New book: Rethinking Sustainable Cities

‘The immediate justification for this book is its originality and the absence of any comparable volume’, writes David Simon, editor of ‘Rethinking Sustainable Cities’ published today by Policy Press, in the first chapter.

Rather than taking its point of departure in urban planning or another specific field of the increasing urbanisation, the book contextualises sustainable urban development around the three characteristics of Mistra Urban Futures: that cities are accessible, green and fair.  

The authors, including Susan Parnell, University of Cape Town, James Waters at Arup International Development and Henrietta Palmer, also at Mistra Urban Futures, survey the dimensions of accessible, green and fair cities in various contexts. Naturally, as being published between the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in late 2015 and the Habitat III conference and the New Urban Agenda in late 2016, the authors in various ways relate to the increasing acknowledgement of cities’ significance for sustainable development.

The book will be available at the ongoing Royal Geographic Society Annual Conference in London (until 2 September) and of course at Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador, 17-20 October. Following Mistra Urban Futures Open Access policy, the book can also be downloaded for free at https://oapen.org/search?identifier=613676

For more information: please contact Professor David Simon, Director Mistra Urban Futures and editor of the book, or Jan Riise at Mistra Urban Futures.