Green and Greener: Nature, Health, and Sustainable Design

摘要

Healthy Environments, Healing Spaces: Practices and Directions in Health Planning and Design, edited by Timothy Beatley, Carla Jones, and Reuben Rainey. University of Virginia Press, 296 pages, $70. Beginning from the stance that health is more than just the absence of disease, the book's dozen essays illustrate how we can design environments in which people thrive in mind and body. The editors address a range of issues such as the benefits of exposure to nature, access to various modes of transportation, and planning cities for healthy food systems. They discuss "evidence-based design" founded on, for example, research in the Netherlands showing that "disease clusters" are more prevalent in neighborhoods lacking access to green space. The book is a valuable primer for designers and planners concerned with shaping environments that foster well-being.