Unbuilt Environments

In the latter half of the twentieth century, industrial pioneers came to British Columbia with grand plans for resource development projects, many of which never materialized. Unbuilt Environments argues that these kinds of projects have lasting impacts on the natural and human environment – even when they fail. Jonathan Peyton examines a range of archival materials in five case studies. Looking at a closed asbestos mine, an abandoned rail grade, an imagined series of hydroelectric installations, a failed LNG export facility, and a transmission line, Peyton finds that past development failures continue to shape contemporary resource conflicts in the region.

In the latter half of the twentieth century, industrial pioneers came to British Columbia with grand plans for resource development projects, many of which never materialized. Unbuilt Environments argues that these kinds of projects have lasting impacts on the natural and human environment – even when they fail. Jonathan Peyton examines a range of archival materials in five case studies. Looking at a closed asbestos mine, an abandoned rail grade, an imagined series of hydroelectric installations, a failed LNG export facility, and a transmission line, Peyton finds that past development failures continue to shape contemporary resource conflicts in the region.

The city of Victoria, British Columbia, is a time capsule of Victorian and Edwardian buildings. This book examines some of the architectural plans that were proposed but rejected and lets the reader decide which projects should have been built.

Contemporary megaprojects have evolved from the discreet, modernist projects undertaken in the past by centralized authorities to encompass everything from large-scale construction to space exploration. Contemporary Megaprojects explores how these projects have been impacted by cutting-edge technology, the private sector, and the processes of decentralization and dematerialization. With case studies ranging from mega-plantations in Southeast Asia to ocean mapping to sports events, the contributions in this collected volume demonstrate the increasing ambition and pervasiveness of these projects, as well as their significant impact on both society and the environment.

Global challenges instigated by climate change and urbanisation are driving research seeking appropriate and effective strategies for social, economic, and environmental sustainability. While technical advancements are a major focus for sustainable development, there are important research avenues that explore the relationship of place and sustainability from a number of perspectives. Place-based sustainability research identifies activities and initiatives that need to be layered and integrated with technological advances, but also help drive them. This research can facilitate the well-considered steering of sustainable development and practices, the essence of stewardship of place. This volume of a wide range of research and design approaches by a diverse group of authors of various disciplines reveals new perspectives on the relationship of the culture of place and sustainability. The central narrative that emerges from the chapters of this book is the critical cultural relationship of people to their environment, both built and natural. The authors delve into this relationship and see new approaches to support our awareness and appreciation of the nature of our cities and countryside as an integral ecosystem, thereby having the potential to nurture social values and political will for increasing our sustainable practices and resilience. The authors extend to us pathways for stewardship of our cities and countryside that are essential if we are to contend with the serious challenges provoked by our changing climate and the continuing urbanisation of the world’s population.

Synergistic Design of Sustainable Built Environments introduces and illustrates a novel systems approach that fosters both design excellence and a leap toward a more biocentric (ecologically sustainable) design paradigm. The book provides a deeper understanding of the theories and principles of biocentric design and offers detailed descriptions of the synergistic design process of integrating theories and principles into practice. It also presents extensive thermal and visual built environment design strategies, along with qualitative and quantitative information that designers can use to generate feasible solutions in response to varying climate and occupant comfort. Features: Examines the principles and practices of the synergistic design (a fusion of anthropocentric and biocentric) of sustainable built environments and how they relate to practical applications. Presents climatic data and its analysis along with sun-path diagrams for numerous cities to aid in the design of sustainable built environments in multiple regional contexts. Includes numerous case studies of sustainable built environments in varying climatic zones. Explains how renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydro, fuel cells) can be successfully integrated in the built environment. This forward-thinking and highly illustrated book will be an invaluable reference to all those concerned with sustainable built environments and related architectural issues.

The Aesthetics of Human Environments is a companion volume to Carlson’s and Berleant’s The Aesthetics of Natural Environments. Whereas the earlier collection focused on the aesthetic appreciation of nature, The Aesthetics of Human Environments investigates philosophical and aesthetics issues that arise from our engagement with human environments ranging from rural landscapes to urban cityscapes. Our experience of public spaces such as shopping centers, theme parks, and gardens as well as the impact of our personal living spaces on the routine activities of our everyday life are discussed in terms of their aesthetic value and the nature of our aesthetic appreciation. This volume will appeal to any reader concerned about the aesthetic quality of the world in which we live.

This book contains fifty selections from classic writings by authors such as John Friedmann, Michael Peter Smith, Saskia Sassen, Peter Taylor, Manuel Castells and Anthony King, as well as major contributions by other international scholars of global city formation.