Cities for a small planet [Texto impresso] / Richard Rogers ; edited by Philip Gumuchdjian

Summary:
1. The culture of cities
2. Sustainable cities
3. Sustainable architecture
4. London: the humanist city
5. Cities for a small planet

Abstract:
Half the world's population lives in cities. By the year 2025 this figure will have risen to three-quarters. And yet the modern city - the creation of a private sector interested in financial reward, and a public sector motivated by short-term expediency - is a direct cause of pollution, alienation and social division.
In this book, based on his Reith Lectures of 1995, the architect Richard Rogers offers a radical new bluepoint for the future of our cities. He demonstrates the influence that architecture and urban planning have upon our everyday lives, and warns of the potentially disastrous impact of modern cities upon the environment. He argues that only through sustainable planning can we protect the ecology of our planet, and so fulfil our responsabilities to future generations. Sustainable urban planning is a fundamentally democratic principle, involving citizens in decision-making at every level. It is a holistic approach, combining social and environmental concerns: architecture which enhances the public domain, public transport which protects street life, energy systems which reduce our dependence on finite natural resources. It offers our only real chance of creating ideal dynamic cities that respect both people and the environment. (Richard Rogers)