This book tackles the challenging issues raised by the growth of large megacities from diverse perspectives and approaches. The central question raised by the growth of megacities is what effect their growth will have on the ability of the global population to live in sustainable, livable, and safe societies. In Part I, important issues on the relationships between megacities and sustainability of the global environment are specified. Part II shows what can be learned from the history and diversity of megacities to solve challenging issues of the present. We present practical approaches that can solve the issues of megacities particularly focusing on human activities that seek the more harmonious relationship between life amenities and the natural environment: population density and urban built environment; production and trade; and environmental education and enlightenment. Part III aims to answer the question, what aspects of megacities should be measured and assessed? Barometers are necessary to control human activities in megacities. We consider how to measure and assess performances of megacities, reviewing some cases of indicators that authors have developed. This publication highlights the challenging issues of the relationships between megacities and sustainability of the global environment and related issues that have accrued from them, based on the following three scales: long-term time scale from the past to the present and future; a vast spatial scale that links global space with local spaces; and the scale of various aspects of human socio-economic activities in megacities.

This thoroughly revised and updated fourth edition of The Sustainable Urban Development Reader combines classic and contemporary readings to provide a broad introduction to the topic that is accessible to general and undergraduate audiences. The Reader begins by tracing the roots of the sustainable development concept in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through classic readings. It then explores dimensions of urban sustainability, including land use and urban design, transportation, ecological planning and restoration, energy and materials use, economic development, social and environmental justice, and green architecture and building. Additional sections cover tools for sustainable development, sustainable development internationally, visions of sustainable community, and case studies from around the world. The Sustainable Urban Development Reader remains unique in presenting a broad array of sustainable city readings, each with a concise introduction placing it within the context of this evolving discourse. Presenting an authoritative overview of the field using original sources in a highly readable format, this book is a valuable resource for general readers as well as students and researchers in urban studies, environmental studies, the social sciences, and related fields.

1. Eco-cities : re-examining concepts and approaches / Hidefumi Imura -- 2. Let's get real : critical visions and sustainable eco-urbanism / William S.W. Lim -- 3. Some thoughts on the development of eco-cities in Asia / Lye Liang Fook and Chen Gang -- 4. Building ecotopia : critical reflections on eco-city development in China / Pow Choon-Piew and Harvey Neo -- 5. Moving toward eco-friendly city : perspective on Thailand / Rujiroj Anambutr -- 6. Challenges to implementing the eco-city concept in Indonesia's major cities / Suraya A. Afiff -- 7. Eco-city : China's realities and challenges in urban planning and design / Wang Tao and Shao Lei -- 8. Sustainable living : an overview from the Malaysian perspective / Hardev Kaur and Mizan Hitam -- 9. Prospects on ecological development in Philippine cities / Marife M. Ballesteros

Explores how, over centuries, Amazonian people and their cultures have interacted with rainforests William Balée is a world-renowned expert on the cultural and historical ecology of the Amazon basin. His new collection, Sowing the Forest, is a companion volume to the award-winning Cultural Forests of the Amazon, published in 2013. Sowing the Forest engages in depth with how, over centuries, Amazonian people and their cultures have interacted with rainforests, making the landscapes of palm forests and other kinds of forests, and how these and related forests have fed back into the vocabulary and behavior of current indigenous occupants of the remotest parts of the vast hinterlands. The book is divided into two parts. Part 1, “Substrate of Intentionality,” comprises chapters on historical ecology, indigenous palm forests, plant names in Amazonia, the origins of the Amazonian plantain, and the unknown “Dark Earth people” of thousands of years ago and their landscaping. Together these chapters illustrate the phenomenon of feedback between culture and environment. In Part 2, “Scope of Transformation,” Balée lays out his theory of landscape transformation, which he divides into two rubrics—primary landscape transformation and secondary landscape transformation—and for which he provides examples and various specific effects. One chapter compares environmental and social interrelationships in an Orang Asli group in Malaysia and the Ka’apor people of eastern Amazonian Brazil, and another chapter covers loss of language and culture in the Bolivian Amazon. A final chapter addresses the controversial topic of monumentality in the rainforest. Balée concludes by emphasizing the common thread in Amazonian historical ecology: the long-term phenomenon of encouraging diversity for its own sake, not just for economic reasons.

This book explores the concepts and practicalities that lead to sustainable construction. It breaks new ground by providing the reader with the underlying principles of how to build sustainably and then assesses many of the tools required for the task. From energy to materials and from procurement to operation, all aspects play their part in turning a theoretically sustainable building project into a reality. There are many guidelines for the designer on how to maximise the sustainability of buildings but this resource text supplements these by focusing on the construction and operational aspects of sustainable buildings, as well as some of the more fundamental design-related considerations. • Offers an excellent text for those learning to construct, design and operate sustainable buildings. • Covers the drivers for sustainable construction, definitions, historical impacts, climate change and global, regional and individual responses. • enables the construction professional to achieve optimum solutions, both in design, process and the aftercare of buildings. • evaluates the effectiveness of different renewable technologies and provides guidance on the practicalities of their use. • Alerts the reader to future trends in this field.

This book aims to investigate a long-term strategy for sustainable urban logistics. The literature evidence exhibits that considerable research on urban logistics lacks long-term planning and rarely considers the urban spatial development and integration of urban distribution innovations. Currently, 11 distribution innovations can be used for future sustainable urban freight transport. According to a systematic discussion, this book formulates the conceptual model of Sustainable Inner-urban Intermodal Transportation (SIUIT) for future urban logistics. Moreover, a comprehensive analysis illustrates that future integrations of distribution innovations comprise operational and technological integration. To this end, the morphological analysis method is employed to discuss their feasible solutions based on the SIUIT model. After that, combined with the trend exploration of urban spatial development on large- and megacities, this book constructs the 2.x Modula & Sustainable Urban Freight Network to improve the flexibility of the future sustainable logistics transformation. About the AuthorDr. rer. pol. Zhangyuan He graduated from the University of Bremen. He currently undertakes postdoctoral research at the School of Urban Planning and Design, Peking University.

Climate Health Risks in Megacities: Sustainable Management and Strategic Planning courageously confronts the immense challenges of alleviating climate change and takes the initiative to layout an agenda that calls for action in the rapidly changing landscape of our global climate. This guide provides a constructive methodology for developing and implementing risk management and operational continuity management systems to climate change effects on urban populations. It addresses key issues such as physical location, proper sanitation, food security and vector-borne diseases against the backdrop of climate change, and then model its effect on the urban dwellers. The author also reveals the benefits of implementing a unique risk management approach to combat global threats and focuses on building urban resilience in the face of disasters. Prepared with a comprehensive and forward-thinking style, this book draws on indispensable case studies in key megacities like New York, Los Angeles, Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, London, Mumbai, and Lagos, and links researchers, scientists, city’s mayors, environmentalists, policy-makers and world leaders from central areas to review, reflect, and expound on future directions.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Sustainable Development is a comprehensive exploration of how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies are revolutionizing the field of sustainable development. The book examines cutting-edge innovations, practical applications, and potential challenges in harnessing AI and ML to address global sustainability issues. It offers insights into how these technologies can optimize resource management, improve environmental monitoring, enhance decision-making processes, and promote equitable, eco-friendly solutions. This book would be of special interest to researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to leverage cutting-edge technology for a more sustainable future.

Providing an authoritative yet accessible introduction to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), this comprehensive Companion offers a detailed examination of the ADB’s objectives, policies, development outcomes, strengths and weaknesses, areas for reform, and challenges going forward.