Dr. Timothy Beatley
2013 Fellow
Dr. Timothy Beatley is an internationally recognized author, sustainable city researcher and Professor at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture. The author of more than fifteen books including Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design and Planning, Native to nowhere: sustaining home and community in a global age and Green urbanism: learning from European cities, Beatley’s primary subject is that of sustainable communities.
Beatley believes that sustainable and resilient cities represent our best hope for addressing today’s environmental challenges, and he focuses on strategies for reducing the ecological footprints of towns and cities, while simultaneously becoming more livable and equitable places.
One of Beatley’s main concepts is that of Green Urbanism. Cities that exemplify green urbanism strive to live within its ecological limits. They are designed to function in ways analogous to nature and attempt to be locally and regionally self-sufficient. An additional benefit of Green Urbanism is the facilitation of more sustainable lifestyles and its emphasis on a high quality of neighborhood and community life.