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

Would SmartMode therefore replace LCA and MFA as planning analyses?
Quantitative analyses cannot design for us. In SmartMode, such quantitative tools are therefore 
subsidiary to design. Only through design can we increase the ecological base and public estate, and 
create ‘reversible’ developments. A design-oriented approach (value-adding) is needed along with 
flows analysis (system efficiency) and input–output analysis (resource efficiency). LCA and MFA 
could serve as ‘support tools’ for eco-innovation and eco-retrofitting. There is no shortage of things 
to audit or measure that are still largely omitted by researchers: 
•
Overall flows through development generally, such as detoxification of the environment
• 
The costs of inaction due to not addressing the impacts of existing development
• 
Internalities and inequities already embodied in the built environment
• 
The degree to which existing buildings fall short of resource autonomy 
• 
The negative economic impacts of 
existing
urban areas 
• 
The opportunity cost of land alienated from future public purposes (negative space) 
• 
Dead space (space that excludes nature or bio-productive ecosystems)
• 
The amount of ecological space added (per person or square metre)
• 
The highest ecological use of specific areas of land and value of existing natural systems
• 
The public purpose of proposed land uses (eg whether a cigarette factory or a public park)
• 
The time it takes renewable resources and ecosystems to regenerate (ecological waste)

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Regional Sustainability Audits
• 
Relative environmental impacts of the surrounding area before and after construction
• 
The opportunity cost of poor design (eg irreversible planning decisions) 
• 
Unjust enrichment from planning decisions (ie ‘per capitalist’ as well as ‘per capita’)