This book originated around 1990, when the two authors crossed paths on the main campus of the University of Kentucky and struck up a conversation about solar energy advances and the idea of sustainable cities. In spite of the gulf separating our disciplines (political science and architecture), we found an enormous overlap in interests in the solar movement and sustainability. Out of that stimulating discussion came a mutual commitment to engage in a series of periodic meetings guided by an evolving list of readings that might help clarify our common grounding in going beyond solar energy and conservation to a vision of sustainable cities emanating from the model of the polis (Yanarella) and the ideal of the medieval Italian hilltown (Levine). This reading and discussion process led to the penning of a sustainable city manifesto and to involvement in contributing to an international charter through Levine's participation in the Aalborg conference in Denmark as keynote speaker. From there, the authors achieved modest university funding to support a multidisciplinary seminar and lecture series, which culminated in the establishment of the Center for Sustainable Cities as a joint research and policy center under the aegis of the university's Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Architecture.

The substantive chapters in this book are just part of the theoretical and design work generated from our individual and collaborative efforts over more than twenty-five years.