Ecocities Now Book Released

Ecocities Now: Building the Bridge to Socially Just and Ecologically Sustainable Cities

We are pleased to announce the publication of Ecocities Now. The purpose of the book is to publish the ten best papers submitted for presentation at the International Ecocity World Summit held in Vancouver, October 7-11, 2019. The objective is to accelerate knowledge dissemination about the development of ecocities through attention to what constitutes an ecocity, what cities around the world are doing, what Vancouver as an emerging ecocity is doing, and how education can play a role in preparing the next generation of ecocity practitioners.

The work uses the Summit’s overarching theme and sub-themes as an organizing framework and aligns with the International Ecocity Standards that serve as a diagnostic tool to help cities assess their progress on the path to becoming ecocities. The Ecocity Standards are also proving useful to communities in developing locally relevant pathways to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The book is presented in four parts that align with the Summit’s overarching theme of:

1. building a bridge to socially just and ecologically sustainable cities, supported by sub-themes of
2. climate action,
3. circular economy, and
4. informal solutions for sustainable development.

Chapters comprising each part in the book are introduced by a brief precis that orients the reader to the relevant Summit theme and the Ecocity Standards that are being addressed, along with other important contextual considerations that apply to the international case studies.

Material presented in the book chapters span the globe and provide an orientation to the importance of engaging people, where they live, in ecocity transformations as well as emerging opportunities for affordable and accessible technologies that help cities build capacity for implementation of ecocity initiatives. Whether it is working with informal settlements to improve local environments and livability in Cairo, engaging nature-based solutions to improve the resilience of coastal communities in Chile, challenging planning assumptions that underestimate people’s willingness to use non-motorized transportation in some of China’s largest cities, or helping people rebuild their homes in post-earthquake Nepal, Ecocities Now provides practical insights for the transition of cities becoming ecocities.