Analysis of Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change by Peter Calthorpe - Book Report/Review Example

Summary of the Book Climate Change is considered as one of the most important challenges faced by the planners in the world and Peter Calthorpe seems to address this issue by presenting a radically different approach to deal with the issue. Calthorpe considers climate change as an imminent threat and went on to suggest that urbanism may be one of the alternative solutions to deal with this issue. His book, Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change exactly attempts to describe this issue in a greater detail with focus on how urbanism can actually be one of the solutions for problem. The basic argument in this book suggests that traditional or conventional methods such as green technology may not be sufficient and sustainable to attract climate damage until they are supported by the urbanism. To sustain green technologies commercially and to help them grow and meet their demand, it is important that the urbanism is flourished and supported within US to allow such technologies to become more effective and in demand within the country. Peter Calthorpe suggests that by combining green technologies with that of the rapid urbanization, the actual benefits of these technologies can be enjoyed at the larger scale. Not only carbon emission can be controlled through this but other related benefits can also be achieved. He suggests that to achieve these results, it is important to actually engage into innovative design and development which can overcome the traditional limitations and can foster green technologies to offer maximum benefits. (Calthorpe) Analysis One of the key aspects of the overall arguments presented in the book is their freshness and the radically different approach to deal with the issue of climate change. I believe Peter has been successful in clearly articulating as to what is required in order to radically deal with the issue of climate change. What is important about his message is the way he has been able to blend the ideas of climate change with the innovative urban design and development. Emerging economies such as China which are being rapidly urbanized with more population shifting from rural areas to urban metropolis, it is important if green technologies are blended with that of the innovative urban designs. Calthorpe discusses about the scale of regional urbanization as the key to achieve the desired objectives. Viewing from within this perspective is therefore necessary that issues such as carbon emission dealt accordingly also. For example, China is currently facing strong resistance from international community regarding its record for environment protection. With China’s carbon emission records exceeding that of the EU, it is of great importance for countries like China to actually act on what is being described and argued by Calthorpe in his book. The book outlines the dangers of climate change and puts carbon emission at the center of the debate while outlining the methods which can be used to actually to control the climate damage and also made it effective for green technologies to actually deliver the expected and desired benefits. Calthorpe suggests that historically it was the built environment which actually created much of the damage to the climate. Citing the history of US since last 50 years, he was able to outline and provide examples of how the overall built environment was actually developed during these 50 years and how such built environment actually created the unsustainable energy requirements for the country. Citing urbanism as the solution, Calthorpe’s ideas can be replicated in fast developing industrial countries such as China. Defining urbanism as compact and walkable development, Calthorpe’s suggestion that the greater ecological, social as well as economic benefits can be achieved through urbanization seems a plausible alternatives to countries like China. It makes more sense if China and for that matter countries like India can engage into sustainable urbanization to deal with the emerging issues of climate change. Calthorpe suggests that a new standard and set of solutions based upon new variables such as human diversity, conservatism and scale is necessary. Regionalism is therefore cited within that perspective to fairly deal with the climate change and achieve the desired objectives against the new standards. Countries like China, therefore, if are ready to achieve sustainable economic development and growth needs to ensure that highest standards of technology are combined with the desired level of life standards. As such, emerging countries have to make sure that their economic growth objectives are set in-line with how they will be sustained and supported by the intelligent urban design and development of cities. What makes Calthorpe’s argument successful is his ability to actually link the physical environment such as buildings, infrastructure as well as energy use. In fact, Calthorpe’s argument is well-rooted into the optimized use of energy via green technologies through building an effective infrastructure in the urban areas. His focus is on the ends and not on the means therefore if the end result desired is environment protection and sustainable development than according to him, it is more important to focus on ends rather than the means to achieve these ends. It is however; also important to understand that the overall concepts defined specially that of the urbanism are narrowly defined. One of the strongest criticisms of his approach is the narrow definition of the word urbanism itself as Calthorpe defines urbanism within the bounds of physical structure. The lack of imagining urbanism on a greater and more comprehensive scale therefore restricts the overall appeal of the arguments suggested by Calthorpe. The lack of integrating the socio-political as well as economic impacts of the new urbanization may not be fully achieved according to what has been described by the author. His concept of urban footprint may not be sufficient enough to actually comprehend all the requirement of different urbanisms which are being discussed by other authors. Calthorpe also seems to superficially use concepts such as single-use zoning which has been used by the planners in many urban cities of US. In all this is really a great effort to offer a new and innovative solution to the climate change. Works Cited Calthorpe, Peter. Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change. Washington DC : Island Press, 2011. Read More