In a very short time America has realized that global warming poses real challenges to the nations future. The Agile City engages the fundamental question: what to do about it? Journalist and urban analyst James S. Russell argues that well more quickly slow global warming-and blunt its effects-by retrofitting cities; suburbs; and towns. The Agile City shows that change undertaken at the building and community level can reach carbon-reduction goals rapidly.Adapting buildings (39 percent of greenhouse-gas emission) and communities (slashing the 33 percent of transportation related emissions) offers numerous other benefits that tax gimmicks and massive alternative-energy investments cant match. Rapidly improving building techniques can readily cut carbon emissions by half; and some can get to zero. These cuts can be affordably achieved in the windshield-shattering heat of the desert and the bone-chilling cold of the north. Intelligently designing our towns could reduce marathon commutes and child chauffeuring to a few miles or eliminate it entirely. Agility; Russell argues; also means learning to adapt to the effects of climate change; which means redesigning the obsolete ways real estate is financed; housing subsidies are distributed; transportation is provided; and water is obtained; distributed and disposed of. These engines of growth have become increasingly more dysfunctional both economically and environmentally. The Agile City highlights tactics that create multiplier effects; which means that ecologically driven change can shore-up economic opportunity; can make more productive workplaces; and can help revive neglected communities. Being able to look at multiple effects and multiple benefits of political choices and private investments is essential to assuring wealth and well-being in the future. Green; Russell writes; grows the future.
#3821715 in eBooks 2012-07-27 2012-07-27File Name: B008QHVTKO
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