Positive Development: From Vicious Circles to Virtuous Cycles through Built Environment Design

Citation

Warren, C.M.J. (2011), "Positive Development: From Vicious Circles to Virtuous Cycles through Built Environment Design", Property Management, Vol. 29 No. 2, pp. 215-215. https://doi.org/10.1108/pm.2011.29.2.215.1

This is the first of two books selected for review in this issue of Property Management. Neither of these books can be described as sustainable built environment texts, but both have significant implications for the property management profession. This book was first published in August 2008 and, as such, is a little older than might be expected in a book review. The text was recommended to me and, having read it, I thought it worthy of bringing to the attention of the readership of Property Management. The author, Janis Birkeland, is Professor of Architecture at Queensland University of Technology, having previously practiced as an architect and artist in the USA.

The book takes a somewhat different approach to sustainability than most built environment texts on this subject. The basic premise for the book is that sustainability can best be achieved through good natural design. In order to achieve the goal of good natural design, the author suggests that we should seek to achieve “positive development” which is defined as development that provides for better quality of life, health and safety, while at the same time not compromising natural resources. The book suggests that by good design we may be able to go beyond “zero carbon” to a situation where development has a positive impact on the environment, thus achieving ecological gains.

This book certainly challenges the conventional wisdom on sustainable development by proposing a new paradigm of positive development. It does seem to assume much of the responsibility for leading this new vision for the future lies with the architectural and design professions, with supporting contributions to be made by investors, developers and managers of the built environment.

Both the structure of the book and its content are innovative with a large part of the text devoted to what are referred to throughout as “boxes.” These comprise a distinct section of the book with some fifty four separate examples or case studies around a theme referred to earlier in the text. The body of the text is also presented under a series of paragraph headings posed as questions, which the text subsequently seeks to answer, a different approach but perhaps rather frustrating to the reader. That said it is a very worthy addition to the literature and a text that I would recommend to anyone involved in sustainable design or researching in this area.