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

Internalities
refers to the inordinate benefits that a private business or organization receives at the 
expense of the general public (economists consider ‘free-riders’ a problem because they get free 
benefits from private investment). ‘Externalities’ only reflect private 
costs
imposed on the public.
Living Machines
are self-contained networks of (solar powered) ecological systems designed to 
accomplish specific chemical functions that support the micro-organisms that eat toxic wastes. They 
can also support gardens and fishponds at the end of the remediation chain.
Metabolic analysis
applies the concept of ‘metabolism’ as a model for analysing material flows through 
urban and industrial systems. In biology, metabolism refers to the chemical reactions by which an 
organism or ecosystem interacts with its environment.
Negative space
is a measure of the natural capital and land alienated from the public to private land 
use and control. Instead of just looking at the rate of decrease in natural capital stocks, it provides a 
measure of inaccessible resources and natural capital (means of survival).
Offsets
are actions to compensate for environmental impacts elsewhere, such as activities that absorb 
carbon after it is emitted. Some projects are called ‘carbon neutral’ simply because they plant trees 
or purchase ‘green energy’ as offsets to reduce net impacts.
Passive solar energy
is where the building itself collects and stores heat, and circulates warm and 
cool air without the support of mechanical equipment, using the natural movement of heat (using 
conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation).
Performance contracting
(PC) is where private businesses provide energy efficiency services at little or 
no cost to clients, and recover their costs and make profits from the reduced energy, water or sewage 
bills. Thus retrofitting can be ‘free’ to the building owner.
Piratization
is where de facto or direct control over public resources is given to special (public or 
private) interests as in bio-piracy (eg there are cases where impoverished people must now pay for 
local water that is ‘managed’ by international corporations).

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Positive Development
Planting walls
are walls, room dividers or screens that provide space for plants in their structure 
for air-cleaning functions, visual amenity and so on. Their design can accommodate windows or 
openings and they can be structural or temporary, indoor or outdoor.