Cities that don't cost the earth » Housing » 24dash.com

The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) - the organisation that has been campaigning for a better environment for more than a century - is delighted to publish Dennis Hardy’s latest book ‘Cities That Don’t Cost The Earth’ at the International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) annual international conference in Liverpool today.

Author, Dennis Hardy said: “We all know that the world is in a bad way. Climate change, resource depletion, over-population and a divide between rich and poor – all of these are headline issues. But we also know that across the world initiatives are at last being taken to do something about them.

"Nations are setting targets to reduce carbon emissions, groups are getting together to live more sustainably, individuals are making their own lifestyle changes.

"But can we design cities that are sustainable? Can we arrange things better so that our settlements reduce their voracious appetite for scarce resources?"

It is many years since the Victorian social inventor, Ebenezer Howard, launched his plan for the garden city. The plan was ahead of its time, and many see it now as a remarkable prototype for sustainable communities.

It is well worth re-visiting although, of course, time has moved on since then. We can learn much from the past, but if the towns and cities in which the majority of the world’s population lives are to be sustainable, we must look ahead and develop new models too.”

As we all grapple with the challenge of sustainability, this book sets the debate in context, using examples taken from around the world. And in a novel twist, Dennis Hardy asks how the pioneer, Ebenezer Howard, who founded the TCPA in 1899, might have faced today’s problems.

The answer, he suggests, is through the introduction of a hierarchy of ‘Eco-Places’. As part of this hierarchy, existing settlements can be sensibly modified and new places built.

TCPA Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to publish ‘Cities That Don’t Cost The Earth’ which provides a highly topical and timely review of why we need to build sustainable cities and looks at ways of doing so.

"The task ahead is not just to build new towns and cities, but also to adapt existing ones. From eco-town to eco-city must become a reality.”

The book addresses crucial issues in a way that is accessible to general readers, professionals and policy-makers alike.

The TCPA is extremely grateful for the generous grant in support of the publication of this book from Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation.