Toward a Theory of Successful Eco-Town Development

This thesis is based upon the author’s concerns about the impacts of rapid urbanization on the environment and the well-being of the human population in the short and longterm. The author’s experiences, as an architect, helped him to understand that there are interlinkages among the political, economic, technological, societal, ecological and ethical factors that guide urban development. The author’s initial objective was to understand and build upon the elements involved in planned and unplanned developments. This author investigated questions about urban planning models and development frameworks with diverse physical, social and environmental impacts and with a focus upon eco-towns in Northwestern European nations.