A 2016 Green Book Festival Future Forecasts Winner and 2017 Silver
Nautilus Book Award Winner
A stunningly original, lushly illustrated vision for a Green Utopia,
published on the 500th anniversary of the original Big Idea.
Five hundred years ago a powerful new word was unleashed upon the world
when Thomas More published his book Utopia, about an island paradise far
away from his troubled land. It was an instant hit, and the literati
across Europe couldn't get enough of its blend of social fantasy with a
deep desire for a better world. Five hundred years later, Ecotopia
2121 once again harnesses the power of the utopian imagination to
confront our current problems, among them climate change, and offer a
radical, alternative vision for the future of our troubled planet.
Depicting one hundred cities around the globe--from New York to San
Francisco, London, Tokyo, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Beijing,
Vienna, Singapore, Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, and Mumbai--Alan Marshall
imagines how each may survive and prosper. A striking, full-color
scenario painting illustrates each city. The chapters tell how each
community has found either a social or technological innovation to solve
today's crises. Fifteen American cities are covered. Around the world,
urban planners like to tailor scenarios for the year 2020, to take
advantage of the metaphor of 20-20 vision. In Ecotopia 2121, the
vision may be fuzzy, but its sharp insights, captivating illustrations,
and playful storytelling will keep readers coming back again and again.
