Sustainable Urban Design – The Next Step (ISBN / EAN 978-90-75271-331) is now available via the publisher, Uitgeverij Blauwdruk or the (specialized) bookstore. The book has a hardcover, 240 pages en costs 37,- euro’s.

Sustainable Urban Design – The Next Step is the second, fully revised edition of the book Sustainable Urban Design – Perspectives and Examples, which was published in 2005. This book, like the previous edition, was compiled by the Working Group on Sustainable Urban Development of the Dutch Professional Organisation of Urban Designers and Planners (BNSP) and the Netherlands Association for Landscape Architecture (NVTL). The first edition of this book was rapidly sold out and in 2006 it received the ISOCARP Gerd Albers Award for the best publication of that year.

Discussion
For this second edition, the working group was joined by a group of young urban design, landscape architecture and planning professionals. The working group explored the key question of what the next step for sustainable urban design should be, and how this can make sustainable urban design so attractive that it will become the standard approach to urban and spatial development. This question came to the fore because while interest in sustainability and climate change around the world grew exponentially, the number of sustainable urban developments remained limited. Meanwhile, the financial crisis that unfolded in 2008 and 2009 has put the importance of long-term thinking in the spotlight as the counter pole to short-lived financial gain. The importance of continuity and new investment models for urban development was also underlined during a round table discussion held by the working group in March 2009. The report of this discussion between key figures from the business, governmental and scientific communities on sustainability in Dutch spatial planning and urban design can be found in the book.

Three essays
In the essay ‘The next step for sustainable urban design’ the working group presents a new approach to sustainable urban design. There is a need for ‘sustainable urban development’ because even a highly sustainable neighbourhood has little future value if it is in an inappropriate location. Spatial developments should make effective contributions to improving spatial systems, such as water systems, transport systems and the city itself as a system. This essay is based on a thorough analysis of the old and new examples in this book, conventional development processes and relevant literature. From this we conclude that the expertise and techniques for planning and designing town and country in a coherent, future-proof and environmentally sound manner are widely available. However, they are often not combined in the right way or not applied at the right scale. Many citizens and professionals are keen to work on making sustainability a reality, but government officials and politicians, financiers and developers remain tied to conventional working practices or investment models. Good intentions get watered down in lengthy procedures. This essay therefore examines in some depth how sustainability ambitions can be kept alive during the development process.

The second essay, ‘Urban design and sustainability’ clearly explains that sustainable urban design goes beyond technical measures and innovations. It is an approach that pulls together the spatial, social, ecological and economic aspects of sustainable development. Urban design and sustainability have been partners for centuries, but new facets of urbanism are constantly emerging. The sustainability of urban design revolves around three core principles: providing a healthy living and working environment, finding ways to create future-proof living environments and finding ways to make wise use of natural resources..

The third essay, ‘Towards climate-proof cities and regions in the Netherlands’ describes the climate policies being pursued by government authorities in the Netherlands and makes recommendations for a more integrated and comprehensive approach. Sustainable urban development is often not given the attention it deserves in climate policy, but regional and urban planning offers good opportunities for adapting to climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Conversely, a coherent climate and energy policy can lead to improvements in other areas that influence the liveability of our cities, such as air quality and the urban heat island effect.

Six example projects
This basis of this book lies in the descriptions of six projects that exemplify sustainable urban design. Oosterdokseiland in Amsterdam and the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven are new in this edition. The description of the GWL site in Amsterdam, Schalkwijk in Haarlem, De Hutten in Ulft and Lanxmeer in Culemborg have been brought up to date and are accompanied by recent illustrations. All the project descriptions are accompanied by interviews with key figures. The examples cover a broad range of urban developments and reflect current and future complex urban design challenges in the Netherlands. Elements of sustainable urban development can be found in all these projects. Each example is accompanied by descriptions of Dutch and European reference projects, design studies and historical and thematic background material. The reference projects show that the six example projects in the book do not stand alone.

The BNSP | NVTL Working Group on Sustainable Urban Development is grateful to the many organisations, institutes and individuals who have contributed to the preparation of this book. We hope that the reader can find much that inspires him in shaping an attractive and sustainable living environment.