|
Practical
Ecology for Planners, Developers, and Citizens A New Book by Dan L. Perlman and Jeffrey C. Milder (Island Press, 2005) |
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
“Readable,
rigorous, and practical, this book should be an indispensable reference for
years to come.” -- Planning magazine, July 2005 Each year, natural disasters such as wildfires,
floods, and hurricanes cost thousands of lives and inflict billions of dollars
of damage to human communities. Each year, as our population
grows and our demand for land, housing, and resources increases, we further
degrade the natural world, undermining Earth’s life support systems, driving
species closer to extinction, and severing our own connections to nature. By failing to understand and plan for their
ecological surroundings, conventional
land use planning and development projects all too often threaten human
health and welfare as well as native species and ecosystems. Practical Ecology
for Planners, Developers, and Citizens is a
resource for planners,
landscape architects, developers, and others seeking to address
these challenges. The book introduces and explains key ecological concepts and describes
how these principles can be applied to protecting species and ecosystems
while at the same time creating healthy, sustainable human communities. The
book is tailored to meet the needs of busy land use professionals and
citizens seeking a concise yet thorough overview of ecology and its
applications. |
Order
a copy of Practical Ecology |
||||
|
Insensitive development: Requirements for wide roads,
shallow grades, and long sight distances translate into the need to destroy
large amounts of native habitat.
A better alternative: This neighborhood
illustrates some of the principles of sensitive site design, including the
use of narrower roads and the retention of native vegetation. The development
shown in the photo contains 33 dwelling units on 64 acres, yet 86% of the
site was retained as undeveloped forest and meadow. |
Throughout the book, the authors
make ecological concepts accessible to readers with little or no scientific
background. They present ideas and information in simple and pragmatic terms,
and provide numerous graphics to explain important concepts. They also offer
exercises for the reader to practice ecologically-based planning and design,
along with a list of resources for practical information on ecology and
conservation. Additional Reviews of Practical Ecology “This
book bridges the gap between the science of ecology and the art of land use,
giving us practical information that can help create more livable communities
while conserving healthy ecosystems. If we all practiced the ‘ecological due
diligence’ the authors promote, the world we help shape would be a better
place.” -- Peter Pollock, FAICP, Planning Director,
City of Boulder, Colorado “Practical
Ecology belongs on every planner’s and landscape
architect’s bookshelf to be consulted frequently for its wisdom and sage
advice.” -- Frederick Steiner, Dean, School of
Architecture, Univ. of Texas at Austin About the Authors DAN
L. PERLMAN is assistant professor of biology and chairman of the
Environmental Studies Program at Brandeis University, and taught conservation
biology at Harvard University for nine years. JEFFREY C. MILDER, AICP, is an
environmental planner and the former manager of planning services at Daylor
Consulting Group in Braintree, Massachusetts. The authors received support for their
research from the LINCOLN INSTITUTE OF LAND POLICY, a nonprofit educational
institution based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This book is published in
cooperation with the Lincoln Institute. |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
Copyright © 2005, All Rights Reserved. |
|
|
|||
