UrbanEcological Design: A Process for Regenerative Places
byDanilo Palazzo and Frederick Steiner
IslandPress, December 2011
This trailblazing book outlines aninterdisciplinary "process model" for urban design that has beendeveloped and tested over time. Its goal is not to explain how to design aspecific city precinct or public space, but to describe useful steps toapproach the transformation of urban spaces. illustrates the different stages in which the process is organized, usingtheories, techniques, images, and case studies. In essence, it presents a"how-to" method to transform the urban landscape that is thoroughlyinformed by theory and practice.
The authors note that urban designis viewed as an interface between different disciplines. They describe thefield as "peacefully overrun, invaded, and occupied" by cityplanners, architects, engineers, and landscape architects (with developers andpoliticians frequently joining in). They suggest that environmental concernsdemand the consideration of ecology and sustainability issues in urban design.It is, after all, the urban designer who helps to orchestrate humanrelationships with other living organisms in the built environment.
The overall objective of the bookis to reinforce the role of the urban designer as an honest broker and promoterof design processes and as an active agent of social creativity in theproduction of the public realm.
