Walden Pond. Photo by Stacker, used under Creative Commons licensing. Walden Pond. Photo by Stacker, used under Creative Commons licensing.

In his new book, The Ecological Design and Planning Reader, Forster O. Ndubisi collects and contextualizes the seminal readings in the history and practice of a field that is needed more now than ever. Split into sections discussing the historical precedents, ethical foundations, substantive theory, procedural theory, methods and processes, dimensions of practice, and emerging frameworks, the book offers the ultimate resource for those studying ecological design and planning. The excerpt below introduces the book and begins its journey with Henry David Thoreau.