Desert Urbanism - Design with the Desert: Conservation and Sustainable Development - page 437

Part V
Urban Sustainability
Anthony C. Floyd
Urban desert settlements have a long and rich history. The very cradle of civilization was
in the desert regions of the Middle East. The ancient urban centers of Mesopotamia, Egypt,
the Roman Empire, and numerous Islamic empires provide time-tested examples of desert-
adapted urban living. Narrow streets, courtyards, cross ventilation, daylight/glare control, and
passive cooling systems all contributed to a pedestrian-scale, mixed-used, medium-density
urban environment. Today, we know more about our planet, its regional ecosystems, and the
environmental impacts of human activity. We are by far more technologically advanced, but
recent history shows urban development is wreaking havoc on the natural world.
How can we partner with the desert in co-creating architecture and communities that
are sensitive to the character of the place? Richard Malloy starts off this part with a chapter
entitled “Settlement, Growth, and Water Security for Southwest Cities” (Chapter 26). This
chapter provides a historical perspective on how the major southwest cities developed into
the modern urban metropolitan centers they now have become. In addition, he discusses
developments in establishing a secure water supply to provide sustainable futures for the
growth and development of these cities. In Chapter 27, “Creating Tomorrow,” Vernon D.
Swaback identifies seven challenges toward ecologically based urban designs in the des-
erts of the southwest: (1) desert culture; (2) indigenous design; (3) regional open space;
(4) complexity and integration; (5) effective transportation; (6) technology, awareness, and
behavior; and (7) heroic design and commitment. With the lessons of the great southwest
Native American settlements of the past, Swaback envisions future desert cities of the
southwest that combine new technologies, diverse densities, and mixed-use developments
with ecologically sensitive planning.
The City of Scottsdale has proven that it takes an informed citizenry coupled with long-
term thinking to protect and enhance the desert in the midst of urban development. In
Chapter 28, “Desert Vernacular: Green Building and Ecological Design in Scottsdale,
Arizona,” Anthony C. Floyd describes the role of Scottsdale's planning and building