Wait. Take a deep breath. Before you throw your hands up in hopeless despair that the world is coming to a quick and ugly end, I have a book for you to read. Jared Green, author of Designed for the Future: 80 Practical Ideas for a Sustainable World (Princeton Architectural Press) asked 80 global leaders who shape our built environment (architects, urban planners, landscape architects, journalists, artists, and environmental leaders) the question, “What gives you hope that a sustainable future is possible?” Each one-page answer, illustrated with an image on the opposite page, is thought-provoking, informative, and inspiring.
In the introduction, Green says his book “represents the collective wisdom of a hive mind.” And it really does. With my particular interest in landscapes for health and healthcare, I especially enjoyed John Cary’s “Butaro Hospital” and Tim Beatley’s “Koo Teck Puat Hospital.” (Full disclosure, I also have an excerpt in the book, about Central Park as an ideal example of “nearby nature”). While all of the essays resonated with me in one way or another, a few stand out: Janine Benyus’ “Termite Mounds,” Jeff Stein’s “City Repair,” John Peterson’s “Holding Pattern,” Janet Echelman’s “Park(ing) Day,” and J. Meejin Yoon’s “The Lightning Field.”
Green tell us that “We can’t give up yet.” He also says,
And reading through all the answers, I thought again that hope is perhaps the most valuable currency we have, as it motivates all our actions–from creating a world-changing new technology to preserving a beloved old building or town or square to protecting a threatened community or ecosystem. We have the answers.
The book is a really good read, and designers will appreciate it for the aesthetics as well–not what you’d usually think of for the beach, but pack it along, you won’t be disappointed.