Springer Fundamentals of Sustainable Urban Renewal in Small and Mid-Sized Towns

The book introduces challenges affecting smaller urban communities with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants and offers urban planning and building/architectural strategies to strengthen their city centers. It divides urban renewal of small towns into sub-components such as environmental challenges, demographic trends, economic changes and cultural aspects, and aging infrastructure. In each, context is established, and principles are outlined and illustrated. Topics include urban form, mobility and connectivity, infill neighborhoods design, wealth generation, and promotion of local culture and well‐being. Reinforced with detailed case studies, Fundamentals of Sustainable Urban Renewal in Small and Mid‐Sized Towns is an ideal resource for municipal planners, architects, civil engineers, and policy makers. From the Back Cover The book introduces challenges affecting smaller urban communities with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants and offers urban planning and building/architectural strategies to strengthen their city centers. It divides urban renewal of small towns into sub-components such as environmental challenges, demographic trends, economic changes and cultural aspects, and aging infrastructure. In each, context is established, and principles are outlined and illustrated. Topics include urban form, mobility and connectivity, infill neighborhoods design, wealth generation, and promotion of local culture and well‐being. Reinforced with detailed case studies,  Fundamentals of Sustainable Urban Renewal in Small and Mid‐Sized Towns is an ideal resource for municipal planners, architects, civil engineers, and policy makers. Raises important questions on planning, urban design, and sustainability not previously covered by books devoted solely to large metropolitan regions; Presents a unique, systematic approach to the architecture, planning, and retooling of small towns that emphasizes the capacity for urban design to promote social regeneration and vitality; Suggests innovative strategies that tie theory and practice and offer a comprehensive primer to contemporary planning issues; Discusses a range of long-term strategies, anchored in principles of sustainable development, describing how to place a town on sustainable footing. About the Author Dr. Avi Friedman is Professor of Architecture at McGill University. His research interests focus on factors which influence the design and implementation of affordable and sustainable building practices at the unit and community levels, including market acceptance, construction, and resource efficiency. He is the author of more than 15 books.