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

Planning research and information [Chapter 12]
Currently, planners decide what data to collect and what to consult the community on. Instead, 
communities could ask planners to provide information that would help to identify fundamental 
sustainability needs that development could address. Planners should be ‘answerable’ to community 
groups acting in the public interest to progress specific Positive Developments. Planners could provide 
maps of relevant information to the community to inspire eco-innovation and eco-retrofitting:
•
Prioritize whole systems efficiency through solutions that use natural systems in lieu of
industrial ones, where possible, to avoid replacing natural with artificial environments and to
reverse the use of fossil fuels. 
• 
Map opportunities to systematically increase biodiversity and functioning eco-services by,
for example, identifying appropriate places for aquatic and/or vegetated corridors and
habitats, community farms, etc. This has been done in rare cases.
• 
Prioritize eco-retrofitting over new development, recognizing that poorly designed infill
development can increase the ecological footprint and reduce the physical footprint.
This requires up-skilling in creativity and site-specific design.
• 
Identify ways to intensify rather than ‘densify’ urban development by increasing public
activities, multiple uses and natural systems. More ‘dense’ development often reduces the
intensity of, and public access to, facilities and amenities.
• 
Recognize that accessible and clean air, energy, food, water and soil resources are essential
to resource security. Identify where cities can be made more self-sufficient, while increasing
the vitality and quality of the public estate.
• 
Plans can proactively identify areas in which we can address resource imbalances between
cities and regions (eg replace imports, reduce transport). Planning should stimulate
ecological revitalization, as well as social, economic and environmental revitalization.