Reading green, naturally, sustainably

GreenHomeNYC’s Green Careers Transition team is putting together a reading list – check out their previous selections. Continuing the series, GreenHomeNYC volunteer Mary Tchamkina takes a look at six books on designing in harmony with nature. 1. Green Metropolis: Why Living Smarter, Living Closer, and Driving Less are the Keys to Sustainability, by David Owen Written by a staff writer of the New Yorker, this book is a criticism of the rural-centric conception of sustainability and is an ode to New York City’s potential to be one of the greenest places in America. 2. The Smart Growth Manual, by Andres Duany, Jeff Speck, with Mike Lydon This Platizen Top Ten Books winner for 2009, this book is a sustainable development guide for professionals working in design, building, and planning industries. 3. Sustainable Design, by Daniel Williams Sustainable design applied to all scales: a practical, comprehensive guide to designing and planing a built environment in a way that’s compatible with the region’s economic, social, and ecological patterns. Daniel Williams is a former chair of AIA’s Committee on the Environment. 4. Deep Design: Pathways to a Livable Future, by David Wann Introduction to deep design, which begins with asking the question: “What is our ultimate goal?” 5. The Urban Homestead, by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen A how-to guide for city folk to live more locally, grow food in apartments, take advantage of passive solar, grey water, and non-toxic living. 6. Biomimicry, by Janine Benyus How contemporary innovation is taking cues from mother nature, and how it tries to bridge the gap between technophiles and environmentalists.