Urban Crisis: Culture and the Sustainability of Cities Book

Contents: Preface. I. Culture in sustainability of cities I: 1. Introduction/M. Nadarajah and Ann Tomoko Yamamoto. 2. Cultural frameworks/Ratna S.J.B. Rana and Awais L. Piracha. 3. Voices I. II. Four Asian case studies: 4. Introduction/Sudarshan Raj Tiwari, M. Nadarajah, Sang-Chuel Choe, Masayuki Sasaki, and Shigekazu Kusune. 5. Transforming cultural heritage into sustainable future: a case study of Patan, Nepal/Sudarshan Raj Tiwari. 6. Culture of sustainability: multicultural reality and sustainable localism – a case study of Penang (George Town), Malaysia/M. Nadarajah. 7. Creating cultural identity for sustainability: a case study of Cheongju, Korea/Sang-Chuel Choe. 8. Towards an urban cultural mode of production: a case study of Kanazawa, Japan, I/Masayuki Sasaki. 9. Sustainability in a traditional castle city: a case study of Kanazawa, Japan II/Shigekazuy Kusune. 10. Common themes and differences: approaches to culture in sustainability of cities/M. Nadarajah. III. Culture in sustainability of cities II: 11. Approaches to cultural indicators/Sang-Chuel Choe, Peter J. Marcotullio and Awais L. Piracha. 12. Voices II. 13. Conclusion/M. Nadarajah. Appendix I: List of selected organizations working on sustainable urbanizations issues (with a web presence). Index.

"Unprecedented urban growth makes sustainability in cities a crucial issue for policy makers, scholars, and business leaders. This emerging urban crisis challenges environment-based and economic-based approaches to sustainability, and brings to the forefront the multi-faceted and critical role that culture plays in ensuring that cities are viable for future generations.

Culture provides fertile ground for new approaches to sustainable development at the local level. Urban Crisis: Culture and the Sustainability of Cities makes important contributions towards a theory on culture in sustainable cities, assesses the use of cultural indicators as a tool for policy makers, and includes useful case studies of Patan (Nepal), Penang (Malaysia), Cheongju (South Korea), and Kanazawa (Japan).

This book offers fresh insights into the role of culture in fostering community development, environmental awareness, and balanced economic growth, and it will be of particular interest to students of urban studies, academics, and civil society groups working on urban issues." (jacket)