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"Large modern cities have effectively declared their independence from nature. But while they take up only three to four percent of the world's land surface, their ecological footprints cover the entire globe. With current methods of resources use, cities are undermining the ecological basis of their own existence. To meet the aspirations of city people in developing as well as developed countries, bold new initiatives are needed. Mere 'sustainable development' is not enough. The planning of new cities, as well as the retrofit of existing cities, needs to undergo a profound paradigm shift. Instead of simply using resources more sustainably, cities need to take responsibility for their use of resources, making 'regenerative development' into an organising principle. We need to move away from linear systems of resource use, and assure that cities operate as circular systems. Creating Regenerative Cities is a concise, solution-oriented manual for creating regenerative urbanisation. In our urbanising world a wide range of technical, management and policy solutions already exist, but implementation has been too slow and too little, in large part because the kinds of holistic approaches needed are still unfamiliar to fragmented and process driven urban policy making and governance. Herbert Girardet's 30 year experience as an ecologist, thinker and consultant to cities around the world has created this unique combination of tried and tested best practices and policies with the fundamental shift needed in the way we think about our cities"--

Large, modern cities have effectively declared their independence from nature. But while they take up only three percent of the world's land surface, their ecological footprints actually cover the entire globe. Humanity is building an urban future, yet urban resource use is threatening the future of humanity and the natural world. To meet the aspirations of city people in both developing and developed countries, bold new initiatives are needed. Modern cities are an astonishing human achievement. As centres of innovation they are humanity's cultural playgrounds. Their communication and transport.

'The combined analysis presented here of why current arrangements are failing the future and clear insights of the way to go, offer us hope.'Mary Robinson, President of Realising Rights, Ethical Globalisation Initiative, and former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human RightsEnvironmental and human catastrophe looms ever larger for planet Earth. Powerful action is required now to turn a deepening global crisis into an unprecedented opportunity for positive change. This book shows how a dramatic transformation of how humans relate to the Earth, and to one another

Big feet, small planet -- In the beginning -- From Rome to Edo -- Technology : triumph and tragedy -- Globalisation and megacity growth -- Cities as eco-technical systems -- Transport and the city -- Creating liveable cities -- Solar cities : from theory to practice -- Towards zero waste -- Using water efficiently -- Relearning urban agriculture -- Building ecopolis

Environmental and human catastrophe looms ever larger for planet Earth. From the need to build sustainable cities to house growing billions to transforming the international trade system to tackling run-away climate change, positive, powerful action is ne.

The author poses the question of whether or not cities can establish a sustainable relationship with the planet. Asserting that the historical evolution of large cities & the questions of waste generation, soil exhaustion & redistribution of resources indicates the need for a new look at urban system functions & ecological footprint, the author offers the solution that cities need to mimic natural ecosystems. A case study of the metabolism of London indicates the need to conceptualize the city as super-organism that is a circular metabolism that results in mutual benefit. A new definition of a sustainable city is presented that would be inclusive of alternative fuels. References. J. Harwell

Intro -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Foreword: 'We can and we must' by Ashok Khosla -- Introduction and executive summary -- Acronyms and abbreviations -- Ch1: Energy Change, Climate Change -- Ch 2: Carbon and the Biosphere -- Ch 3: Renewable Energy -- Ch 4:Towards Energy Equality -- Ch 5: Energy Sufficiency -- Ch 6: The Green-Collar Economy -- Ch 7: Renewing the City -- Ch 8: From Global to Local? -- Ch 9: Problem Technologies -- Ch 10: Going Deeper, Looking Further -- References -- Index -- The World Future Council (WFC) -- About the Authors