As world population grows, and more people move to cities and suburbs, they place greater stress on the operating system of our whole planet. But urbanization and increasing densities also present our best opportunity for improving sustainability, by transforming urban development into desirable, lower-carbon, compact and walkable communities and business centers. Jonathan Barnett and Larry Beasley seek to demonstrate that a sustainable built and natural environment can be achieved through ecodesign, which integrates the practice of planning and urban design with environmental conservation, through normal business practices and the kinds of capital programs and regulations already in use in most communities. Ecodesign helps adapt the design of our built environment to both a changing climate and a rapidly growing world, creating more desirable places in the process. In six comprehensively illustrated chapters, the authors explain ecodesign concepts, including the importance of preserving and restoring natural systems while also adapting to climate change; minimizing congestion on highways and at airports by making development more compact, and by making it easier to walk, cycle and take trains and mass transit; crafting and managing regulations to insure better placemaking and  fulfill consumer preferences, while incentivizing preferred practices; creating an inviting and environmentally responsible public realm from parks to streets to forgotten spaces; and finally how to implement these ecodesign concepts.           Throughout the book, the ecodesign framework is demonstrated by innovative practices that are already underway or have been accomplished in many cities and suburbs—from Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm to False Creek North in Vancouver to Battery Park City in Manhattan, as well as many smaller-scale examples that can be adopted in any community.  Ecodesign thinking is relevant to anyone who has a part in shaping or influencing the future of cities and suburbs – designers, public officials, and politicians. "This book’s strength lies in its wide-ranging descriptions of leading practice successes from around the world. Examples range from inexpensive zoning ordinance changes to billion-dollar high-speed rail system projects. The book is a veritable illustrated ecodesign catalog… Barnett and Beasley are optimistic…believing that their ecodesign vision will be supported by increasing public exposure to great projects, advances in technical planning and communication tools, and growing awareness of critical consequences. For them, the outcome will make us or break us as a species; adopting ecosystem principles will help ensure our survival. [Ian] McHarg would surely agree." ― Urban Land "Now impelled by the reality of climate change, we have a huge opportunity to move to a future of greater efficiency, better health, and more happiness. Barnett and Beasley provide a timely blueprint to shape the human habitat." -- David Suzuki ― Cofounder, David Suzuki Foundation "With the global 'urban century' in full swing, will cities old and new, central and suburban, become more sustainable and delightful?  With Ecodesign for Cities and Suburbs , Barnett and Beasley show us that the answer is certainly yes. Their insightful approach can and must be ours." -- Ethan Seltzer ― Professor, Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning, Portland State University "Barnett and Beasley have authored an inspiring study of ecological principles translated into civic action. They present a jargon-free framework for making cities that redefine our understanding of how places perform in terms of social, economic, and environmental measures. Drawing on their considerable experience of city design and planning from Vancouver to Abu Dhabi, Barnett and Beasley show how thoughtful ecodesign enriches the day-to-day experience of people who live, work, and visit today's cities." -- Raymond W. Gastil ― Director of City Planning, Pittsburgh "[Barnett and Beasley] prove that our built environment can be designed to adapt to a changing climate and to a rapidly expanding world population while also creating places that are more desirable for living and working." ― Landscape Architects Network "A clarion call for a new normal in urban, suburban, and regional design." ― Planning "[ EcoDesign for Cities and Suburbs ] is both practical and fascinating." ― Real Estate News Exchange "In this highly informative call to action [the authors] present a strong argument for change in the way planners develop cities and suburbs to respect the natural environment and human needs for a social life." ― Choice "The book is a comprehensive overview of the diverse challenges our cities and suburbs face, offering practical planning and urban design solutions for transforming our urban growth model today…Overall, this is a valuable, informative book for the planning community that advances theory into practice, and that inspir