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

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank people who have read and commented on parts or all of drafts, including Wendy 
Rainbird, Joanne Warren-Wilson, Heather Aslin, Konrad Knerr, Sharon Stacy, Stephen Boyden, Robin 
Tennant-Wood, Richard Mochelle, Shannon Satherly, Christina Renger, Dominique Ness, Cheryl 
Desha and the team from The Natural Edge project, Ben O’Callaghan and anonymous reviewers 
at Earthscan. Thanks also to Daniel Thomas for preparing the illustrations and Denise Scott and 
Deborah Murray for proofing the draft. In addition, I would like to thank the Faculty of Built 
Environment and Engineering at the Queensland University of Technology for the friendly work 
environment. In particular, I thank my students who, without exception, have suffered this material 
over the years with bewildering tolerance and chirpy dispositions. No one is responsible for any 
aspects of the content or errors but the author.

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Reader’s Map
Boxes
: To assist the reader, this book has a section of boxes on pages 275 to 342, referred to 
throughout the text, which are intended to provide complementary information, some from specialist 
contributors.
Glossary
: Some new terms, or terms used in a special way, are used to help shift from conventional 
ways of thinking. These are defined at their first usage in the text. A glossary of both conventional 
and special terms is also provided at the back of the book. 
Positive Development requires basic changes at the urban level
Section A 
Urban Level
Chapter 1
Design for 
Eco-services
Chapter 2
The Case for 
Eco-retrofitting
Chapter 3
Sustainable Urban 
Form
Basic changes at the urban level require new kinds of planning and design
Section B 
Building Level
Chapter 4
Development 
Standards and Criteria
Changes in design and planning need new environmental management concepts
Section C 
Management 
Approaches
Chapter 7
Urban Sustainability 
Assessment 
Changes in environmental management need new methods and strategies
Section D 
Newer 
Strategies
Chapter 10
Futures Thinking 
Tools
New strategies require new approaches to eco-governance
Section E 
Eco-
governance
Chapter 13
Constitution for 
Eco-governance
Chapter 5 
Building Rating
Tools
Chapter 8
Regional 
Sustainability Audits
Chapter 11
Eco-service Trading 
Schemes
Chapter 14 
Reversing Resource 
Transfers
Chapter 6
Design Methods 
and Models
Chapter 9 
Sustainability 
Reporting
Chapter 12 
Bioregional
Planning 
Chapter 15 
The SmartMode 
Process

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