ABSTRACT
The central premise of this book is that the form of a town or city can affect its sustainability. It is now widely accepted that a relationship exists between the shape, size, density and uses of a city and its sustainability. However, consensus is lacking about the exact nature of this relationship. The relative sustainability of, for example, high and low urban densities, or centralised and decentralised settlements is still disputed. Certain urban forms appear to be more sustainable in some respects, for example in reducing travel, or enabling fuel efficient technologies, but detrimental in others, perhaps in harming environmental quality or producing social inequalities. Some forms may be sustainable locally, but not be beneficial city wide or regionally.
