‘This is a wonderful book that should be on the desk of every architect and planner. It shows how

What is the practical value of MFA to sustainability then?
We can go beyond the calculation of waste at each point in the product cycle (ie input–output studies) 
to map the actual systems and processes that feed into and support the cycle (ie systems analyses).
Such maps can facilitate 
innovation
in both strategies and designs. That is to say, detecting losses 
in flows of materials and energy through and between urban, industrial and/or regional areas can 
indicate opportunities to generate resource savings, which is effectively ‘income’. Presently, eco-
designers have to do their own research with limited tools. While the EF facilitates environmental 
awareness, and LCA facilitates efficiency, MFA could facilitate relevant innovation and collaboration 
by providing an overview of the stocks, flows and cumulative waste of large-scale systems that can be 
diverted and/or converted into energy or useful materials. Thus: 
•
Business and industry could use MFA to help develop new products, processes, services and
business strategies
• 
Municipal governments could use MFA to identify leverage points where direct actions may 
have fundamental system-wide benefits to the community
• 
Federal governments could use MFA to identify import-replacement products or more 
resource-efficient public services 
• 
Regional governments or catchment authorities could use MFA to find means to make 
regions more self-sufficient 
Moreover, MFA lends itself to communicating basic information about resource flows in simple visual 
maps.
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Transdisciplinarity is a key element of innovation.
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MFA can assist communication across 
many research disciplines and professional languages involved in sustainability issues. Finally, MFA 
could provide another basis for evaluating innovations, once conceived. It can help to determine the 
best use of the best type of resources for the best purposes, or even be used to re-examine a supply 
chain for areas of lost opportunities.