Description:

An exciting transformation is underway in communities around the world. Citizens and their governments are taking action in their cities and towns to protect the environment, address poverty and other social issues, and improve the quality of life now and for the future. Communities are discovering that when residents, local governments and business work together, destructive patterns of development can be transformed into beneficial outcomes that provide prosperity that is ecologically and socially sustainable.

Harmony Foundation's Green Cities: a Guide to Sustainable Community Development offers insights and practical actions that illuminate the path towards sustainable community development. An official document of UN World Environment 2005, it includes a thought- provoking foreword by Maurice Strong, an overview of sustainable community development, inspiring community success stories from around the world and an invaluable toolkit for establishing priorities and taking action.

Author(s) Bio:

MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD is Founder and Executive Director of Harmony Foundation of Canada and Chair of Programs for Earth Council Alliance. He has been widely recognized for his pioneering work in environmental education and building bridges between business, government and community interests. He received UNEP's Global 500 Award in 1992 at the Earth Summit, The prestigious Commonwealth Foundation in 1994 and The Ethics in Action Lifetime Achievement Award (1998). He is the author and/or contributing editor of 18 books, numerous periodicals and reports on environment and development. He has considerable experience and training in adult education, wildlife ecology, sustainable community development and ecological agriculture.

MICHAEL LITHGOW is a community media advocate and organizer currently completing a Masters at Concordia University. His research is focused on community television as a tool for community development. He is a graduate of the Community Economic Development certificate program at the Centre for Sustainable Community Development, Simon Fraser University.

Reviews:

The Green Cities book is a very useful publication for cities. Over 50% of the world's population now lives in cities and the next 3 billion are all going to be living in cities. These cities represent just 2% of the world's land mass but consume 75% of the world's resources. If we are to move towards a sustainable future, cities adopting the strategies in the Green Cities guide and implementing them are going to be crucial to Planet Earth's survival. I urge cities large and small to get a copy of Green Cities and get on the path towards sustainability.

-David Cadman, Deputy Mayor, City of Vancouver, and International Vice-President ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability

The Green Cities guide is an important and timely contribution to the efforts of cities around the world to transform urban growth into economic prosperity, social justice and ecological stability.

-Charles Kelly, Commissioner General-World Urban Forum 3, Vancouver 2006

Congratulations on writing the book, a superb effort and a marvelous outcome.

-Nicholas Sonntag Senior VP Sustainable Development, CH2MHill