Cities for a small planet / Richard Rogers ; edited by Philip Gumuchdjian.

Includes bibliographical references (page 177) and index.

"First published in 1997 in Great Britain by Faber and Faber"--Preliminary page

Half the world's population lives in cities. By the year 2025 this figure will have risen to three-quarters. And yet the modern city - the creation of a private sector interested in financial reward, and a public sector motivated by short-term expediency - is a direct cause of pollution, alienation and social division.
In this book, based on his Reith Lectures of 1995, the architect Richard Rogers offers a radical new blueprint for the future of our cities. He demonstrates the influence that architecture and urban planning have upon our everyday lives, and warns of the potentially disastrous impact of modern cities upon the environment. He argues that only through sustainable planning can we protect the ecology of our planet, and so fulfil our responsibilities to future generations.
Sustainable urban planning is a fundamentally democratic principle, involving citizens in decision-making at every level. It is a holistic approach, combining social and environmental concerns: architecture which enhances the public domain, public transport which protects street life, energy systems which reduce our dependence on finite natural resources. It offers our only real chance of creating ideal dynamic cities that respect both people and the environment.