Green Cities of Europe : Global Lessons on Green Urbanism

China Miéville, Michael Moorcock, Paul Di Filippo, and Geoff Ryman: These award winners are on any list of the most inventive, popular, and critically acclaimed talents writing in the realms of fantasy and science fiction today. Their four original creations for this collection range from surreal visions of the infinite to high-tech nightmare; from apocalyptic ruins stalked by heroes and vampires to a near future where the aged terrorize the young. front-matter 1 Green Cities of Europe 4 Contents 6 fulltext 8 Chapter 1:Introduction: Why Study European Cities? 8 The Global Model of European Cities 13 Sustainable Mobility 14 Walking Cities 18 Biophilic Cities 19 Climate Change and Renewable Energy 25 Sustainable Urban Metabolism: Cities as Systems of Material and Resource Flows 27 Green Cities, Green Governance 30 Models for the Future 31 Notes 34 fulltext_001 36 Chapter 2: Paris, France: A 21st-Century Eco-City 36 Geographic, Socioeconomic, and Environmental Policy Context 37 National Environmental Policy and Relevant Planning Frameworks 41 The New, Greener Paris 44 Climate Planning: Adaptation, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy 44 Adaptation To Climate Change 45 Buildings And Energy Use 46 Renewable Energy 48 Transit and Nonmotorized Transportation 50 Urban And Regional Transit Systems 51 Nonmotorized Transportation 55 Green Spaces and Biodiversity 57 Green Spaces 57 Biodiversity 60 Conclusion 65 References 66 Notes 69 fulltext_002 72 Chapter 3: Freiburg, Germany: Germany’s Eco-Capital 72 General Background and Profile 72 Planning Context 74 Landscape Planning 76 Water 77 Transportation 78 Energy and Climate 80 Case Studies 83 Vauban 83 Rieselfeld 85 Conclusion 88 References 89 fulltext_003 90 Chapter 4: Copenhagen, Denmark: Green City amid the Finger Metropolis 90 Introduction 90 Regional Planning 90 The Finger Plan 92 Current Planning Legislation in Denmark 95 Copenhagen’s Municipal Planning 96 Urban Development Strategy 97 Traffic and Transport Facilities 98 Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö in 2000 98 Metro in Copenhagen 99 Bicycle Policy 100 Recreation and Leisure: A Green Policy 101 Copenhagen Urban Spaces 105 Environmental Sustainability 106 Agenda 21 107 “Environmental Accounts” 109 Environmental Manual 110 Public Participation 110 “Eco-Metropole: Our Vision for Copenhagen, 2015” 111 The City of Copenhagen’s Climate Plan 113 Conclusion 113 Notes 114 fulltext_004 116 Chapter 5: Helsinki, Finland: Greenness and Urban Form 116 Planning for Sustainability and Equity 118 The Finnish Planning System 120 The Green Areas Network as Part of a Sustainable City 122 Infill and Green City Strategies 126 Transportation and Mobility 127 Conclusion: Helsinki as a Green City 129 References 132 Primary Sources: Discussions and Conversations 133 Notes 133 fulltext_005 136 Chapter 6: Venice, Italy: Balancing Antiquity and Sustainability 136 A Strategic Plan for the City, 2004–2014 141 Urban Regeneration, Industrial Reconversion, and Environmental Requalification 141 Transformations Of Giudecca And Other Sites In The City Center 142 Porto Marghera and the VEGA Park 143 San Giuliano Park 145 Mobility to and within Venice 147 Maintenance of the City and Water Protection 150 Other Works 154 Port Activities, Cruise Traffic, and Green Policy 156 Conclusion 158 Notes 160 fulltext_006 162 Chapter 7: Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain: From Urban Greenbelt to Regional Green Infrastructure 162 First Steps toward Ecological Planning: The Urban Fringe 164 A Compact City 164 Peri-Urban Areas 165 The Agricultural Matrix 165 The Natural Mountain Systems 166 Solutions within the Framework of Landscape Ecological Planning on the Urban Fringe 166 The Greenbelt Strategy: Toward a Greener City 167 Implementing the Greenbelt Strategy: Main Projectsand Functions 168 Regulating The Hydrological System 169 Creating Connections, Improving Accessibility, And Integrating Publicuse In Natural Surroundings 171 Promoting Pedestrian And Bicycle Mobility 171 Reassessing Agricultural Activities And Preservingrural Landscapes 174 Increasing Biodiversity And Biocapacity 174 Conditioning Urban Planning And Design 175 Providing Economic Benefits 176 The Greenbelt: From an Urban to a Regional Scale 179 The Potential for an Urban Green Infrastructure System 179 Toward a Bioregional Green Infrastructure: The EcologicalNetwork in Alava Province 180 Regional Threats: Fragmentation And Development Proposals 180 The Conservation Strategy In Alava: Toward A Realecological Network 182 The Upland Ring: A Great New Icon For The Bioregionalconservation Strategy 185 Conclusion: Toward a Desirable Future 185 References 186 fulltext_007 188 Chapter 8: London, England: A Global and Sustainable Capital City 188 City Background and Context 188 A History of Immigration and Change 188 Physical Characteristics 190 Travel 192 Key Elements of London’s Green City Practice 192 Ecological Footprint 192 Planning Policy: The London Plan 193 London’s Places 195 London’s People 198 London’s Economy 199 London’s Response To Climate Change 199 London’s Transport 201 Examples of Policy in Action 204 Decentralized Energy 204 Transport 204 Road Travel 205 Reducing Vehicle Emissions 206 Crossrail 206 Bus Travel 207 Walking 207 Cycling 209 Green Travel Plans 209 Waste Treatment and Recycling 210 Enhancing Natural Habitat 211 Food Production 216 How London Is Driving the Urban Sustainability Agenda 217 Lessons for the U.S. 218 Conclusion 219 Notes 220 fulltext_008 222 Conclusion: Green Cities of Europe as Compelling Models 222 Overcoming Barriers to Implementation 225 Shifting the American Dream in a European Direction? 229 Notes 231 z 232 Contributors 232 Index 234 Intro -- Green Cities of Europe -- Contents -- Chapter 1: Introduction: Why Study European Cities? -- The Global Model of European Cities -- Sustainable Mobility -- Walking Cities -- Biophilic Cities -- Climate Change and Renewable Energy -- Sustainable Urban Metabolism: Cities as Systems of Material and Resource Flows -- Green Cities, Green Governance -- Models for the Future -- Notes -- Chapter 2: Paris, France: A 21st-Century Eco-City -- Geographic, Socioeconomic, and Environmental Policy Context -- National Environmental Policy and Relevant Planning Frameworks -- The New, Greener Paris -- Climate Planning: Adaptation, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy -- ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE -- BUILDINGS AND ENERGY USE -- RENEWABLE ENERGY -- Transit and Nonmotorized Transportation -- URBAN AND REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEMS -- NONMOTORIZED TRANSPORTATION -- Green Spaces and Biodiversity -- GREEN SPACES -- BIODIVERSITY -- Conclusion -- References -- Notes -- Chapter 3: Freiburg, Germany: Germany's Eco-Capital -- General Background and Profile -- Planning Context -- Landscape Planning -- Water -- Transportation -- Energy and Climate -- Case Studies -- Vauban -- Rieselfeld -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 4: Copenhagen, Denmark: Green City amid the Finger Metropolis -- Introduction -- Regional Planning -- The Finger Plan -- Current Planning Legislation in Denmark -- Copenhagen's Municipal Planning -- Urban Development Strategy -- Traffic and Transport Facilities -- Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö in 2000 -- Metro in Copenhagen -- Bicycle Policy -- GREEN CYCLE ROUTES -- Recreation and Leisure: A Green Policy -- Copenhagen Urban Spaces -- Environmental Sustainability -- Agenda 21 -- "Environmental Accounts"--Environmental Manual -- Public Participation -- "Eco-Metropole: Our Vision for Copenhagen, 2015" -- The City of Copenhagen's Climate Plan In the absence of federal leadership, states and localities are stepping forward to address critical  problems like climate change, urban sprawl, and polluted water and air. Making a city fundamentally sustainable is a daunting task, but fortunately, there are dynamic, innovative models outside U.S. borders. Green Cities of Europe draws on the world's best examples of sustainability to show how other cities can become greener and more livable.
Timothy Beatley has brought together leading experts from Paris, Freiburg, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Heidelberg, Venice, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and London to illustrate groundbreaking practices in sustainable urban planning and design. These cities are developing strong urban cores, building pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and improving public transit. They are incorporating ecological design and planning concepts, from solar energy to natural drainage and community gardens. And they are changing the way government works, instituting municipal "green audits" and reforming economic incentives to encourage sustainability. 
Whatever their specific tactics, these communities prove that a holistic approach is needed to solve environmental problems and make cities sustainable. Beatley and these esteemed contributors offer vital lessons to the domestic planning community about not only what European cities are doing to achieve that vision, but precisely how they are doing it. The result is an indispensable guide to greening American cities.
 
 Contributors include:
 
Lucie Laurian (Paris)
Dale Medearis and Wulf Daseking (Freiburg)
Michaela Brüel (Copenhagen)
Maria Jaakkola (Helsinki)
Marta Moretti (Venice)
Luis Andrés Orive and Rebeca Dios Lema (Vitoria-Gasteiz)
Camilla Ween (London) "In the absence of federal leadership, states and localities are stepping forward to address critical problems like climate change, urban sprawl, and polluted water and air. Making a city fundamentally sustainable is a daunting task, but fortunately, there are dynamic, innovative models outside U.S. borders. Green Cities of Europe draws on the world's best examples of sustainability to show how other cities can become greener and more livable. Timothy Beatley has brought together leading experts from Paris, Freiburg, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Heidelberg, Venice, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and London to illustrate groundbreaking practices in sustainable urban planning and design. These cities are developing strong urban cores, building pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and improving public transit. They are incorporating ecological design and planning concepts, from solar energy to natural drainage and community gardens. And they are changing the way government works, instituting municipal "green audits" and reforming economic incentives to encourage sustainability. Whatever their specific tactics, these communities prove that a holistic approach is needed to solve environmental problems and make cities sustainable. Beatley and these esteemed contributors offer vital lessons to the domestic planning community about not only what European cities are doing to achieve that vision, but precisely how they are doing it. The result is an indispensable guide to greening American cities."--Publisher description In the absence of federal leadership, states and localities are stepping forward to address critical problems like climate change, urban sprawl, and polluted water and air. Making a city fundamentally sustainable is a daunting task, but fortunately, there are dynamic, innovative models outside U.S. borders. Green Cities of Europe draws on the world's best examples of sustainability to show how other cities can become greener and more livable. Timothy Beatley has brought together leading experts from Paris, Freiburg, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Heidelberg, Venice, Vitoria-Gasteiz, and London to illustrate groundbreaking practices in sustainable urban planning and design. These cities are developing strong urban cores, building pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and improving public transit. They are incorporating ecological design and planning concepts, from solar energy to natural drainage and community gardens. And they are changing the way government works, instituting municipal'green audits'and reforming economic incentives to encourage sustainability. Whatever their specific tactics, these communities prove that a holistic approach is needed to solve environmental problems and make cities sustainable. Beatley and these esteemed contributors offer vital lessons to the domestic planning community about not only what European cities are doing to achieve that vision, but precisely how they are doing it. The result is an indispensible guide to greening American cities. Paul Di Filippo, China Mieville, Michael Moorcock, and Geoff Ryman: in the realms of fantasy and science fiction, four names to conjure with. These award-winners are on any list of the most inventive, popular, and critically acclaimed talents writing in the genres today. Their original creations for this collection veer from surreal visions of the infinite to high-tech nightmare; from apocalyptic ruins stalked by heroes and vampires to a near-future where the aged terrorize the young. Paul Di Filippo is the author of Neutrino Drag, The Steampunk Trilogy and many other books. China Mieville is the bestselling author of Perdido Street Station and King Rat. The imagination of Michael Moorcock, author of more than eighty books, has fathered two of the most significant figures in fantasy writing: Jerry Cornelius and Elric. Geoff Ryman is the author of Was and the bestseller 253, among other books. Book jacket Green Cities of Europe draws on the best examples of sustainability to show how other cities can become greener and more livable. Timothy Beatley brings together leading experts from Paris, Freiburg, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Venice, Victoria-Gasteiz, and London to illustrate from Paris, Freiburg, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Venice, Victoria-Gasteiz, and London to illustrate groundbreaking practices in urban planning. These cities are creating greenways, improving public transit, conserving energy, instituting "green audits" for government, and strengthening city centers. With Green Cities of Europe, Beatley offers urban planners a vision of holistic sustainability and a clear guide to accomplishing it. Book jacket

China Miéville, Michael Moorcock, Paul Di Filippo, and Geoff Ryman: These award winners are on any list of the most inventive, popular, and critically acclaimed talents writing in the realms of fantasy and science fiction today. Their four original creations for this collection range from surreal visions of the infinite to high-tech nightmare; from apocalyptic ruins stalked by heroes and vampires to a near future where the aged terrorize the young.

"February, and his father could talk only of his own impending death, swearing wildly that he saw coveys of Yardbulls massing specifically for him, ragged-winged specks afloat like flakes of ash in the warped fulgurant smokes of the northern rim of the worl"