Author Description

This book is a discussion of a fundamental conflict in the perception of nature in the city, an expression of the essential need for a view that is grounded in natural processes that will inform the theory and practice of urban design at the scale of the city and its urban region. It is, therefore, a search for a sustainable urban future. With public concern for energy conservation, the protection of natural systems and environmental awareness growing, the desire to nurture a rewarding environment where nature and urbanism co-exist is the challenge for the twenty-first century. Revisiting many of the cases originally studied in City Form and Natural Process and the first edition of Cities and Natural Process, this new edition has been extensively revised to take account of recent theoretical and practical developments. The author discusses the processes of nature at work and how they are altered in urban environments, and suggests a design framework for achieving an alternative, environmentally informed, view of cities. By examining natural and human processes as they operate in balance with nature, the book reveals how alternative values can tip the balance in favour of a constructive relationship between the two. Cities and Natural Process is an essential addition to the study of urban design and environmental planning and of the potential of cities to be environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.