Community livability: issues and approaches to sustaining the well-being of people and communities

What is a livable community? How do you design and develop one? What does government at all levels need to do to support and nurture the cause of livable communities? Using a blend of theory and practice, the second edition of Community Livability addresses evidence from international, state and local perspectives to explore what is meant by the term "livable communities." The second edition contains new chapters from leading academics and practitioners that examine the various factors that constitute a livable community (e.g., the influence and importance of transportation options/alternatives to the elderly, the importance of walkability as a factor in developing a livable and healthy community, the importance of good open space providing for human activity and health, restorative benefits, etc., the importance of coordinated land use and transportation planning), and the relationship between livability and quality of life. A number of chapters focus on livable communities with case studies from an international perspective in the USA, Canada, Australia, Peru, Sweden, South Korea, Japan, and Austria

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- Notes on Contributors -- Foreword -- Part I: Understanding of Livability -- 1 Montrealism or Montréalité? Understanding Montreal's Unique Brand of Livability -- Quality of Life and Living Standards -- The Role of Climate and Its Influence on Livability -- Montreal's Economic Environment -- The Social Economy as a Factor of Livability -- Montreal's Uniquely Convivial Built Environment -- Green Spaces and Parks as Factors of Livability -- Mobility Patterns and Their Contribution to Livability -- Information Technology and Smart City Systems -- Conclusion: Montréalité as a Way of Life -- Notes -- References -- 2 Most Livable Pittsburgh -- Notes -- References -- 3 Livable Stockholm -- Introduction -- Global Rankings -- Livability and Beyond: Housing Issues -- Increased Focus on Coordination and Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration -- Sustainable Urban Development in Sweden: Environmental to Social Focus -- Post-War Era Planning and Urban Development -- The Post-Modern Reaction -- Planning and Urban Development in the New Millennium -- Sustainable Livable Communities I: Hammarby Sjöstad (Hammarby Waterfront) -- The Walkable City, Strategic City Plan (2010) -- Sustainable Livable Communities II: Norra Djurgårdsstaden (Stockholm Royal Seaport) -- Vision 2030 -- Recent Urban Planning: Increased Focus on Social Sustainability -- Vision 2040 -- Conclusions -- References -- 4 Livable Seoul: Village Community Building -- Introduction -- Background -- Livability for Seoul Urbanites -- Policy Rationale: Social Interaction through Third Places -- Policy Overview: Village Community Building -- Discussion -- References -- 5 The Livable City in the Context of Depopulation in Japan -- Two Different Characteristics of Japanese Cities.

What is a livable community? How do you design and develop one? What does government at all levels need to do to support and nuture the cause of livable communities? Using a blend of theory and practice, experts in the field look at evidence from international, state and local perspectives to explore what is meant by the term "livable communities". Chapters examine the various influencing factors such as the effect and importance of transportation options/alternatives to the elderly, the significance of walkability as a factor in developing a livable and healthy community, the importance of good open space providing for human activity and health, restorative benefits, the importance of coordinated land use and transportation planning, and the relationship between livability and quality of life. While much of the discussion of this topic is usually theoretical and abstract, Wagner and Caves use case studies from North America, Brazil and the United Kingdom to provide substantive examples of initiatives implemented across the world. This book fills an important gap in the literature on livable communities and at the same time assists policy officials, professionals and academics in their quest to develop livable communities