Includes bibliographical references (pages 355-400) and index.

Foreword / Garrett Fitzgerald -- Foreword / Eduardo da Costa Paes -- Acknowledgments -- World's cities at a glance / Gary Gardner -- Cities as human constructs. -- Imagining a sustainable city / Gary Gardner -- Cities in the arc of human history : a materials perspective / Gary Gardner -- The city : a system of systems / Gary Gardner -- Toward a vision of sustainable cities / Gary Gardner -- The energy wildcard : possible energy constraints to further urbanization / Richard Heinberg -- The urban climate challenge. -- Cities and greenhouse gas emissions : the scope of the challenge / Tom Prugh and Michael Renner -- Urbanism and global sprawl / Peter Calthorpe -- City view: Shanghai, China / Haibing Ma -- Reducing the environmental footprint of buildings / Michael Renner -- City view: Freiburg, Germany / Simone Ariane Pflaum -- Energy efficiency in buildings : a crisis of opportunity / Gregory H. Kats -- City view: Melbourne, Australia / Robert Doyle -- Is 100 percent renewable energy in cities possible? / Betsy Agar and Michael Renner -- City view: Vancouver, Canada / Gregor Robertson -- Supporting sustainable transportation / Michael Renner -- Urban transport and climate change / Cornie Huizenga, Karl Peet, and Sudhir Gota -- City view: Singapore / Geoffrey Davison and Ang Wei Ping -- Source reduction and recycling of waste / Michael Renner -- City view: Ahmedabad and Pune, India / Kartikeya Sarabhai, Madhavi Joshi, and Sanskriti Menon -- Solid waste and climate change / Perinaz Bhada-Tata and Daniel Hoornweg -- City view: Barcelona, Spain / Martí Boada Juncà, Roser Maneja Zaragoza, and Pablo Knobel Guelar -- Rural-urban migration, lifestyles, and deforestation / Tom Prugh -- Politics, equity, and livability. -- Remunicipalization, the low-carbon transition, and energy democracy / Andrew Cumbers -- City view: Portland, Oregon, United States / Brian Holland and Juan Wei -- The vital role of biodiversity in urban sustainability / Martí Boada Juncà, Roser Maneja Zaragoza, and Pablo Knobel Guelar -- City view: Jerusalem, Israel / Martí Boada Juncà, Roser Maneja Zaragoza, and Pablo Knobel Guelar -- The inclusive city : urban planning for diversity and social cohesion / Franziska Schreiber and Alexander Carius -- City view: Durban, South Africa / Debra Roberts and Sean O'Donoghue -- Urbanization, inclusion, and social justice / Jim Jarvie and Richard Friend -- Notes -- Index.

Cities are the world's future. Today, more than half of the global population lives in urban areas, and that number is expected to double by 2050. There is no question that cities are growing; the only debate is over how they will grow. Will we invest in the physical and social infrastructure necessary for livable, equitable, and sustainable cities? In the latest edition of State of the World, the flagship publication of the Worldwatch Institute, experts from around the globe examine the core principles of sustainable urbanism and profile cities that are putting these principles into practice. From Portland, Oregon to Ahmedabad, India, local people are acting to improve their cities, even when national efforts are stalled. Issues examined range from the nitty-gritty of handling waste and developing public transportation to civic participation and navigating dysfunctional government. Throughout, readers discover the most pressing challenges facing communities and the most promising solutions currently being developed. The result is a snapshot of cities today and a vision for global urban sustainability tomorrow. -- Back cover.