Good Places To Live

"This book urges readers to reconsider the fate of public housing, arguing that urban poverty - what Silver calls spatially concentrated racialized poverty - is not solved by razing public housing. On the contrary, public housing projects rebuilt from within, based on communities' strengths and supported by meaningful public investment could create vibrant and healthy neighbourhoods while maintaining much-needed low-income housing."--Page 4 of cover.

Over the past several decades, numerous planning movements have taken root within the United States. With names like "Urban Renewal," "Garden Cities," "Healthy Cities," "Smart Growth," "Eco-Cities" and "Sustainability," these programs promote ways to create, protect, preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of life in cities, towns and suburbs, especially in regards to the natural environment. This guide to the best practices of these programs introduces the rapidly evolving field before presenting more than 40 case studies of communities that are effectively "going green." An assessment of the future of these towns and cities and resources for citizens and officials seeking additional information conclude the work. By compiling these success stories, this handbook makes an excellent resource for anyone seeking to facilitate the restoration of the natural environment within their community.

This book has one central theme: how, in the United Kingdom, can we create better cities and towns in which to live and work and play? What can we learn from other countries, especially our near neighbours in Europe? And, in turn, can we provide lessons for other countries facing similar dilemmas? Urban Britain is not functioning as it should. Social inequalities and regional disparities show little sign of going away. Efforts to generate growth, and spread it to the poorer areas of cities, have failed dismally. Much new urban development and redevelopment is not up to standard. Yet there are cities in mainland Europe, which have set new standards of high-quality sustainable urban development. This book looks at these best-practice examples – in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Scandinavia, – and suggests ways in which the UK and other countries could do the same. The book is in three parts. Part 1 analyses the main issues for urban planning and development – in economic development and job generation, sustainable development, housing policy, transport and development mechanisms – and probes how practice in the UK has fallen short. Part Two embarks on a tour of best-practice cities in Europe, starting in Germany with the country’s boosting of its cities’ economies, moving to the spectacularly successful new housing developments in the Netherlands, from there to France’s integrated city transport, then to Scandinavia’s pursuit of sustainability for its cities, and finally back to Germany, to Freiburg – the city that ‘did it all’. Part Three sums up the lessons of Part Two and sets out the key steps needed to launch a new wave of urban development and regeneration on a radically different basis.

Whether it is a relaxing, action-packed or financially rewarding retirement you are looking for, this is the book for you. In retirement, personal ambitions can be realized and new experiences enjoyed. Yet with so much to consider, people are often unsure how best to plan for their future and the scope for concern and confusion is even greater with changing retirement ages and pension rules. The Good Retirement Guide offers clear and concise suggestions on a broad range of subjects for UK retirees. The Guide includes information on: Pensions/ Tax / Investment / Starting your own business / Leisure activities / Paid work / Voluntary work / How to avoid being scammed / Health / Holidays / Looking after elderly parents / Wills Revised and updated, the 2017 edition is packed with hundreds of useful suggestions and helpful websites to browse. This is an indispensable book that you will refer to again and again.

Evaluates more than four hundred metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada, rating such factors as job market, housing costs, crime rates, climate, health care, education, and quality of life.