Books

Eight Conservationists Who Changed Our World

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of big environmental challenges—but we need inspiration more than ever. With political leaders who deny climate change, species that are fighting for their very survival, and the planet’s...

272 pages
6 x 9
30 photos, 2 illustrations

How to Explore, Observe, and Improve Urban Space

Finalist for a 2018 United Kingdom National Urban Design Award • A 2017 KUOW Public Radio 2017 End-of-Year Book Choice In order to understand and improve cities today, personal observation remains as important as ever....

248 pages
6 x 9
70 photos

Handbook of Biophilic City Planning & Design by Timothy Beatley | An Island Press book

What if, even in the heart of a densely developed city, people could have meaningful encounters with nature? While parks, street trees, and green roofs are increasingly appreciated for their technical services like stormwater reduction, from a...

312 pages
7 x 10
69 photos, 3 illustrations

An Ecological Approach

For decades, landscape architecture was driven solely by artistic sensibilities. But in these times of global change, the opportunity to reshape the world comes with a responsibility to consider how it can be resilient, fostering health and...

336 pages
6 x 9
20 photos, 40 illustrations

Insights from New York City's Jamaica Bay

Given the realities of climate change and sea-level rise, coastal cities around the world are struggling with questions of resilience.  Resilience, at its core, is about desirable states of the urban social-ecological system and...

304 pages
7 x 10
one 8 page insert; 50 photos

The Life and Legacy of Jan Gehl

“A good city is like a good party—you stay for longer than you plan,” says Danish architect Jan Gehl. He believes that good architecture is not about form, but about the interaction between form and life. Over the last 50 years...

192 pages
8.25 x 10
150 Photos, 20 Illustrations

In the United States, direct energy use in buildings accounts for 39% of carbon dioxide emissions per year—more than any other sector. Buildings contribute to a changing climate and warming of the earth in ways that will significantly...

272 pages
6 x 9
20 photos, 60 illustrations

A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment

Fossil fuels and livestock grazing are often targeted as major culprits behind climate change and desertification. But Allan Savory, cofounder of the Savory Institute, begs to differ. The bigger problem, he warns, is our mismanagement of...

552 pages
6 x 9
One 12-page color insert, 67 photos, 40 illustrations

Foundations of Restoration Ecology, Second Edition by Margaret A. Palmer, Joy B. Zedler, and Donald A. Falk | An Island Press book

The practice of ecological restoration, firmly grounded in the science of restoration ecology, provides governments, organizations, and landowners a means to halt degradation and restore function and resilience to ecosystems stressed by climate...

584 pages
7 x 10
16 photos, 83 illustrations

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