planner, site designer, author, lecturer, and advocate. He is senior conservation advisor at the Natural Lands Trust and a fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute. He is the author of more than 20 publications, including Rural by Design; Growing Greener; Crossroads, Hamlet, Village, Town; and Conservation Design for Subdivisions.
Autor*in
senior conservation advisor, Natural Lands Trust, UK and fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute, UK
1. Balancing Development and Conservation through Community-wide Planning 2. Conservation Subdivision Design Recommended Procedures 3. Residential Neighborhood Design Principles 4. Improving Downtown Appearance and Viability 5. Transforming Highway Commercial Strips into Mixed Use Centers 6. Conclusion: Where to Go from Here
