OPL BOOK SUMMARY: What is a sustainable city? It is a built habitat that works towards being environmentally, socially, and economically healthy for existing populations and existing generations. To this end, these cities minimize greenhouse gasses, use as few non-renewable resources as possible, remove pollutants from water, efficiently use water and energy, and reduce waste.

Steven Cohen and Guo Dong discuss how we need to transform from a consumer society to a brain-based economy.  This new model is oriented towards services, entertainment, travel, and experiences and less toward possessing products. This book is a comprehensive discussion of sustainable urban systems such as water supplies (like New York’s water supply), solid waste reduction (New York has set a goal to have zero waste by 2030), food supplies, health systems, and so on. It also discusses the sustainable lifestyle, sustainably managed organizations, the role of policy and politics, and sustainable urban development.

Available at Amazon.com.