Remaking Metropolis ─ Global Challenges of the Urban Landscape

Remaking Metropolis examines examples of both urban decay and destruction as well as urban rebirth. It shows why particular approaches were successful, or did not achieve their objectives. By bringing together innovative approaches to urban living from across the world, and by demonstrating how local initiatives can contribute to global solutions, the book establishes a framework in which to evaluate current and future developments for urban change, and to stimulate a reassessment of urban redevelopment and policies.

"Think Globally, Act Locally" is an oft used phrase to encourage citizens to take steps close to home as part of addressing overarching environmental issues. Critics of this view point to the potential for parochial or even myopic approaches, while supporters argue that it creates both a more sustainable and a more culturally grounded environment. Remaking Metropolis brings together real world experiences that combine local action with a global world view, to demonstrate the continuum between the local and the remote.

At the same time the compartmentalization of contemporary perspectives towards human life in the fields of science, design, ecology, medicine, and politics is leading to increased fragmentation of the mind, body, city, and globe. By bridging these artificial divides between disciplines, this collection of individual case studies demonstrates the holistic approach necessary for a genuinely sustainable urban condition.

Dr. Edward A. Cook is a Professor of landscape architecture in The Design School at Arizona State University where he teaches courses on urban ecological design, landscapes and sustainability and landscape ecological planning. He has published books and articles focused on his research in urban ecology, green/ecological networks and sustainable urbanism. He has worked on projects in landscape ecological planning throughout the world and was one of the pioneers in developing planning and design strategies for ecological networks in urban landscapes.

Dr. Jesus J. Lara is Associate Professor of City and Regional Planning in the Knowlton School at the Ohio State University. His research and pedagogy are centered on sustainable urban design, Latino Urbanism, community development, and sociocultural factors in community design, from urban environments and poverty stricken areas to empty suburban malls and commercial areas at the intersection of upscale developments and highway commerce. His work emphasizes the creation of responsive and adaptive urban environments that focus on people and place, using university-community partnerships to explore the potentials for change, redevelopment and improvement.