What Are Eco-Cities?

What Are Eco-cities? is part of Crabtree’s “Putting the Planet First series. Using infographics, case studies, and current examples from around the world, the books in this series help readers, young and older, understand the implications of everyday life choices that they and their families make.

The books all follow the standard format for nonfiction, including a table of contents, index, glossary, and lists of further resources on the topic. Measurements are included in both imperial and metric.

The text is clear and well-supported by the colourful photographs, illustrations, and graphs and charts. Each page is filled with well-laid out information. Although I am not usually a fan of text on coloured background, these books make very good use of colour without losing the clarity of the text. Readers will find the presentation of the information in these books very engaging.

What Are Eco-cities? includes chapters on Zero-carbon Living, Going Renewable, Urban Design, Public Transport, Eco-housing, Public Buildings, Waste Management, Saving Water, Green Spaces, Local Food, and Cities of the Future.

The concepts covered are complex, and arriving at a bottom line for any sustainability question is difficult. What Are Eco-cities? does a good job of explaining the impact of the choices we make about how and where we live.

Eco-cities are designed to encourage people to drive their cars less and use less energy to heat and power their home. These are ways of making urban life less harmful to the planet.

What Are Eco-cities? is an excellent resource for teachers and students. Urban planning problems and solutions are presented in a clear, age-appropriate format. Examples from around the world show what is being done now to make our cities more planet-friendly, as well as what is planned for the future.