Description

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In this beautifully illustrated book, Author shares the fruits of more than a quarter of a century of careful observation of traditional knowledge and techniques applied to urban settlements and landscape resources management in all regions of the world. The book introduces us to very sophisticated, thousand-year-old, capacities developed by local communities and civilizations around the world, amongst which water harvesting techniques, recycling of organic wastes and used waters for soil fertility conservation or, in more general terms, the ecosystemic approach to town planning, are anything but new Each traditional technique, classified and safeguarded, is an exceptional heritage of experience and knowledge which is in danger today but which may be spread and reused. However, it is not a question of reproducing exactly the solutions in each context but rather of adopting the logic within which they operate also by using advanced technologies. Natural cycles and traditional urban ecosystems show processes based on a harmonious use of resources wherein each manufacturing process produces wastes which are not a problem but are a source of materials for the other components of the overall activity. Traditional knowledge is, therefore, re-proposed as innovative, appropriate, and advanced knowledge for the elaboration of a new technological paradigm.

About the Author

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Pietro Laureano, an architect and urban planner, is a UNESCO consultant for arid regions, water management, Islamic civilization and endangered ecosystems.